Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-07
FORCED TO GIVE IN.
Women College Graduates Must Wear
the Cap and Gown.
THEY FOUGHT HARD AGAINST 1T
On the Score Of Looks, but We're Finally
Obliged to Yield.
ONE MALE GRADUATE q YEARS OLD

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.1
NEW YORK, June 6.-This has been a
notable year in the history of the Univer-
sity of the City of New York in two ways.
The authorities have admitted women to
the law department and have recognized
pedagogy as legitimate university course
of study. The commencement of the women
law students passed with nothing to jar its
beauty or harmony. But the women who
make up the graduating classes of the
school of pedagogy are not content to finish
their university career thus quietly. There
are two graduating classes in the school
one to whose members is awarded the de-
gree of Doctor of Pedagogy and one whose
members get the degree of Master of Peda-
gogy.
In the first class there are women and II
men; in the second class 1 man and IL
women. Two of these women are colored,
one being a full-blooded negress, who is
about as clever a woman as there is in the
school Now the average age of the class of
doctors is 90 years and the women do their
share of contributing toward this average.
Of the women of the class of masters many
are not so young as they once were, and none
wears her hair down her back.
Nothing Frisky About Them.
They are sensible and staid lot of
women, but with no great friskiness, which
is the ordinary characteristic of the girl
graduate. Yet, strange to say and terrible
TO relate, q contention has arisen among
them, based for the most part On the ques-
tion of looks For half century each and
every student graduating from the univer-
sity has had to wear the hat-top Oxford cap
and the flowing black gown.
When it came to the graduating women
DR.. McCrackin, who is Scotchman of the
ancient school, ordered that the women
should graduate in gowns and cap, also.
This was not an unprecedented order, as the
custom prevails in a score of women's col
leges in various parts of the country, Nor
did the majority of these women of the
school of pedagogy object. But there were
about half dozen who did object, with en-
treaties tha: were almost fearful, while
there was one who set her foot down, as it
were, and swore by the honor of woman
hood that she would wear no gown and
would wear no cap.
No Cap and Gown for Them.
The wrangle was long and elaborate. The
dissenting women divided into two factions,
which agreed in only one point, to wit:
That the cap and gown should not be worn.
The first and stronger wing of the dissent
ers formulated their views after this fash
ion, as one of them said this evening: '1n
the first place, We have bought graduating
gowns 1t does not come to a girl to |
graduate every year, and we want to make |
it memorable occasion. Now, we paid |
particular attention to the gowns, adorning |
them with ribbons and laces and other fine |
work, which set off our appearance and |
showed those who saw the gowns that the |
wearers were girls with good taste All |
this pains and beauty will be spoiled by the |
long black gowns
The other wing of the dissenters ap-
preached the subject from different stand |
point They admit the force of some of the |
above reasoning, while they deplore its |
frivolous character But they have reasons /