Agassiz House, a prominent building in Radcliffe Yard known for its grand columns, will become the new home for Harvard’s Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid starting in September. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) will also relocate, moving from Byerly Hall to Holyoke Center.
The first floor of Agassiz House will be revamped to accommodate public functions of the College admissions office, including welcoming prospective students and their families, hosting information sessions, conducting interviews, and providing other services. The administrative operations of admissions and financial aid will settle into 86 Brattle St., located at the Cronkhite Center (at the intersection of Brattle and Ash streets).
William C. Kirby, the Edith and Benjamin Geisinger Professor of History and dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, expressed enthusiasm about the move. He noted that it will return necessary facilities to Radcliffe and provide a historic, beautiful setting for welcoming future Harvard students and their families. Kirby thanked Dean Drew Faust and the Radcliffe staff for their assistance during the transition.
William R. Fitzsimmons, the Harvard College dean of admissions and financial aid, shared his excitement about the new location. He mentioned that Agassiz House, with its stately presence in the historic Radcliffe Yard, will offer a gracious welcome to prospective students. Fitzsimmons also highlighted that the new facilities will provide additional space for admissions and financial aid operations, which were previously constrained in Byerly Hall.
To accommodate visitors, the first floor of Agassiz House, situated on the corner of Mason and James streets, will undergo minor interior renovations. The first floor and ground level of 86 Brattle St. will be renovated to serve as office space. The upper floors will continue to house graduate student residences.
The administrative offices for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, including GSAS admissions and financial aid operations, will move to the third floor of the Holyoke Center, located on Massachusetts Avenue, by the fall. This move is part of a lease agreement with the Radcliffe Institute that expires in December 2006, as per the terms of the 1999 merger of Harvard and Radcliffe. The Institute plans to house its Fellowship Program in Byerly Hall.
Louise Richardson, executive dean of the Radcliffe Institute, expressed satisfaction with the move. She noted that it will enhance undergraduate use of Agassiz and continue to attract prospective students to this historic setting. Richardson appreciated the collaboration with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to achieve these changes for mutual benefit.
Designed by A.W. Longfellow and completed in 1904, Agassiz House is named after Elizabeth Cary Agassiz, the first president of Radcliffe College. Douglass Shand-Tucci in “Harvard University: The Campus Guide” (Princeton Architectural Press, 2001) describes it as “the centerpiece of the octagonal climax of Radcliffe Yard.” The building’s portico is described as imposing, but its interiors, with their beautifully proportioned and almost palatial rooms, are considered truly distinctive.
The move signifies a significant shift in the layout and functionality of Harvard’s administrative spaces, enhancing both the historical significance and practical needs of the institutions involved.
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