Bernice Cronkhite
Encyclopedia
Bernice Brown Cronkhite (23 July 1893 – 3 August 1983) was an educator and former dean
of Radcliffe College
, working there for thirty-six years. She was the youngest person to become a dean in the United States
, and the first woman at Radcliffe College to earn a doctorate
in political science
.
, Maine, Cronkhite earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Radcliff College in 1916, her Masters degree in 1918, and her Ph.D in 1920. She became the first woman at Radcliffe College to receive a doctorate in political science, her thesis entitled, "On the Status of Armed Merchantmen". At the age of 29 in 1922, she became the dean of Radcliffe College, making her the youngest person to become a dean in the United States. She then served as the first dean for the Radcliffe graduate school from 1934 until her retirement in 1959. Although she retired, she remained a vice president and trustee of Radcliff College until 1960, when she was named dean emeritus.
Cronkhite was the primary author of a 1956 report issued by Radcliffe College which summarized the experiences of several hundred Ph.D. holders from the institution. In 1957, she raised funds to establish a women's dormitory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In her thirty-six years of service to Radcliffe College, she had worked there longer than any other senior officer in the institution.
She died on 3 August 1983 at the Stillman Infirmary of the Harvard University Health Services in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Cronkhite Graduate center at Radcliffe College was named in her honor, as a tribute to the 70 years that she was connected with the institution.
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
, working there for thirty-six years. She was the youngest person to become a dean in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the first woman at Radcliffe College to earn a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
.
Biography
Born in CalaisCalais, Maine
Calais is a city in Washington County, Maine, United States. The city has three United States border crossings or also known as a Port of entry with the busiest being on the St. Croix River bordering St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada...
, Maine, Cronkhite earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Radcliff College in 1916, her Masters degree in 1918, and her Ph.D in 1920. She became the first woman at Radcliffe College to receive a doctorate in political science, her thesis entitled, "On the Status of Armed Merchantmen". At the age of 29 in 1922, she became the dean of Radcliffe College, making her the youngest person to become a dean in the United States. She then served as the first dean for the Radcliffe graduate school from 1934 until her retirement in 1959. Although she retired, she remained a vice president and trustee of Radcliff College until 1960, when she was named dean emeritus.
Cronkhite was the primary author of a 1956 report issued by Radcliffe College which summarized the experiences of several hundred Ph.D. holders from the institution. In 1957, she raised funds to establish a women's dormitory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In her thirty-six years of service to Radcliffe College, she had worked there longer than any other senior officer in the institution.
She died on 3 August 1983 at the Stillman Infirmary of the Harvard University Health Services in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Cronkhite Graduate center at Radcliffe College was named in her honor, as a tribute to the 70 years that she was connected with the institution.
Works
- Handbook for College Teachers (1950)
- Graduate Education for Women: The Radcliffe Ph.D. (1956)
- The Times of My Life (1982)