New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-12
YOUNG WOMEN AT COLUMBIA
A NEW DEPARTMENT STARTED FOR THEM
GRADUAL CONCESSIONS MADE TO THE FAIR SEX
nnxs ruIs MEAN CaEnuCAIIoN aooIi


| DOES THIS MEAN COEDUCATION sooNS
The trustees Of Columbia College took i'm
portant step last Monday toward solving the vexed
problem OF the university education OF women
which some people say points toward coeducation
at Columbia at no distant day. This step was the
laying OF the cornerstone Of post
graduate course for women, to cores
pond to the post-g graduate department
in the School Of Arts and by this move
ment women who have received the degree OF
Master or Doctor of Arts mag follow still highes
course of study of two years for the degree Of
Doctor of Letters or Doctor OF Philosophy.
| 1t is Interesting to note the entire change OF
opinion within the last few years concerning the
education of women at Columbia College In De
cember, 1876, a memorial was presented to the
Board of Trustees Of the college by Soross asking
| that young women should be admitted to the col
! leQe classes The memorial, after a discussion Of
! the principles involved, laid the table by
o unanimous vote. Three years later the subject
was again brought before the Board in the form
of motion that the statutes Of the college should
be SO changed not to prohibit the attendance OF
women on certain courses Of lectures, under certain
conditions. The Board refused ~ change the
statute.
THE FIRST STEP GAINED.
In 1882 association was formed for the
purpose of promoting the higher education OF
women, by opening the great colleges TO them,
so that under proper restrictions they might pursue
the same studies and reap the same advantages
as mer Shortly after its organization the as
ISOLATION held a meeting at the hall of the Union
League Club which was addressed by Dr. X. s.
Storrs, DIR. William II. Draper, Joseph II. Choats
and Others the principal object Of the meeting
being to consider the ACCESSIBILITY of requesting
the admission Of women at Columbia. Or. Storrs
said among other things:
| I'VE owe much 10 women a people. This
race has again and again been upheld by the reck-
less rapture of their self forgetfuness and they
have a right To all they want: | am in favor OF
this movement. first. last and all the time and
] rejoice that the president Of Columbia College
has added to his renOwn by advocating this
measure. We have passed through the stag whore
said the idea was impossible we are almost
through the stage where we ar" saying that 10
may be possible, but very difficult: and we arc
( rapidly coming to the stage when the trustees OF
Columbia will say Ladies, walk in:'' Joseph
M ch S o%s Ms S by a on Hy
men and they will have to yield sooner or later
rrrIrrovIvG THr TRUSTEES.
The result was that petition, signed by over
400 residents Of New-Yort City and its
neighborhood was presented to the trustees OF
Columbia College on February 5, 1883, asking
that " In view Of the present state Of public
the Justice and eXpedicncy of admitting women
to the same educational advantages as men
state of opinion specially evidenced by the recent
action of the English Universities OF Cambridge
and London end. in view Of the Oldest and most
richly endowed educational institutions in the
Tilted States, and pre-emnently representing the
intellectual interests Of the City Of New York.
that they would consider how best 10 extend With
little delay possible, TO such properly quail:
fed women as might desire H. the benefits OF
education at Columbia College by admitting them
to lectures and examinations
To this petition were attached the s@nafnreS
Of many prominent persons representing ncafv
every class in New-Yo society, and including
I III. IL nWgh pE
with bankers merchants school teachers. officers
Of the Army and Navy and men IN nnnn" ire
Among the sieners were President Arthur Gen Gen,
| D,vis DR. Howard Crosby DR.. VI. r. Vincent,
Dr. John iIall. Bishop IT. {, Potter Peter Coqn1er,
! John Jay. f. l.. Stcdman: Mayor Hewitt, DE- For
dyce Barker and w. L. Dodge.
WAT TN TRUSTEES SAID AT TIE TINE.
President Barnard heartily Endorsed this move
ment, as he has long thought that Columbia
| should open its doors to all who desire its advan-
tages and are able TO meet its requirements. In
one Of his annual reports he had said to the Board
|. "Thc time seems to have fully come when
Columbia College should feel herself urged by
| in carrying forward this noble and benclcent
work The public mind is prepared for II a
m Iase feowclens eagerly demand
/ il the members OF our faculty without execution
! favor IL our circumstances are such as to make
! this year or the next. Columbia College will yet
| omen her doors widely enough to receive all
earnest and honest seekers after knowledge, with
| out any distinction Of class or sex"
| Hamilton Fish, the president Of the Board,
! said: u am opposed TO cOeducation from the
very fact that young men and young women arg
In the same classes; This alone would prevent
nv ever voting to have women admitted 10 the
college Of which | am trustee Besides that.
there is no room at Columbia for girls Bishop
Horatio Potter also opposed the movement. but
| the Rev Dr. Morgan Dix was the most bitter OPP
ponent of the scheme. He said:
| II will oppose il to the end. Never with my
! consent shall cOeducatiOn he introduced into
Columbia College" In spite Of his positive as
sertion however. in less than year DR.. Dix was
a special course for women. so as 70 give to shch
| women as desir a collegiate education the al
vantage OF examinations by the college anthOrt
ties The plan as finally adopted prescribed
four years course Of study arranged IN groups
one OF which should be required and one selected
for the first two years. when all groups shouid
be made elective, girl being admitted Under
seventeen years OF age.
In June 1896 Miss Winifred II. Edgerton. a
graduate of Wellesley College, was made a doc
tor of philosophy cum lande. having previously
been admitted to the Columbia Observatory TO
! study astronomical mat hematics One OF hcr
theses was upon " The Latitude OF Columbia Col
legen The first woman to be graduated ny Co.
lumbia College WAS Miss Mary p. Hankey who
received her diploma at the commencement last
June while Miss Katherine f.. Hogan: Miss SARA
Smith received certificates OF proficiency. MISS
Hankey has since died, and her sister VIII be
graduated next June II her health permits
There are at present twenty-eight young women
in the department.