The record-union., 1892-08-27
UNIVERSITY FACULTIES.
Women With Special Gifts VIII be i
Demand.

women With Special Gifts VIII be in
Demand.
Not many months since the President
of the largest university in the United
States said in conversation with the
writer that he should be very glad to see
women on the facalty of that institution,
if th9ideal woman could be found, "but,"
he added, 1--WE want to be very careful
about the first who comes. She must be
the peer Of any, and we want her to come
IN as full Professor, not as an assistant
or instructor"
On account of the large number of
young women among it's students, the
need OF woman's special gifts and ex-
perlence IS so keenly felt in this univer-
sIty that woman of eminent scholar
ship, original attainments and marked
force of character would probably be
elected in preference to man of equal
claims and with no discrimination of
salary.
In this connection the recent call given
by Chicago University to DR.. Palmer of
Harvard at $1,000 a year and to his wife,
Alice freeman Palmer, at 5000 after-
ward $4,000 occurs as significant. The
inequality OF salary strikes the reader at
once, and if he be one of those who first
heard of DIR. Palmer through his marriage
to resent the distinction. Fame and
worth, however, are of infinite variety in
KIND and degree, and universities usually
select their faculties in accordance with
severe standards of scholarly attainment.
Those who know DR.. Palmer say that he
is man of profound scholarship, while,
on the other hand, Mrs. Palmer. though
woman Of rare gifts to which chance
has brought opportunity and consequent
fame, has not turned her energies TO re-
search so much as to active executive
work. She is not, therefore, her hus-
bands equal by standards of scholarship,
though acknowledged to have few peers
IN her chosen lines Of work.
The question is then-Shall women in
this branch Of the worlds activity rise to
mans highest standard? The best men
think she can; the best women look
ardently for it. What then hinders?
Mainly this: The women of the necessary
capacity and industry are in the wage
earning class, and must there exhaust
the strength of their best years at the
lower salaries which women must accept
until they prove everywhere and in all
degrees the superior excellence and
originality of their work. Much has
been said about the reluctance of the
world TO acknowledge woman's work
in the Wage-wOrld as equal with mans.
1t is not equal, and will not be until she
STANDS Win MIN IN the highest as equal.
individuals must always suffer who come
into collision with those whom time and
tradition have pronounced their superb
ors. The elevation Of class is slow.
Where and how, then, are women who
have ability for the original research that
the highest positions demand to get the
requisite training? Fortunately we can
now say that most of our own greater
universities, recently including Yale,
have opened their postgraduate courses
to women, the English universities, also,
while even those Of Germany are eau
tiously unbolting their doors. We are
already passing beyond the era of the
higher education of women" and reach
ing toward the highest" College
women, realizing the Importance of the
issue, are banding together TO forward
the work. Each year the Association of
Collegiate Alumn@ raises $500 toward a
fellowship for postgraduate study in
some American university, and $500 to-
ward one abroad. These fellows are
making brilliant records, but instead OF
two there should be fifty. Help should
come from many sources, for the matter
is of peculiar importance to women of
every degree. Every one who attains
eminence is lifting all III raising and
equalizing the standards by which the
world gauges its workers and appor-
tions its rewards. Is. G. l.