Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-30
HIGHER EDUCATION.
The Admission OF Women To the Unl'
versity OF Virginia Urged.

To the Editor of the Dispatch:
The value OF the higher education for wo-
men and their ability as well as their right
to obtain such education are now so uni
yersally recognized that to seek To con-
vince intelligent readers of these things
would be ridiculous. yet an account or
the steps by which women obtained the
privileges now granted to them IN TINS
country and in Europe will always be
Interesting. In many places a few brave
women quietly took secluded seats IN
a university classroom and, Without the
privilege Of recitation. took notes or
lectures. At the end of the semester
they applied for an examination. When
this was granted and their papers were
found TO be equal to those Of the men
examined, they were admitted to all the
privileges OF the class for the following
semester When 1t was found that nOth-
ing unusual happened In consequence or
this step so alarming to that most re-
spectacle class OF ladies and gentlemen
who suffer under the appellation old
fogy," women were admitted 10 all the
classes of the institution. From the be-
ginning OF the movement in the direction
OF the higher training Of womep ihere
have been some women who preferred 10
study in institutions established eXclu-
svely for their own sex. and the woman
college has had rapid growth.
There are to-day three distinct types
OF Institutions for the higher education
OF women. First. we have the distinctive
woman's college OF the Nassar ana bryh
Mawr type Here the women live IN
building provided for them, under just
enough supervision TO ensure the good
order OF the community, and pursue
courses Of study intended to be quite as
stern and quite as comprehensive as siini-
lar courses In institutions for men. Sc
cond. We have the annex to the male
College such as the lately-abolished Har-
ward annex where the women met IN
separate classes, and were taught some
times by the professors OF the institution
with which they were connected, some
times by others selected for the purpose.
The courses In these annexes have so;he-
times been identical with those or the
original institutions, sometimes very
much inferior to them. The recent ah-
mission OF the students OF the Harvard
annex TO all the privileges OF Harvard
University seems To point to the decline
OF the annex system IL has now no
prominent representative In this country.
The co-educat!Onal school has from tue
first, been found to BE- good wherever
tried. The purest representative OF this
IL, perhaps, Michigan University, where
the wcmen students select their homes.
regulate their lives according to their
own tastes and incilnations. and are In
every way on an equal footing with male
students. A good representative Is found
at Cornell where Sage College Is pro-
yided as a home for the women students,
and from which they so 10 the same
classes as the men. Chicago University
makes the same provision for the home
life Of its women students that II makes
for Its male students. exercising some
control over both.
EACH HAS SOME ADVANTAGES.
Each OF these types has some advan-
tages.. and against each some objections
can be urged. The annex, as has been
said. has never met with much favor,
and will probably be entirely discarded
The woman's college and co-educational
institution will each doubtless be main
tained, for there Will probably always be
some parents who will prefer for their
daughters and some women who Will
prefer for themselves separate education.
However, at present such persons must
be content with training very far short
Of the highest. A separate university Tor
women does not exist. To create one
would require an expenditure Of money
which we can hardly hope for In the near
future. and IL created such an institu-
tion would have the crudeness insepara-
BILE from newness for many years to
come.
Whatever form may be theoretically
most desirable. the question which should
occupy the minds OF Virginia educators
and statesmen now iA How can virginia
make The best immediate provision for