Matina Souretis Horner

Matina Souretis Horner is an American psychologist and academic administrator best known for her pioneering research on women's achievement motivation and the concept of "fear of success." She served as the sixth president of Radcliffe College from 1972 to 1989, a transformative period during which she strengthened the college's financial and academic ties with Harvard University. Her scholarly work significantly influenced the fields of social psychology and women's studies, and her leadership at Radcliffe advanced opportunities for women in higher education.

Early life and education

Matina Souretis was born on July 28, 1939, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, to Greek immigrant parents. She demonstrated academic prowess early, graduating as valedictorian from Girls' Latin School in Boston. She then attended Bryn Mawr College, a prominent women's institution, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in experimental psychology in 1961. Pursuing graduate studies, she entered the University of Michigan, where she earned both a master's degree and a Ph.D. in psychology. Her doctoral dissertation, completed in 1968, formed the basis of her landmark research on gender and achievement.

Career and research

Horner began her academic career as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Michigan. She joined the faculty of Harvard University in 1969 as an assistant professor in the Department of Social Relations and later in the Department of Psychology and Social Relations. Her most famous research, published in 1969, introduced the concept of the "fear of success" motive, which posited that many women in the late 1960s experienced anxiety about success in competitive, traditionally male-dominated fields due to anticipated social rejection. This work was widely cited in the burgeoning field of feminist psychology and sparked considerable debate within the American Psychological Association. Her findings were influential in discussions about gender roles and were featured in major publications like *Psychology Today*.

Presidency of Radcliffe College

In 1972, Horner was appointed president of Radcliffe College, succeeding Mary Ingraham Bunting. Her tenure focused on navigating Radcliffe's complex relationship with the formerly all-male Harvard University following the advent of coeducation in Harvard College. She negotiated the 1977 agreement which formally merged many undergraduate services while maintaining Radcliffe's endowment and independent graduate programs. Horner established the Radcliffe Institute for Independent Study, later renamed the Bunting Institute in honor of her predecessor, as a premier center for advanced study by women. She also oversaw the creation of the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, a major archive. Her leadership secured Radcliffe's financial future and enhanced its role as a center for scholarship on women.

Later work and legacy

After stepping down from the Radcliffe presidency in 1989, Horner served as executive vice president of the TIAA-CREF financial services organization, focusing on corporate social responsibility. She has held board positions with major corporations including The Chase Manhattan Bank, The May Department Stores Company, and Neiman Marcus, and served on the board of trustees for Bryn Mawr College. Her concept of "fear of success" remains a significant, though sometimes contested, part of the historical discourse in gender studies. The institutional frameworks she helped build, particularly the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, continue to support interdisciplinary research.

Awards and honors

Horner has received numerous accolades for her contributions. She was awarded the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy. She has received honorary doctorate degrees from institutions including Bates College, Tufts University, and the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the President's Commission for a National Agenda for the Eighties. Her work is recognized in the history of both psychology and women's leadership in American higher education.

Category:American psychologists Category:American women academics Category:Radcliffe College people Category:Harvard University faculty Category:1939 births Category:Living people