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Alas, at Barnard as well as elsewhere, this early momentum for women's
rights was dissipated as total challenges like the depression and the
world wars engaged all our energies.

Now that the unfinished business of feminism has finally been brought
out to be decisively dealt with, it is clear that women's own psychological 
conditioning to accept an inferior role was one large reason why the early
gains were not pressed. So it is vital to provide opportunities to help
women understand their own history, nature, potentialities and social 
roles. And surely a college for women is a proper place to achieve this
necessary understanding.

At Barnard we are now coming to grips with the "woman question" and
our proper response to it. Our first major effort came in the spring
of 1970, when we held a full-scale Conference on Women, with leading 
sociologist Alice Rossi as the major speaker. On this occasion we
explored from many directions the social, economic and psychological
needs of women and how they could be more adequately met.

This June our Reunion program was also planned around this theme,
and the enthusiastic response of the alumnae -- and even of the wider
comunity -- was ample proof, if any was needed, that the subject is one