The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-25
THEIRS IS But ONE vASSAR.
Next Month the Famous Institute
Will Celebrate Its Quarter
Centennial.
The Thought Of q Woman Though
Founded bya
Man.
History OF the School and Some Of its
Noted Allumnse-Wiu the College
Girl Marry?

Especial Correspondence Of TIE INDEPENDENT
New YoRK, May N.-Vassar in spring is
vassar in it's glory, and Vassar this spring
is vocal with robins, golden with sunshine,
green with the luxuriance of May verdure
and thrilling with the electricity of 800 and
more girls at their blossoming time, all ex-
ulting in the knowledge that in three weeks
more they are to celebrate with whole
hearted and gladstone enthusiasm the COM
pletion of the first quarter of century of
the first college for women.
There were schools before Vassar, all
honor to them, but when in the autumn of
1865 the $50 women, ranging from the shy
girl in her teens, whose heart fiuttered in
its first throes of home sickness, to the
woman to whom life had already brought
much of sad knowledge, passed under the
massive stone arch with it's great clock and
up the gently rising ground to the stately
brick piles modelled. they say, after the de-
sign of the Tuileries and always imposing
to look on, even if not then masking as now
the American newness of their walls. that
are still the veriest infants as universe
ties count age, under mantle of ivy and
woodbines; when the first classes were
called in the first worthily equipped and
began what in popular phrase We are now
pleased to call the higher education of
women.
II will be news to many that Vassar col
lege, founded by man, was the thought of
. woman. MIR. Matthew Vassar had niece
Miss Lydia Booth-who taught the Cot.
who, when her uncle's thoughts turned to
the disposition of his fortune and he in
clined to the foundation of q hospital after
the plan Of Guys in London, suggested to
him the opportunity open to wise and
progressive man who should erect college
to be to women what Yale and Harvard
we're to men. The American Woman's Ed
ucational association had been formed in
New York, the Baptists had opened the
Ladies' Collegiate Institute at Worcester,
in Massachusetts,, the time was ripe. and
after a good deal Of correspondence with
Europe a charter for the Incorporation
of "Vassar Female College''-the "Female''
was dropped in 1867-was granted by the
New York legislature in January, 1861, the
bill being the first or second of that session
to receive the governors signature.
There were no presidents to govern the
organization of such a school, and there is a
good deal of benignity, and yet of hesitation
and experiment in paragraph of Mr.. Vas
sar's statement to the first board of trustees,
outlining a course of study which "should
embrace at least the following particulars:
The English language and its literature;
other modern languages; the ancient clas-
sizes, SO far as may be demanded by the spirit
of the times; the mathematics, to such an
extent as may be deemed advisable; all the
branches of natural science; anatomy, phys
iology and hygiene, with practical reference
to the laws of the health of the sex: intel
cal economy; the knowledge of the federal
and state constitutions and laws; moral
science, particularly as bearing on the fl
ial, conjugal and parental relations: esthet-
Jos; domestic economy, practically taught,
in order to prepare the graduates readily to
become skilful housekeepers."
The civil war was already kindling and it
buildings were completed. The early years
at Vassar were yeasty. Maria Mitchell
represented the radical element, and some
times her strong mems meat proved too
much for the stomachs of babes. Hannah
Lyman. the first lady principal: stood
in addition younger and progressive ele-
ment represented by Prof. Truman J.
Backus, now president of the Packer Insti-
tute of Brooklyn. The students were both
younger and older than one COM
monty finds at the present day, in
was something more than eager; something
strenuous, strained, in few cases almost
morbid; a consciousness of doing the unu-
sual. And yet it was this very eagerness,
this exultant sense of the new possibilities
of womanhood, that did much to shape the
students in some particulars had broader
ideas of what they wanted than had those
in authority, and it was they who kept the
college up to its standard. DIR. M. p. Jew
EFT, the first president, resigned before the
college was opened. and DIR. John H. Ray.
~ l.
gun, was man of much executive ability.
There is nothing to indicate that the
early students averaged any better as to
mental calibre than the girls who have
found it 80 much easier and perhaps so
much pleasanter to come after, though Mrs.
books all other girls have read, and Prof.
Whitney, who now fills Maria Mitchell's
chair, and Mrs. Christine Ladd Franklin.
who showed herself a mathematical genius
at Johns Hopkins University, and Mrs.
Ely, formerly of the New York Normal col
lege. but now of the Vassar faculty, and
Miss Goodsell, for 80 many years lady prin-
cipal of Vassar, with others who have made
regulations for themselves, had part. not in
the first years, but in those that were close
to the beginning. -
There Is an old book-how quickly thing
comes to seem old-which gives outs of the
quaint costumes with flowing skirts and
fdrOOplng feathers IN which the first VasSar
students rode horseback and of the huge
chignons, short skirts and pantalets--how
did they keep in their hairpins?-in which
They exercised in the gymnasium; but since
che first Founders Day celebration, April
%, 1866, when the girls got themselves up,
one as Deborah, another as Xantippe, a
third as Joan of Arc, etc., picturing the
women of all ages, nothing has excited
more general interest among students and
he outside public than the projected cele-
oration of the colleges quarter-centennial
which is to take place June II, as conclu-
ZION to this springs commencement exer.
Uses. and at which the attendance of as
arge proportion of Vassar's 800 living
graduates and more than 1000 former stu
Tents as can be rallied by loyalty to Alma
Mater from all parts Of the country is ex-
)ected.
There will be forty-seven graduates this
rear and after the baccalaureate sermon by
resident Taylor in the flower decked
;hapel on Sunday; after the annual con-
,ert on Monday: after the trustees meet
Il ing and the alternately merry and fearful
Eslassday exercises around the tree sacred to
SO. and the reunions of the various classes
IN tuesday; after the valedictorian has
made her last bow and the alumn@ dinner
sias been eaten in the new gymnasium and
Ehe reception to trustees and faculty and
quests has taken place on Wednesday; then
IN Thursday President and Mrs. Harrison
nd Vice President AMI Mrs. Morton, the
abinet, the speaker of the house and other
ficial folk from Washington, Gov. Hill
nd the state dignitaries, the regents of the
tate university. college presidents and the