Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-06-26
Women in College

President Magill of Swarthmore College.
Swarthmore, Penn, having his attention called to
the following account Of Prezlent Ehot's re-
marks at the recent Social :, ep,e meetings in
this city,
THE tide il ebbiug no, 20 .ag. This system
Of educatIng boys with girls IA now on the wane
in the West. They begin at ODerlin by admit
ting girls to the college course. They admit
them still. But it has resulted in the establish
ment Of separate course for girls. President
Eliot referred to the personal te.timony of
teachers, citing the matron OF Oberlin College
who told him that Oh no account would she allow
her daughters, or any girls IN whom he was in
terested, TO go through the college course. -
wrote to President Fairchild Of Oberin for more
particular testimony on that project. The fol-
lowing is his reply
OBERLIs COLLEGE, Ohio, May 2G, 1873.
NJ Dear Sir:-Fhs only report which have
seen Of President Eliot's recent remarks on the
snOject Of the education Of women ia that of the
New York Tribune II this report De correct
President Eliot must labor under some misap-
pTehenslOn. 1t Ia true that we have -pecial
ladies course, and far the larger portion OF
our young ladies' pursue this course But this
ladies course" was adopted at the founding of
the school, and the admission of young ladies to
the full college (classicai) course was a subse-
queut matter. No such thing vas thought Of in
the beginning 1t was granted at length to a
few young ladies' who desired the fuller course,
VI tue I0ur VINO nrst entered upon tins
in 1887, three completed it. and from that time
there have been more or less pursuing this
course The number has varied from ten to
thirty-six, but by what law have not been able
to discover There have been several iutiuctua-
tlOns from maximum 10 a miuim I'M aud the
reverse, within the last thirty years We have
recently reached the lowest number and are
apparently again on the increase No speciA
Influence is used with the young ladies' They
select their own COURSE with such advice as they
choose TO seek.
| know Of no foundation for the idea that the
college course for ladies' 10 looked upon with dis
favor here. Several Of the professors have CIV
en their daughtersitbiz course, and others ar,
question Of health aud taste for study aud ther
seems to be no more apprehension among US il
regard to the success OF a wom an in this course
than of young man. A young woman is jus
az likely to lead tue classes as otherwise. Pres
ident Eliot speaks Of conversation with thu
"mAtrOD, whose opinion decided agains
the college course for ladies'. MIS-. Dascoml
was principal Uf the ladies' department When
President Eliot was with us, and for many year.
before. She tells me that she never held sucl
an opinion, and has always regretted that sh,
did not advise her own daughter to take the col
lege course instead Of the other. Our presen
p lpcipal, Mrs. Johnston, pur ued the ladies
course, and she told me to-day that it was tht
regret Of her life that she did not take the col
lege course. Siuce her graduation she has en-
deayored TO make up the lack. Probably non,
among ua think that the full college course is A