In a year marked by pioneering events—Roe v. Wade, the Watergate hearings, the Egyptian–Israeli peace agreement, and the start of Federal Express—HMS introduced its own historical “first.” In June 1973, the Faculty Council voted to form a permanent committee to survey the status of women at Harvard and to suggest ways to increase the number of women on the faculty of Harvard’s medical and dental schools.
In October, the Joint Committee on the Status of Women at HMS and HSDM celebrated its 35th anniversary. During an afternoon filled with reflections on the past, present, and future of women faculty and staff at the two schools, Dean Jeffrey Flier applauded the group for its impressive timeline of accomplishments.
“Over the years, the JCSW has tackled issues ranging from daycare in the Longwood Medical Area to sexual harassment,” he said. “It’s played an important role in the creation of the Harvard Medical Area Children’s Center, the Ombudsperson Office, the Office for Parenting, the Dean’s Leadership Awards for the Advancement of Women Faculty and Staff, as well as the Archives for Women in Medicine.”
“Your organization has done so much to improve the landscape,” said Bruce Donoff, dean of the School of Dental Medicine.
Eleanor Shore, retired dean for faculty affairs, gave the audience a glimpse into that landscape. Her class, HMS ’55, was the seventh to include women. When the Radcliffe and Harvard University health services were combined in 1959, Shore became one of the first women to treat Harvard students, all men at the time. Twenty-five years later, the JCSW played a large role in advocating for some choice between male and female doctors at University Health Services, particularly in OB–GYN and psychiatry.
“They made a stir that I will never forget,” Shore said. “Health services finally moved over and made sure there were women in both specialties, and henceforth there would be a choice.” She also credited the JCSW for promoting the first faculty maternity leave policy.
“I give high marks to the Joint Committee for pushing this mountain, even though it’s not perfect yet,” she said. “I think we have to be very proud of the Joint Committee for making the Harvard Medical School and the Dental School a better place for faculty and staff to work and prosper.” Since tough issues require constant monitoring and improvement, she expects the JCSW to remain active.
“Today we take the ombuds office for granted,” said Kathryn Hammond Baker, deputy director for the History of Medicine at the Countway Library and a past chair of the JCSW Staff Task Force. “My dream is that someday someone will take the Archives for Women in Medicine for granted and say, ‘The JCSW did that? Isn’t that amazing.’”
Taniqua Alexander, HMS ’08, echoed Baker’s comments. “You take for granted that things have been around,” she said. “But I think today was really special for me because I see the fight, and I see the guts of so many women that made it a luxury for me to not think about being a woman during my training.”
Dean Flier also is encouraged. At the end of the first phase of the strategic planning process, all of the advisory groups highlighted the continuing need to make the School’s environment more inclusive and supportive, with special attention paid to improving the diversity and gender balance of the faculty.
“Since this is an area of deep personal interest for me as well, I am pleased to announce the creation of the Council on Faculty Development and Diversity,” he said.
The council will be chaired by the new dean for academic and clinical affairs, Nancy Tarbell, an early champion of the Archives for Women in Medicine and former director of the MGH Center for Faculty Development and Office for Women’s Careers.
