Radcliffe Establishes Chair To Attract Visiting Professors

Radcliffe College Announced yesterday that it has established the Matina S. Horner Chair for Distinguished Visiting Professors, funded by a $300,000 grant from the Latsis Foundation, a Switzerland-based firm.

The chair marks the first time that Radcliffe will have the opportunity to attract visiting professors to the school, said Director of Public Information Aida K. Press. She added that the chair will be granted to a professor "whose work will promote inter-disciplinary thinking in the social sciences."

The Latsis Foundation, which usually donates money to European organizations, awarded the grant is response to a request by the Radcliffe Board of Trustees to commemorate Horner's 10th anniversary as president of Radcliffe, said Press.

She added that the Datsis Foundation had insisted that the chair be named in honor of the president, although Horner had tried to dissuade them from doing so.

Horner said in a prepared statement that the grant will aid Radcliffe in "the encouragement of women scholars and the study of women's lives and their contributions to society," two of the goals of Radcliffe College. Calling the grant a "splendid gift," she added that it will help Radcliffe "extend our scholarly perspective across national boundaries and our knowledge and understanding beyond the traditional constraints of our disciplines."

The invitation to the first professor will start next fall, and Press said that the selection process will begin in the near future. She added that Radcliffe is looking for a distinguished woman scholar or an expert in women-related studies to fit this chair. Press said she felt that this appointment will raise awareness of women's studies in the Harvard community.

Although the visiting professor will be affiliated with Radcliffe, and will work with Radcliffe students independent of the Harvard structure, a Harvard department may invite the professor to teach a course at Harvard. Press added that several Harvard departments have already submitted nominations for the visiting professorship.

Last year, Radcliffe hosted Radcliffe Visiting Professor Ann F. Scott St. Scott, who specializes in the study of women in the South was the first professor to hold this position, said Press. Scott taught a History seminar as Harvard and conducted a study on Radcliffe women involved in voluntary organizations.