The morning call., 1892-08-28
HOMEN As Professors.
They Nay Aspire to the Highest Places in
University Faculties.

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
faculty of that institution. if the ideal
woman could be found; but" he added,
I'VE 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 pro-
fessor, not as an assistant or instructor" ."
On account of the large number OF young
women among its students, the need of a
woman's special gifts and experience is SO
keenly felt in this university that woman
of eminent scholarship. original attainments
and marked strength 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 year and 10 his wife,
Alice Freeman Palmer. at $4,000 (afterWard
$4,000 occurs as significant. The inequality
OF sail ary strikes the reader at once, and IL
he be one Of those who first heard Of DR..
Palmer through his marriage with Miss
Freeman he may be inclined TO resent the
distinction. Fame and worth, however, are
OF Infinite variety in kind and degree and uni
verslties usually select their faculties in ac-
cordance with severe standards of scholarly
attainment. Those who know DR.. Palmer
say that he is 2 man Of profound scholar
ship, while on the other hand Mrs. Palmer,
though woman Of rare gifts to which
chance has brought opportunity and cOnSe-
quent fame, has not turned her energies to
research so much as TO active executive
work. She Is not, therefore, her husbands 5
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 they can. The best women look
Mainly this: The women Of the necessary
capacity and industry are in the wage
earning class, aud 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 sRnd originality of
their work. Much has been said about the
reluctance of the world 10 acknowledge
woman's work in the wage world as equal
with mans. 1t is not equal, and will not be
until she stands with him in the highest as
equal individuals must always suffer who
come into collision with those whom time
and tradition have pronounced their supe-
riors. The elevation of class is slow.
Where and how. then, are the 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 greater uniyersi-
lies, recently including Yale. have opened
their postgraduate course to women, the
English universities also, while even those
of Germany are cautiously unbOlting their
doors. We are already passing beyond the
era of the higher education of women"
and reaching toward the highest" Col
lege women, realizing the Importance OF the
Issue, are banding together 10 further the
work. Each year the Association Of Col
legiate Alumn& raises $500 toward fellow
ship for postgraduate study in some Amefi-
can university and $500 toward one abroad.
These fellows are making brilliant records,
but instead of two there should be so 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 In raising and equal
iZing the standards by which the world
gauges its workers and apportions its re-
wards. B. c. l.