Visionary women and men, led by Elizabeth Cary Agassiz, create the “Harvard Annex” for women’s instruction by the Harvard faculty.
Our History
- 1800
- 1900
- 1910
- 1920
- 1940
- 1950
- 1960
- 1970
- 1980
- 1990
- 2000
- 2010
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1800s
1879
1894
The Annex is chartered as Radcliffe College by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The College is named in honor of Ann Radcliffe, Lady Mowlson, who established Harvard’s first scholarship fund in 1643.
1900s
1910s
1920s
1940s
1943
During World War II, Harvard and Radcliffe sign an agreement opening Harvard classrooms to women students for the first time.
1943
The donation of Maud Wood Park's suffrage papers forms the nucleus of the Schlesinger Library, which becomes the foremost library on the history of women in the United States. The library’s opening ceremonies are held on the 23rd anniversary of the signing of the 19th Amendment.
1950s
1960s
1960
Concerned about the “climate of unexpectation” facing women academics, Radcliffe President Mary Ingraham Bunting establishes the community of scholars, scientists, and artists known as the Bunting Fellowship Program.
1963
Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is opened to women and the Radcliffe Graduate School closes.
1963
All programs in the Harvard Business School are opened to women and the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration ends.
1970s
1970
The first joint Harvard and Radcliffe commencement is held in Harvard Yard.
1972
Harvard Yard is opened to female residents.
1975
A joint Harvard-Radcliffe Office of Admissions begins to admit male and female undergraduates.
1977
Radcliffe and Harvard sign an agreement governing their new educational partnership.
1980s
1990s
1999
Radcliffe College and Harvard University officially merge, thereby establishing the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, where individuals pursue advanced learning at its outermost limits and create new knowledge in every field from poetry to biomimetics.
2000s
2000
Radcliffe Institute fellowships open to male scholars, scientists, and artists.
2001
Historian Drew Gilpin Faust—now Harvard University president—becomes dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
2005
The renovation of the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute achieves Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which demonstrates our commitment to innovative green design and sustainability.
2006
The newly renovated Radcliffe Gymnasium opens and becomes the central intellectual meeting place at the Radcliffe Institute.
2008
Computer scientist Barbara J. Grosz becomes dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
2009
The Radcliffe Institute kicks off its 10th year with a two-day symposium, “Celebrate 10 Years! Crossing Boundaries at the Radcliffe Institute," which highlights a decade of multidisciplinary exchanges and accomplishments.
2010s
2011
The Radcliffe Institute announces its 2011–2012 fellows after selecting only 6 percent of applicants—the same acceptance rate as Harvard College.
2011
Byerly Hall, the offices, common areas, and studios for our fellows, achieves LEED Gold certification, enabling Harvard to become the first higher education institution to complete 50 LEED certifications for campus projects.
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