New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-26
COEDUCATION AT COLUMBIA.
.r.1K WITH PROFESSOR NEwBERRY.

III the trustees OF OOlAuui4 NoAANSN
the admission of young women to the classes. Ihey
80 almost unanimously opposed 10 the innova-
s;o, IN. Rev. Dr. Morgan Dix emphasizing his
..tsvant IN these words: Never with my con-
ont shall women be admitted 10 Columbia Coz
Iegev The position Of the trustees was deiendcu
recently. IN an interview with TRIBUNE reporter
nv Professor Drsler, member OF the faculty' WIZ
smoke Of the demOrazing effect which wouid ineN-
stabv follow the introduction of coeducatloh III 'e
college Incidentally he remarked that III j. =
Nerberrv of the School of Mines, was the only
professor IN the faculty who favored admitting
women 70 the regular classes In conversation WIN
. rcnorter Yesterday. Dr. Newberry corrected the
.,atemep; of Dr. Drlser so far as 1t related 10 ms
,wyn vievvs and then cavo his reasons why the
.on.erv,tisn Of the Board of Trustees should yleIu
4, the claims OF Young women anu the deuiahos Va
public opinion. ,-,.,.
"rhe statement in question" said Dr.. Newoeriy'
"was uuwarranted and inaccurate, rs have never
.xpressed an opinion in regard to the coeHucau'r
at the sexes in Columbia College. l nave o'SouS'''
eoeducatIon at various times ana WIN N'Hi0'"
peTsons. and have shown that the Pr'0r' "le"-
ts often used against il are faliacous, since the
rrartlcal working OF the system has Ue7h l-"'
tested br experience. and tie question has '','
~ entirely removed from the realm oi spcc-'a-
,io, In Michigan University and Ia OoeI,'N N''-
Ieqe institutions as large az Columbia ana s'''
i, communities which the statistics OF lI''''"'y
sbov 70 bc better educated than tbs popui'''oH VA
INV New-E England stat, or even o. Ne"-A'iN' W.
eduratiou has been IL operation for quartz" V1 "
ceutury without one case OF scandal anu wa"
decided i.orovement in the manners and habits OF
tho students All the colleges OF the Northwest
The most enlightened, moral and law-abidng pof-
lions of our country. have adopted this system OF
cooducat.on and have had q similar experience
Uorce II Ia Obvious that should the proposition De
made 2rain Tor the introduction Of co-cducauon al
Co.r,ni;a it mus, be refused, If al all. u'on o'Ari
oroupds than that il would produce cemora.-L"-
ton"
..What was the nature Of the recent movement
which has excited 50 EiGch discussion ASKED l-1
reporter.
1T was that women should be permitted 20 share
The educational advantages provided al Co.umoia
IL some such way as tina, practised ID tie Harvard
Annoy or al the universities OF Oxford and Cam
BRIDGE in England. There, certain women Who
have desire to avail themselves OF tie SPECIAL e.
ucational facilities enjoyed in these institute ms
oud who have shown themselves fully QUai.Htd 10
make use of such facilities, are enabled 10 share
them hv forming classes among themse YES when
are admitted TO Of the regular classes OF are
specially instructed by the college officers
Would no; the admission Of young women 10
the college exercises in great city like New-lorN
be attended VIII tlLitlt|4t -t9-tt' '-'t'-i AL
towns where the colleges 10 which yen have Ie-
ferred are situated"
No; ladies' are admitted to 4 large part Of tie
lectures del vereI in the various educat nal nsr'-
tu,i1ns of London Paris and Berlin and they are
ALWAYS courteously treated. The students OF 60
lumlia are as well-mannered as those OF any otHer
institution with which l ALI familiar, and DO not
beieve that any rufiauism, or even rudenes, would
be shown to the women
Have You not already had mixed classes
For ii teen years a few women have attended
fle lectures Of Prot, ssor Rood and myself and to
reach our lecturl-rooms were compelled 10 traverse
hal. and stairvavs " here they encountered large
number OF students and yet they were always
treated with perfect espect and their presence IN
the !ecture-rooas made the classes more quiet and
attentive because 10 put them on their good be-
hayOr.'
.. Nav / ask The names Of some OF those young
ladiesf'
" Among those who have attended my lectures
IIuay mention the Misses T0rrey, the daughters OF
A = Hewitt Or. c. r. Agnew, Or. d. q. Ito and
B. g. Arnold Colonel r. 5. Lyon, and Others, al OF
whom think would testify that they have sui
fered no discourtesy or embarrassment Women
have also been constantly employed as copylsts and
s,eporrapLers by President Barnard Professor
Freston and myself aud they have always been
treated with difference and pOijteness by the stu
denis We have, therefore, good reason 70 believe
that the admission of women 70 the college exeT-
cIses would cause no ell baTassment or annoyance
10 any one
why should the facilities for the education Of
women be increased? We have iu this clJy a num-
ber of popular schools Tor youa- ladies' and the
Normal College is eXclUsively -oc their usr.'
The schools of which you speak are fcrtae most
part intended TO give to young ladies' an education
... fi,s~ N.rfal in pfrrl
colleges. and tie Normal College Is especially In
tended 10 prepare girls % become teachers IN our
public schools. There Is stu want that is real
ard press NJ. Mos, women by choice or fate are
wives and mothers but IN every community there
are some whom fac or choice cOmpc!s o lead single
lives and often they mast provide lor their own
wants. Where necessity IS the cause OF celInacy it
II Onll just hai society Should give woman ialf
chance 10 obtain for herself an honorable position
aud an independence. And where a woman remains
single from choice, }; i very likely that she has
gifts md aspirations which VIII render her happier
and more useful in pursuing individual career;
and SIZE VIII DC uappe5t and society most benefited
when she u enabled 10 educate her tastes and tai
EMS and literature art. music, the prote slOns
business, do the work, exert the iuhuence and
win the rewards for which nature has quaiI1eC
Are there enough women OF this class to.mase it
OBJECT Tor the trustees TO open The classes TO
such women are not likely to be numerous
any cay state out, few 0ruany, they can clam
STARE in the PROVISIONS made Tor higher education.
Justice As well as policy, dictates thdt every door
si1u,d uc open &C. them that not onl} every edu-
cational facility enjoyed by young should lie
granted them, but also that all the disabilities OF
law or prrjudice which handicap the woman
who tiles To do for herself should be removed
Iwrnty wears ago the III justice OF our Treatment OF
women was much more glarug than II Is now. linen
the collegiate and professional schools winch had
been established all over the world tor the educa-
tou of young men, anu N which the volunteer III
pervIslOn of able men mace the education thorough
sud cheap. were closed them now to the greater
part they have admission, and many schools have
been established for their especial benefit. In the
uioSf cun1 IN eDsd communities this movement for