The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-25


the same subject, and considers The Literature OF
the day Creative Rather than Critical" With
these discussions the second portion OF the enter
tanment Is reached and Miss Chumar viii inter-
pref Haydn's 'sWith yerdure Clad" "Charles |.
d'Angleterre ct Louis XVI" has lent inspiration to
MISS Mary Adams Hopson, of Bridgeport Conn.,;
and Miss Cornelia Maria Gerrish, OF Portland, Me-,
weighs "The Political influence OF Uncle Toms
Cabin" Then come the vaedictory, by Miss
Helen Cornea Hiscock, OF Syracuse; the eXecu-
ton Of Chopin's scherzo in nat minor, the con-
ferring OF degrees and the Doxology, and SO fare
well to the hopes, the aspirations and the tribes
of Commencement Lay Tor another half year. =
FOUNDATION AND RESOURCES OF THE COLLEGE
Vassar College is located on farm or about 200
acres, two miles east OF P0ughkeepsle, and on the
eastern banks OF the Hudson. The foundation
self-made men who noursh liberal ideas and whose
brains have w1dened and deepened with the aquis-
the IN Which Mr. was Is so
brought TO this country when almost an infant,
settled IN Poughkeepsle, grew up under not the
finally brewery which il still in operation. under
the proprietorship OF his nephews, and realized
fortune, by far the greater part OF which he devoted
to the establishment or the noble institution which
now bears his name. On February 20, 1861, Mr..
tees securities to the amount Of s4os in 1884 he
purchased ard presented to the college, for It's art
gallery, collection OF pictures and art booksat
cost Of 800 OOO Before his DEATH In June $685. he had
loaned to the college, for additional constructions,
moneys to the amount OF $4,000 which indebted
ness lie cancelled by his last WILL BY that instru-
ment also he made the college the resduary egatee
OF his estate, directing that the property should be
invested ana held in trust, the annual income only
to be expended for certain specified purposes. For
instance, $50 600 were to be ned as lecture fund
the college to deliver lectures from time to time,
on literature, science and art; $4,000 as an
promse but unable to d deay the run expenses Of
their education, to an interest not exceeding In
any case one-half the regular charge for board and
tuition; $50 900 as library art and cabinet 1und,
and $l25,000 repair iund. The gifts OF Mr.,
Vassar, therefore, amounted IN the aggregate to
nearly eight hundred thousand dollars, Two other
important donations have since been made. One is
COLLECTION OF North american bros presented oy
sr a Ga ahc t
presented by Mr.. Aanson j. Fox, OF Painted Post,
N " secured by an actual inyestment OF
$4,000. No provision. however, has been made Tor
the support OF regular instruction in the college.
nor any provision excepting the auxiliary fund
scholarships, for making its advantages accessible
to any who are unable to pay the fun cost The ldea
upon which Mr.. NaSSar founded the college was
that OF liberal education for women, and it was
his hope, should Thea institution prove success
that other benelactors might arise, that additional
ang THAT neW buildings might be erected as re.
CURED. Let us glance Tor a few moments, IN view
'''' EXPRESSES, REoElpfs AND PERSONNEL "-' "+.
Of the college. The salaries OF instructor and other
officers and employees, with all the necessary ex-
penses OF domestic establishment of more than
1--WE hundred persons, have been betrayed from
These are-For board Including light, heat and
Washing, $500 per annum; tuition in all collegiate
branches, 500 per annum. The extras are-Piano-
forte or organ playing, $50 per ann UNI; solo sing
ing, $50; and dancing, painting or modelling, $50,
the auxiliary fund and the Fox scholarship pro-
viding for the payment In full Of the board and col
legiate tuition OF ten students. The whole num-
Der of persons at present in the college, including
ance OF students throughout the year has been $780,
The officers of instruction include the President
aps qnn and lady nere
are eight professors and twentyeight as
farmer and gardener. All but ten OF these $50 re-:
what is called the college amilyn Perhaps you
would like to know the annual expenses since the
opening Here they are, at your service The
yearly salaries OF officers OF instruction have aver
aged $4,000; business officers and servants
wages $4,000; table expenses, $4,000; fuel, re-
annual expenses are, therefore, $4,000 1t IS
pleasing to know that the average annual receipts
are something more, as, for instance, tuition in
Guiding all exras), $50, 1000; board, 100000; Incl
dentals such as books and stationery, medical
attendance, damages to property, &c) $4,000
These items swell the average annual receipts to
sl55oo0. 1t is to be regretted however, that the
paving OF so large an annual fee for board
and tuition excludes from the College many
OF the class who would be most benefited there.
! from very wealthy families, and many ENJOY Its
privileges only az the cost OF privaton, labor and
parents; but multitudes, who ought TO be literally
educated here, are lett without that aid simply
What vassar principally needs is fresh endow-
ments from men and women OF wealth.
EARLY STRUGGLES or yAssAR.
The motive OF the founder OF vassar. il under.
stand IT, one OF general philanthropy and not
the carving ont OF any peculiar theory of educa
ton. The scope of his intention was to found and
perpetuate an institution which should accom-
plish Tor young women what our colleges are accom-
piishing Tor young men. For methods OF pro-
cedure he relied upon others. In one OF his early
addresses TO the Board OF Trustees he said -"ln
relation to matters literary and professional can
sibty. shall leave such questions TO your supe
the the educational standard should be higher
than that usually recognized in schools
Se nsS before Them Ras o aeys.
system of intellectual training, which, while
adapted to the special wants OF the SEX should be
Of as high grade relatively and should accom-
plIsh essentially the same ends as American col
leges for young men. But what was the proper func
new education were demanding vast changes in
the orthodox collegiate system. They claimed the
sciences and impugned the comparative value of
classical training. But then the idea OF a tull
novel. There were those who believed that the
physical organization and functions OF woman
naturally disqualified, her for severe study, and
that largely ornamental education was alone
suited to her sphere. Others maintained that
there Is no sex in mlnd and demanded the admis
sion of young women 10 the existing colleges and
their education side by side with yoang men. A
third class took middle ground recognizing the
possession Ivy woman OF the same Intellectual
constitution as mans, and claiming Tor her
an equal right to intellectual culture and system
OF development and discipline based on the same
fundamental principles. At the same time they
that there are specialtles In the feminine
stitution and in the functions allotted TO women IN
nfe and they believed that these should not be lost
sight OF. 1t seemed to them that young women
away from home should be surrounded with more
effective social safeguards: that special sanitary
provisions should be made Tor Them and that they
should be furnished With amper means for personal
and domestic comfort than usually deemed
necessary for young men. 1t was this middle
ground which was adopted by the trustees OF Vas
College, and among the starting points deter
mined by them were these-vi2., that complete
domestic system must be Incorporated with the
educational in the organization OF the college, that
the of study must be liberal, not
elementary thorough and scientific, not popular
and superficial; and finally, that the plan
should not be serylle copy Of existing models To
he I'm Nua