'Cliffe Grads Publish Letter

Three 1953 Radcliffe graduates published a letter in The Boston Globe yesterday protesting the scarcity of tenured women professors at the University.

The letter, signed by the Class of 1953's "ad hoc committee on the status of women at Harvard/Radcliffe," says the College propagates a sexist atmosphere for women and has made "glacial progress" in hiring female faculty members.

The ad hoc committee, which includes one 1957 and three 1953 Radcliffe graduates, as well as the parent of a Harvard graduate, was formed at the 35th reunion of the Radcliffe Class of 1953 to investigate the status of female faculty members and students at the College, said committee chair Peggy Schmertzler '53.

"At the 35th reunion in 1988, our class was concerned with the gender status, so we formed an ad hoc committee to look into it," said Schmertzler. "We looked into it...and we found that without question there was gender discrimination."

"We have a double goal," said committee member Lita Newdick, who became interested in gender discrimination at Harvard because of her daughter Vivian Newdick '89. "Getting more tenured faculty women and equality for women at all levels--also in the classroom, at the graduate level...Women at Harvard face sexism every day."

In the last five years, the committee has compiled a report showing the percentage of tenured women faculty members since 1983 compared to other schools.

The committee members said they wanted to send their class a copy of the report for their 40th reunion in June.

Schmertzler said the Radcliffe alumni office was not willing to include the report in their reunion packets because it might deter graduates from coming to the reunion and elicit complaints. Schmertzler said the committee distributed the reports on its own.

But a member of the Radcliffe alumni office said yesterday that the committee's report was not ready in time for the mailing of the reunion packets, and was mailed later.

"There wasn't any political problem," said Rosemarie Resnik, associate director for Radcliffe reunions.

"There were some questions about the content of the letter, but we did send it."

Committee members said they have not been pleased with the administration's responses to their efforts in the last year, adding that their complaints to President Neil L. Rudenstine and Radcliffe President Linda S. Wilson have not been satisfactorily addressed.

"We said [to the administration] that we are here and we'd like to be helpful but we were never welcomed," said Newdick.

Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles said yesterday he had not heard of the group or of their letters to Rudenstine and Wilson, but that he would be interested in listening to their concerns.

The committee members said they hope the issues will be raised again at the 40th reunion.

"Questions need to be raised and discussed," said Schmertzler. "And it seems as if Harvard and Radcliffe are saying they don't need to be discussed. The question is how long will Radcliffe women be silenced, and how long will Radcliffe women be silenced, by Harvard."