Though the women's college that gave it birth has now merged with Harvard, the Radcliffe Mentor Program celebrated its 15th year anniversary yesterday evening.

The program pairs undergraduate women with Radcliffe College alumnae to explore career choices and discuss professional issues.

About 40 people, including mentors, mentees, program committee members and friends of Radcliffe, gathered in the Cronkhite Graduate Center living room to celebrate the program's success and honor its founders Dr. Cynthia A. Piltch '74 and Phillipa Bovet, formerly a dean of Radcliffe College.

Piltch said she first conceived of a mentoring program when she found herself in need of support and direction after her graduation from Radcliffe.

"Kids were so hungry to talk to people who were out there doing things rather than just academics," she said.

Piltch said she proposed the idea for such a mentorship program to Harvard in the mid 1980's, but was told "Harvard students don't need support."

But when Piltch took the idea to Radcliffe College, she said Bovet greeted it enthusiastically.

Bovet said last night she was grateful for Piltch's determination to start the program.