Part 20 (1/2)
Oberlin Ohio
FOOTNOTES:
[53] In the classes which graduated last year there were thirty young women; nineteen of these wholly or in part met their own expenses
VassAR COLLEGE
Inquiries regarding the health of Vassar students, particularly as to ”whether it iular and continued brain-work,” and regarding the sanitary regulations of the college, are inquiries of interest and i--and who is not--about improved methods of education for women
The pronounced and very advanced position that Matthew Vassar, the Founder, took, in relation to what he considered a vital necessity in true education, the judicious coh intellectual culture, and which he incorporated into his scheirls,” was, in itself, ale to all the world to ask these questions, and to scan critically the replies to theo on, and give adequate opportunity for the testing of the founder's theories
As es for the thorough establish
He placed the great building that was to be the college home ofupon a beautiful plateau, so that pure air, unobstructed sunshi+ne, good sewerage, an abundant water supply, quiet, freedom from intrusive observation in out-door sports or eements for active and healthful recreation, were all made possible He was careful that the provision for the heating and lighting of the building should be generous, and that there should be no lack in the arrangements for the supply of suitable and well-prepared food He built a co-school, and experienced instructors were put in charge of both those departreeably to his views and plan, one of the instituted professorshi+ps was that of Physiology and Hygiene, whose incueneral supervision of the sanitary arrangeives the prominent features of the plan by which the founder and his associated trustees and faculty hoped to solve the proble for the liberal education of woorous and graceful physical develop extract from President Raymond's Report to the United States Commissioner of Education at the Vienna Exposition, on ”Vassar College; its Foundation, Aims, etc,” shohat creed underlayed the arduous labor which the solution of this proble the possession by woman of the same intellectual constitution as ht to intellectual culture, and a system of development and discipline based on the same fundamental principles They denied that any a, if properly conducted, could be prejudicial, in either sex, to physical health or to the ht of all experience, that the larger the stock of knowledge and the h theequal, the better she is fitted to fill every womanly position, and to perform every womanly duty, at home and in society At the same time, they could not but see that there are specialties in the feminine constitution, and in the functions allotted to woman in life, and they believed that these should not be lost sight of in arranging the details of her education”
To give an idea of some of the complications and perplexities which beset the infancy of this educational enterprise, I cannot do better than to quote at length from President Raymond's Report above named I think that his testi teacher, is of great value, especially upon the point of the ruinous lack of systeirls:
”In September, 1865, the institution was opened for the reception of students A large nues of fifteen and twenty-four, from all parts of the Union and from Canada, applied for examination, and about three hundred and fifty were accepted
A respectable minority of these, say one-fourth or one-third, had been well taught--a few adreat majority, it could not be said with truth that they were thoroughly grounded in anything
”In the ordinary English branches, had the same tests been applied then that are applied now, one-half the candidates would have been refused In these branches the advantage was notably with those who had been taught in the graded public schools, particularly of the larger towns and cities; and none appeared to less advantage than those on whoovernesses and special forn education
”In thewant of method and order, and much of that superficiality whichup such studies without disciplinary preparation Such preparation seelected; but in a majority of cases it had been quite insufficient, and often little better than nominal Most of the older students, for instance, had professedly studied Latin, and either algebra or geometry, or both But the Latin had usually been 'finished' with reading very ieoht, had not infrequently been studied in easy abridgher scientific education
”One thing was made clear by these preliher female education in the United States was fairly represented by this coreat deal that was elevated in aim, and earnest in intention, it was characterized by much confusion, much waste of power, and much barrenness of result, and admitted of essential improvement
”An inquiry into their plans for future study revealed as clearly their need of authoritative guidance and direction There was no lack of zeal for ie by the hope of obtaining a higher and completer education than would be afforded them elsewhere Indeed, the earnestness of purpose, assiduity of application and intelligence to appreciate good counsel, which have, fro, characterized the students as a body, are a noticeable and encouraging fact But their reliance at first was largely on the adventitious advantages which the college was supposed to possess for putting thee and culture Of the real eleher education, and of the subjective conditions of , comparatively few, either of the students or their parents, appeared to have any definite idea There was no lack of definiteness of choice Tastes and inclinations were usually positive; reasons were not so plentiful That the young lady 'liked' this study or 'disliked' that, was the reason perhaps ned If its force was not at once conceded, she strengthened it by increased e that she was 'passionately fond' of the one and 'utterly detested' or 'never could endure' the other Practical studies were greatly in vogue, especially with parents; 'practical'such as had an immediate relation, real or fancied, to some utility of actual life, such, for exa, or of French to a tour in Europe Appropriateness for the discipline of the faculties, or the equipation, ht not be appreciated as practical considerations at all
”The deepest impression made by these preliminary exarand desideratuulation_, authoritative and pere down froid uniformity, needed expansion, relaxation, a wider variety of studies and freer scope for individual choice, there was evidently no such call in a college for women In the field of '_female education_,' without endownized authority, without a history, or even a generally accepted theory, there was really no established _systeently demanded That it should be a perfect system was less important than that it should be definite and fixed, based upon intelligent and well-considered principles, and adhered to, irrespective of the taste and fancies and crude speculations of the students or their friends The young wo so ih intellectual culture should first of all be taught what are the unalterable conditions of a thorough culture, alike for women and formen are held, whether they 'like' the discipline or not The rising interest in the subject of woress of public sentiht be directed to positive results
If Vassar College had ato that consu to order the heterogeneous medley before them, the Faculty set themselves with all earnestness Many have wondered why there should have been any delay in doing this--why a collegiate course was not at once marked out and the students forthwith for classes The reason will appear on a e on paper To produce the real thing requires a variety of material, prepared and shaped for the purpose There s and apparatus, books and learned professors, but there h a preparatory process which requires not only ti influences of a very definite character; and it will not be found easy--at least, it was not found easy eight years ago--to get together four hundred young women, or one-fourth of that number, so prepared
”One fact, however, the Faculty discovered, which went far to counterbalance all their discouragehtful, and influential of the students perfectly apprehended the situation, knehat they needed, and earnestly sought it They were really in advance of the men of years and experience, hoent women--or, rather, with that exact discernment ith the sufferer of an evil takes its es its remedy--they had worked out the solution of the problem; and they watched with the deepest solicitude the settlement of the question, what the institution was to be Modestly, but firently, they pleaded for the adoption of the highest educational standard, avowed their readiness to subid conditions, and exerted a powerful influence to diffuse right views aent of their fellow-students
It soon became evident that here was the vital nucleus for the future college; and around that nucleus the eleathered with decisive rapidity Before the close of the year, the Faculty found theiate course by a strong current of senti the students themselves The brains of the institution were enlisted on that side; and it was manifest that hence-forth the best class of students would be satisfied with nothing less The _controversy_ was at an end What remained was to make the idea a reality