Wilson Resigns to Advance Deal

When history books look back at Radcliffe College President Linda S. Wilson, their final chapters will tell a story of self-sacrifice.

On Monday, Wilson announced she would step down from her post to make way for the first dean of the new Radcliffe Institute. And Wilson said yesterday that it is too soon for her to start planning her own future.

"Thinking of myself is really not on the agenda at all at this point," she said.

Sitting wearily but calmly in Fay House's elegant first-floor conference room, Wilson broke her long silence yesterday afternoon regarding the negotiations that have consumed her year.

Wilson declined to discuss her own career goals, but she did not rule out the possibility that she might assume an administrative post elsewhere upon completion of her one-year paid sabbatical, which starts July 1, exactly 10 years after she first took office.

"There's a lot left in me for the next round," she said. "I've had quite a few opportunities since I've been here, and I've turned them all down because I wanted to invest in Radcliffe."

Now, Wilson said she could best invest in the institution to which she has devoted a decade by stepping aside.

"A new institute like this needs a new dean--someone's who's prepared to be here for 10 more years," she said. "Every time I've changed jobs, it's like something of a shot of adrenaline. The same thing happens [to institutions]."

For the time being, Director of the Schlesinger Library and former Smith College President Mary Maples Dunn will be relied upon to administer that shot. She will take over as interim dean of Radcliffe on July 1.

A special committee, which will include several former Radcliffe trustees, will assist Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine in the selection of a permanent dean. Wilson said her role in that decision will be limited.

"It would be unusual for a president to choose her successor," she said, but added that in the future, "I will give to Radcliffe as Radcliffe asks me to give."

Yesterday's interview topped off a day in which Wilson conducted what she called a "whirlwind tour" of Radcliffe's staff, meeting with employees and helping them understand Tuesday's announcement.

Wilson said staff members have questioned how Radcliffe will implement the agreement--questions that have yet to be answered.

"They're so smart. They raise important questions," she said.

Expressing relief that she is now able to speak publicly about the future of her institution at last, Wilson yesterday shared a few details about the negotiation process for the first time.

She attributed the crucial element of the deal's finalization to "chemistry," a critical conjunction of a significant capital campaign at Radcliffe and an increasingly broad academic focus in Radcliffe Yard.

"Our colleagues at Harvard can be very confident about what we're building here," she said.

Chemistry is a familiar field for Wilson--she received a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin.

Wilson called the vow of secrecy she has operated under for the last year "very hard."

"My best friend is someone I would have wanted to talk to about this. I did not," she said.

In the difficult months that have led up to the unveiling of the finalized deal, Wilson said she has told only her husband, Paul Smith, about what went on behind close doors.

"He's absolutely trustworthy," she said. "Sanity is an important value."

When Wilson begins what she claims has been a long delayed sabbatical, she will leave Radcliffe as the college's seventh and final president.

"I hadn't even thought about it as being the last president of Radcliffe College, because I've been so focused on the new incarnation," she said yesterday, her voice tinged with emotion.

Those who have worked closely with Wilson on bringing forth the deal yesterday praised her commitment to the future of Radcliffe.

"I think that she really has devoted all of her efforts to bringing the strategic planning to a close," said Radcliffe Board of Trustees Chairman Nancy Beth G. Sheerr '71. "I think she really has put her future aside."