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

pref Hdyuns 'WltH NeruuTe 'ehuiic5 !.
u'Angleterre ct Louis XVII 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 valedictory, by Miss
Helen CorneIa Hiscock, OF syracuse; the execu-
ton OF Chopin's scherzo In u nat minor, the con-
ferring OF degrees and the DOxoiogy, and SO fare
well to the hopes, the aspirations and the tribes
of Commencement Lay Tor another half year. a
FOUNDATION AND RESOURCES OF THE COLLEGE
vassar College is located on farm or about 200
acres, two miles east OF PoughkeepSle, ana on the
eastern banks OF the Hudson. The foundation
land in 1861, oy Matthew vassar, one OF those lew
selr-made men who nourish liberal ideas and whose
brains have widened and deepened with the aquis-
ton OF wealth. MIR. Vassar was elf-made man In
the sense In which MIR. A. 4. Stewart Is SO. He was
brought to this country when almost an infant,
most advantageous circumstances, established
finally brewery which Is still in operation, unuer
the propretorship OF his nephews and reailEed
fortune by far the greater part OF when ne dVotea
to the establishment OF the noble institution wnich
now bears his name. On February 20 1851, Mr..
tees securities the amount OF $4Os 600 in 1884 he
purchased and presented to the college, Ior It's arr
gallery, collection OF pictures and art booksat
cost Of $40 600 Before his DEATH In June 1863 he had
loaned TO the college, for additional CONSTRUCTORS
moneys to the amount OF S75,ooo' Wnlch indente s
ment also he made the college the residuary legatee
OF his estate, directing that the property should ne
invested and held in trust the annual income only
to be expended for certain specified purposes. For
instance $50 900 were to be neld as lecture lund
the college to deliver lectures, from time to time
on literature, science and art; 100000 as an
auxiliary fund Tor aiding students OF superior
promise. but unable to defray the full expenses OF
their education, to an interest not exceeding in
any case one-haf the regular charge for board and
tuition; $4,000 as library, art and cabinet iund,
ana sl25,O00 as a repair fund. 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 birds, presented by
Mr. J. r Grard, Of fopghkeepsie. and valued at
SIS 900; ana the other Is permanent scholarship,
presented by Mr. Alanson J. Fox, OF Painted Post,
n. Y, secured by an actual investment OF
$4,000. No provision. however, has been MADE lor
nor any provision, excepting the auxiliary iund
and the Fox scholarship equal In all to ten iull
Scholarships, for making It's advantages accessible
to any who unable to pay tie full cost The idea
upon which MI. Nassar founded the college was
his hone, should the, institution prove q success,
that other beneiactors might arise that additional
professorships and scholarships would De enuoWeo'
and that new buildings might be erected os re-
CURED. Let us glance lor few moments, III view
Of this anticipation, AZ tne - ..... !, -
EXPENSES RECEIPTS 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
i've hundred persons have been betrayed from
the students fees for board and instruction.
These are-For board Including light, heat and
washing), 5000 per annum tuition in all collegiate
branches, 500 per annum. The extras are-Piano-
forte or organ playing, $50 per ann um solo sing
ing, 500; and dancing, painting or modelling, $50,
the auxiliary fund and the Fox scholarship pro-
vidng for the ment in full Of the board and col
legiate tuition OF ten students. The whole num-
Der of persons at present in the college, including
employees OF all grades is $50. The average attend
Of students throughout the year has been 800.
professor John II: Raymond and the lady prin-
cipa Harriet W. Terry. Then there
eight and as
wants, ana a registrar, superintendent
a steward, a matron, janitor, an engineer, a
side on the College ground, and are members OF
what is called the college family" Perhaps you
would like to know the annual expenses since the
openings Here they are, at your service THE
yearly salaries OF Officers OF instruction nave aver
aged $4,000; business officers and 3D. servants ,o
pairs ana incidentas. S35, 600. The average total
annual expenses are, therefore, Sl5oooo. IL Is
are something more as, Tor instance tuition I'M
Guiding all extras, $4,000; 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
1885, 600. 1t is to be regretted however, that the
paving OF large an annual fee for board
| and tuition excludes from the College many
| OF the class who would be most benefited there
| Comparatively few of the students, indeed, are
! from very wealthy families, and many ENJOY Its
privileges only al the cost OF privaon, labor and
| sacrifice on their own part and that Of their
parents; but mutitudes, who ought TO be literally
educated here, are lett without that aid simply
from their inability to pay the necessary fees.
! What Vassar principally needs is fresh endow
ments from men and women OF wealth.
EARLY STRUGGLES or vAssAR.
The motive OF the founder of Vassar, II we 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 onl colleges are accom-
plishing 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 I'm
relation to matters literary and professional can
not claim any knowledge, and decline all respon-
| sblity. / shall leave such questions TO your supe-
rlor wisdom" He stipulated merely that
the educational standard should be higher
\ schools
for young women. The problem which
the trustees had before them was to devise q
adapted to the special wants OF the sex, should be
Of as high grade relatively and should accom-
1 plish essentially the same ends as American col
ieges for young men. But what the proper func-
4 ton OF colleges Tor young mem The champions OF
! a me- education were demanding vast changes in
the orthodox collegiate system. They claimed the
Increased growth and Importance OF the physical
sciences and mpugned the comparative value Of
classical training But then the idea OF a iull
scientific education Tor women was comparatively
novel There were those who believed that the
| physical organization and functions or 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 mind, ana demanded the admis-
| sion OF young women 10 the existing colleges and
their education side by side with yonng men. A
| third class took middle ground, recognizing the
possession by woman OF the same intellectual
constitution as mans, and claiming ior her
an equal right to intellectual culture and system
4 OF development and discipline based on the same
\ fundamental principles. At the same time they
saw that there are speciales In the FEMININE con-
/ stituton and in the functions allotted TO women IN
hie and they believed that these should not be lost
\ sight OF. It 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
1 should be furnished with ampler means for personal
and domestic comfort than usually deemed
/ necessary for young men. 1t was tins middle
4 ground which was adopted by the trustees OF Vas
\ sar College, and among the starting points deter
mined by them were these-viz., that complete
domestic system must be incorporated with the
educational in the organization OF the college, that
the course OF study must be liberal, not
elementary: thorough and scientific, not popular
and saperdcial and finally, that the plan
should not be a seryile copy Of existing models. To
secure the first desideratnm IL decided that all
| the students should be members OF the college lam
lily; that they should live together under one roo
! that the security and comforts OF a well ordered
! home should be assured them and that the SAINT
tary and social regularity OF their lives well as
their intellectual training should be takenl under
the responsible direction OF the college authorities.