RADCLIFFE COLLEGE 337 



On December 10 the entry in Mrs. Agassiz's diary 

 reads: " Today met the Radcliffe students, just for a little 

 hour of interchange about the new hall. I hardly know 

 whether they or I are more happy in this new prospect 

 for the college." 



The informal address that Mrs. Agassiz made to the 

 students on that afternoon follows : 



I have called you together this afternoon because 

 you and I and Radcliffe have received a beautiful 

 gift in common, and I think we should talk of it, 

 and ask each other what we should make of it. 

 What influence shall it have upon the future of our 

 college; for it is not only the gift of a building, 

 it is not only one step forward, it gives solidity 

 and permanence to our whole scheme of existence as 

 a college, our future is secured by it and a seal is 

 set, as it were, upon our work. 



Sucha building as our Students' Hall is the promise 

 of growth and development; it makes one feel that 

 the essential needs will yet be fulfilled, such as the 

 Library for instance, for we have no Library build- 

 ing, though we have thousands of books to put upon 

 its shelves, and other provisions for Laboratories and 

 Recitation rooms. 



You all know how much a Students' Hall has 

 been in your thoughts and mine; you all know that 

 friends within and without Radcliffe College have 

 worked for it, but their efforts have been unavailing, 

 and I confess that I was deeply discouraged. 



Suddenly, on one beautiful day of my life, the 

 means were put into my hand, the whole means in 



