The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-22

state that that Oilicc should be run any
longer as ii ha- been
Female Education in the United States.
1t is n curious fact that America, which
was the first to acknowledge the educational
claims Of wowch. should now he more buck
ward than most European countries in ac-
cordng them complete recognition When
We consider how far even England has gone
during the last twclvcmunih toward throw
ing down the burs OF sex in her professional
schools and universities, We are prompted
to ask what progress the same movement
has made among Us and to what extent the
old restrictions are still maintained.
II is about half Il century since the doe
trino that the alleged difference in the mon
tai aptitudrs Ot the two sexes may hc over
luoscd for purposes Of education, first found
advocates in this country. In the year so nm
attempt was made at Boston To establish Il
high school for girls on the plan of those
existing for boys. But the success of the
experiment Stems to have been alarm
ing two hundred and ciehty--ix candidates
having presented themselves against ninety
applications for the male institution and
accordingly IL was discontinued. Sotuc-
what later. however. II more persistent
effort WAS made in the West. and
the much questioned prncticablity of
cO-ciucut.ou fairly tested. Oncriin COL
lccc. which WIS founded IN is3} ON the pr.n-
ciple of furnishing equal advantage tohoth
sexes. had IL contend against much dis
enlargement and not a little odium hut
how eagerly the opportunity was sci1cd.
appears from tie fact that il has gladu-
atcd moro women than men. if We rN-
cludc the department OF theology. Passing
over Mount llulyuhc Seminary and Nas,ar.
opened respectively in 1881 and 1865. and
intended for girls only, We come to An
tioch. which wa, framed upon the model
Of Obcrlin. and has been operated with
success during a quarter Of century.
So. too. the new university founded ut
Boston in ISL has admitted women from the
beginning. and II appears from lis report for
1876 that the number If female students was
then a. two TO seven. while the proportion
Of women was rapidly increasing. Ten years
ago there were no less -;-7.n twenty-five col
lcgcs in the United States accessible to both
sexes. while in 1873 the number had risen
to nincty-scvcn. We may add that $50
far away as California new univrr-
sity was founded for both sexes at
about the last mentioned date II Is
certain. however. that with ;hc exception OF
Michigan University which admitted
women IN $50. and Cornell. which consented
to open its gGtos some five years later. th"
more opulcnt and distinguished Of American
institutions have shown themselves rc>1-
lntcly conservative. Harvard and Yale for
instance, although the former has adopted
the Oxfold and Cambridge SYSTEM OF local
examinations for = T.. stu persist in shut
tlu., iho.r d,og- ncaii-i i.lra'e '.tU'' ne.
Hud tl,tc Dr. lr ',Dlt ii1i 'nrl a''l iiiDH.
widely Observed and copied d, W. know II to
| h. l. the most formidable obstacle t. the
complete Nindication in America Of woman
! right TO share the higher cducntiou But
/ these institution, are strongly Influenced bF
English example, and when We call To- mind
the recent action Of the London University.
soon to be- followed doubtless by Cambridge,
and somewhat moro rc,lctnutiv by ONi,rd,
We may expect our oldest and most thor
ouShly AnSlici2cd establishments to fall
into line AT no distant day.
50 far rs may be- COLLECTED from the evil
dcncc the scope and quality Of the TRIMMING
supplied by tine nlycd colleges has not SUI
Three years after Michigan University wa
thrown open 10 women, It's President t">ti-
fled that 50 far irum this step having tcndol
to lower he standard Of work, the require
mcnts for admission had, in tact, been
steadily ncrcaecd. and the range Of studir-
hloadcncd What WAS no les, noteworthy
he was able TO meet "A common objection
with the assurance that the presence OF
girls had not called for the enactment oi
single new regulation. or for the slightest
change in TIA" methods ui Gi-' vliu" ur mod
Of work. Testimony equally strong l.
afforded by the report Of the Bos
ton University, which states that, ii
the Judgment Of the professors. til,
competition of female students la,
helped to raise the level of scholarship
while thc." Influence bad materially pro
nutcd studinu4nre- and order. II appears
too. that facts do not warrant Or. CLAKKL
we'll known allilnance that owing IL
woman relative icohlonoss Of health. TIA,
opening OF the arts and science degree,
would act as dangerous stimulus to over
cxcrtion. However legitimate may br Or
CLARKE's broad infcrcncc from the struc
tural and functional pcculiarliirs Of sex
there Is no doIlt that many wuncn ar
rnpahlc Of much more phN -iral ami monta
work than many men; and it may well h'
that those vino compass the rourwha
rigorous preliminary trimming cNactrd b,
universities illustrate the principle of th'
survival Of the lttost At all events, TIM
statistic, at hand do mot make the nunhc
al eager plrl~ who nave MARRIED their health
ie c.co--Nr application rroponiountrl.