The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-27
COLUMBIA'S ANNEX PLAN.
WILL THE COLLEGE OPEN A HALL
FOR WOMENP

PreSlCent Barnard anu 1t. LIA are
Ready aud Prominent Citizens will
be Asked to Subscribe the Cash
The Proposed College for Women in
New York.
New York, Feb. 25.-Win Columbia
College open an Annex for womenl'
That has become question of cash
The movement in that direction is organ
ling wholly from the outside. The Trus-
tees have taken no action and there is no
question before them requiring any action;
but it is safe to say that if half a million
is forthcoming as the nucleus of a separate
women's college, Columbia will not refuse to
make herself responsible for a Girton Col
lege or Lady Margaret Hail. That is to
say, college in New York city for girls
nnder the protection of Columbia, enjoying
the benefit Of her library, taught by her
professors and comforting her degree is
very possibly a thing of the not too distant
future.
President Barnard has given his approval,
the Rev. DR.. Morgan of the Board of Trus-
tees does not withhold his sympathy. Bishop
Potter assents and there is, so l am IN
formed on good college authority, practi-
Caily no opposition to be overcome.
The possibility of an Annex has been
brought into the foreground through the
efforts of a former student of COlumblas
Collegiate Course for Women Mrs. Annie
Nathan Myer.
That course for women has history. 1t
was IN 1874 that the cO-educatonalists first
turned their batteries against Columbia.
petition from SorOsis urging the admission
of girls was tabled by unanimous vote at
that tune In 1879 the question came up
again in rather curious way. BY courtesy
Suf ha ms sr1a tore q Irf1nn N h1H
been admitted as listeners at some of the
regular courses of college lectures 1t ap-
peared that this was violation OF a statute
forbidding the attendance of any but regu-
larly matriculated students. This was
clearly aimed against economists who might
wish to reap the benefit of college instruc-
ton without paying tuition fees, and a mo-
ton to amend 50 as not to shut out the
women irretrievably was made, discussed
and, though some relatives of President
and Trustees were thereby excluded, de
feated. Here the matter rested until June,
1883, when the New York Association for
the Promotion of the Higher Education for
Women, backed by some of the best names
in the city, petitoned the Trustees not ask
ing for cO-educatiOn, which it was under
stood would nave 10 chance of cOnsidera-
ton, but urging the adoption of some plan
for the instruction of girls The establish
ment of the present collegiate course for
women followed.
This course has now been four years
under trial According to the terms under
which it was offered young women who
passed a preliminary examination were TO
enter upon a four years course of study
substantially similar to that pursued by the
undergraduates, carrying on their work at
their pleasure in their homes o. in any
sccOs qy their selected. Twice year their
progress would be tested by examinations
conducted by the Columbia professors, and
on the completion of the course certificates
of proficiency would be awarded them
Two years later the offer of certificates
was exchanged for the promise of degrees.
What have been the results! Thirty-eight
young women in all have entered upon the
course. Miss Hankey, of Garretsons, Staten
Island, who died few weeks ago obtained
her degree last summer. Nine students have
withdrawn, one of them accepting matri-
monial instead of literary honors and TWEEN
ty-eight are still at work The collegiate
course for women has drawn no students
from distance. 1t has at present only two
girls living outside New York city one of
these coming from Staten Island, the other
from Flatbush, Long Island. New York
girls who could leave home have continued
TO 90 away for their college course. There
are tifty-seven regularly enrolled girl stu
dents from the city and vicinity at Cornell
Bryn Mawr, Smith, Vassar and Wellesley
this year. Counting the graduates of the
past year OF TWO LLe uui1Der VINO apply 10
Columbia Is very small comparid with those
who go elsewhere The Society for the En-
couragement of Studies at Home has more
than twice the number of girl pupils resi-
dent in New York that Columbia has.
have made personal inquiry at some of the
best private schools, academies and institu-
tions in New York, Brooklyn and vicinity
which are fitting girls for colleges. They
are not fitting very extensively for the Co
lumbia course. One of them has forty pre-
paratory students, another over sixty, and
there are dozens which have any where from
two or three to twenty. Within a radius
of not many miles from New York CITY
there are some hundreds Of girls VINO are
getting ready to go TO college and to turn
their backs ON New York TO do it. They
are proud of Columbia for their brothers
go there, but they are not strongly tempted
themselves.
Mrs. Annie Nathan Myer, already men
toned as the head and front of the Annex
plan, was a Columbia student prior to her
marriage and has retained lively interest
in the collegiate course for women and its
students since l Questioned her a few DAYS
ago on the defects in the present plan and
why a change in it was desired. have not
asked permission TO quote her on the sub
ject, but the impression gathered from her
was that the periodic examinations without
instruction put the student to a perplexing
and sometimes an unfair test. With no
guide but a text book, sometimes even that
fails, the course for the term being changed
In some important particulars, while the
busy professors forget to notify the outside
students The girls are handicapped from
the start and they feel it, Their average of
attainment has been high and some of them
have made exceptionally brilliant records
but all the work is done at an appreciable
disadvantage.
The Annex plan, which was distinctly
suggested by a committee of the trustees
when the present course was established in
1889, and which has now been taken up in
earnest by Mrs. Myer, contemplates either
the purchase Of land and the erection of
suitable buildings at ia convenient distance
from Columbia or the renting OF any build
ings capable of being adapted TO the pur-
pose. People known TO be interested in the
education Of girls will be approached at
once and there is no little influence which it
is already promised shall be brought to bear
Mrs. Myer-I beg her pardon if this ever
comes under her eye-is a young and ex-
tremely pretty brunette whose eyes would
count good deal in many quarters. Mr.
Gilman, Of the Harvard Annex, Mrs. Mary
Mapes Dodge and many prominent New
Workers are Interested
If that modest little chocolate-colored
house an the Amman tEay at lanhridga