Radcliffe ’57: A Snapshot of Life Conditions and Outlooks

When a few of us gathered to talk about a panel for our class meeting, we easily agreed that the topic should be classmate experiences with people who have not led the comfortable lives we have led.

We had not even yet read the class questionnaire that Eva Deykin had created, which asked us to say what are the most pressing issues facing the US today. But that is the issue on most of our minds, even post 9/11.

Almost 40% of the responses to our question about the most pressing issues facing the U.S. today mentioned inequity of income. An additional 12% expressed concern about the lack of universal health care. Safety from attack worried 15%, especially among those whose questionnaires were returned in the early months after 9/11.

Concern for unilateralism and reactiveness in our foreign policy and pollution of the environment led a long list of other concerns from educational standards to violence to media influence. Interestingly, only one person specifically mentioned the Arab-Israeli conflict by name.

Solutions to the problems ranged widely, with education, including more exposure to other cultures, the favorite. The only recommendation for dealing with the issue of inequality of income (within and without the U.S.) was for legislating a living wage.

Who responded to our questions?

Only a third of our surviving classmates: 67 of 217. Obviously, then, the results do not meet the test of scientific rigor.

Of those 67 respondents, 75% are married, 10% divorced, 9% widowed, 4% single. 70% of those married have been married only once, 15% twice, and 4% three times. Most respondents have 2-4 children, although the range is from 0-9. Grandchildren number from 0-18, with 2 being the most common number, although more than 20% have no grandchildren.

Not one nonwhite classmate sent in a questionnaire. Almost 50% of those responding are Protestant, 15% Jewish, Catholic 7%. Most (55%) report excellent health, 36% good health. Most respondents (60%) are Democrats with 15% Republicans. Few indicated other preferences. 75% of those responding consider themselves comfortable, 24% privileged. One said she was comfortable but not enough to come to the reunion.

During working life, 60% report a life in the professions, at least half of those in some form of teaching. Managers/technicians constitute 15%. Business occupied 9%. 9% have been housewives, 5% artists, and one many years in Congress. A significant proportion (40%) of the respondents have not retired.

Of the retired group, most have embarked on new activities from ice skating to research on the Brontes to roaming the country in an RV. Of those retired, 28% are not currently volunteering their time, but the rest are spending from 2 to 35 hours a month in all kinds of services from reviving colonial gardens to tutoring to Planned Parenthood and other community service boards.

What was a turning point in your life?

20% named marriage, 9% some aspect of education. Others mentioned children, living in another culture, surviving the loss of a child, and a host of other experiences.

Few were vividly described, however, except one: “In 1972, while on sabbatical in London with my husband, I caught my reflection in a subway car’s window. I looked much older than the image I had of myself. I decided right then that I did not want to continue with being a social worker. I applied to the Harvard School of Public Health, got a doctoral degree in epidemiology and was then appointed to the faculty.”

Asked what she would do differently, the largest number (more than 15%) would not have married so young but would have pursued graduate studies and a career first. Others would have dealt with their children differently or worried less about what others thought or traveled more.

Perhaps the question about advice to college freshmen is more revealing. “Follow your passion” said almost a third of respondents. Many others urged caution about committing to marriage before finding yourself or getting a marketable skill. They spoke of the need for flexibility.

What should young college women avoid?

Don’t take a job just for monetary rewards, was the most common advice (12%), followed by caveats against early marriage.* Another common suggestion was to beware of self-absorption, self-blame, regret.

More than 66% of responding classmates give Radcliffe credit for stimulating their critical thinking and love of learning. Others (10%) are grateful for friends made in college. Others spoke of gaining at Radcliffe self-confidence, exposure to great faculty minds, ability to cope with ambiguity, and opening of career opportunities (“the Harvard connection”).

What qualities do classmates most admire in themselves?

The range is very wide. Perseverance (9%), curiosity and compassion (both 6%) were mentioned most often. Flexibility, openness to joy, kindness, optimism, good humor, zest for life, integrity, sturdiness, eagerness to learn and grow were among many others.

Everyone listed at least one book, with only David McCullough’s John Adams, Anita Diament’s Red Tent, James Carroll”s Constantine’s Sword, and Kipling’s Kim cited more than once.

This snapshot of our class 45 years after graduation shows us to be thoughtful, wiser with experience, and still adventuresome. Thanks to those who responded. We look forward to news of your lives at the 50th reunion.

*During her report, Ann Kielty Sweet, who had compiled the responses, commented that one her daughters-in-law declared that her classmates would give opposite advice: do not wait too long to have children; the Smith College classmate communications are full of woeful tales of the fertility problems of women who put career first.

Addendum: Ann neglected to report on the answers to the question about discrimination. A surprising number of 38 out of 67 said they had encountered none. About 15 named gender or age.

N.B. Several classmates at the reunion suggested the writer for the next reunion’s questionnaire solicit classmates for questions. One classmate asked for more room on the page for writing out responses.

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