Radcliffe College

:This article is about Radcliffe College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. There is also a Ratcliffe College, in Leicestershire, United Kingdom.

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Radcliffe College is the historical name of a women's educational institution closely associated with Harvard University. It was one of the original Seven Sisters colleges.

Related Topics:
Harvard University - Seven Sisters

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The "Harvard Annex" for women's instruction by Harvard faculty was founded in 1879 and chartered as Radcliffe College by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1894. It is named for Lady Ann (Radcliffe) Mowlson, who established the first scholarship at Harvard in 1643. The first president was Elizabeth Cary Agassiz, widow of Harvard professor Louis Agassiz. Radcliffe built its own campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, not far from that of Harvard.

Related Topics:
1879 - Commonwealth of Massachusetts - 1894 - Ann (Radcliffe) Mowlson - 1643 - Elizabeth Cary Agassiz - Louis Agassiz - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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During World War II, Harvard and Radcliffe signed an agreement which allowed women to attend classes at Harvard for the first time, officially beginning joint instruction in 1943. From 1963, Radcliffe students received Harvard diplomas signed by the presidents of Radcliffe and Harvard, and joint commencement exercises began in 1970. The same year, several Harvard and Radcliffe dormitories began swapping students experimentally, and in 1972 full coresidence was instituted. The schools' departments of athletics merged shortly thereafter.

Related Topics:
World War II - 1943 - 1963 - 1970 - 1972 - Coresidence

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In 1977, Harvard and Radcliffe signed an agreement which put undergraduate women entirely in Harvard College, maintaining for them only a nominal enrollment in Radcliffe College. In practice all the energies of Radcliffe (which remained an autonomous institution) were devoted to its other initiatives, such as the Bunting fellowship program. During this time, the Harvard undergraduate community and class was officially known as "Harvard and Radcliffe" or "Harvard-Radcliffe", and female students continued to be awarded degrees signed by both presidents, even though Radcliffe had little to no impact on the average undergraduate's experience at the university.

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On October 1, 1999, this quaint and unusual arrangement came to an end, as Radcliffe College was finally fully absorbed into Harvard University; female undergraduates were henceforward members only of Harvard College while Radcliffe College evolved into the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Related Topics:
October 1 - 1999 - Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study

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However, several undergraduate student organizations in Harvard College still refer to Radcliffe in their names, including the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra. Two athletic teams still compete under the Radcliffe name: varsity crew, which still rows with Radcliffe's black-and-white oarblades and uniforms instead of Harvard's crimson-and-white (in 1973 the team had been the only varsity team which voted not to adopt the Harvard name); and club rugby. In addition, the Harvard University Band still plays a Radcliffe fight song.

Related Topics:
Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra - Crew - 1973 - Rugby - Harvard University Band - Fight song

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