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 [J 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. 
Such’a 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 
