Mrs. Bunting Presents Talk To Overseers

The Board of Overseers dramatically recognized the growing integration of Harvard and Radcliffe by meeting at Cabot Hall yesterday. President Bunting, Dean Ford, Dean Elder and others briefed the Overseers on current Harvard-Radcliffe policies at the unprecedented Radcliffe session.

Mrs. Bunting described the atmosphere at the three hour afternoon meeting as "cordial" and said the Board seemed "keenly interested." Said Dean Ford: "If there was ever any hostility towards Radcliffe, it was not present today."

Despite the fact that many of the Overseers are parents of 'Cliffies, some of them seemed surprised at the extent of Harvard's assimilation of Radcliffe.

Mrs. Bunting's speech, which was also precedent-breaking, was mainly concerned with "trying to tell them what the situation is." She said that the idea of separate colleges for men and women is "no longer valid," although Radcliffe, in effect a part of Harvard University, "does provide special services for women."

Spending some time on the problems of graduate education for women, Mrs. Bunting said Harvard should make provision for the special needs of women in its graduate school rules. "Setting up equal rules for men and women and saying that therefore there is no discrimination actually means discrimination."

Rules Hinder Study

One reason women do not pursue graduate studies, Mrs. Bunting suggested, is that the rules of study hinder them.

She particularly stressed the need for permitting part-time women graduate students, and part-time fellowships. "In a garden you cannot treat all the plants the same way," she observed, "and in a school you cannot handle all students identically."

Dean Elder told the Overseers that since the graduate schools have merged there is a problem of finding sufficient financial aid for women. He said he has made a request to Dean Ford for more funds, pointing out that the average women's scholarship is $1,500, while men receive an average of $2,000 annually.

Arthur Trottenberg '48, Assistant Dean of the Faculty and Radcliffe Administrative vice-President, said closer association between the two schools has saved the 'Cliffe some money. He said that by buying food through Harvard, Radcliffe will save $25,000 this year and might save $40,000 in the future.