New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-18
VASSAR AND ELMIRA.

| To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir. In your issue of June II is an editorial refer'
ring to vassar College as the Oldest college Tor
| women and as the pioneer in the work Of anordins
| means for their higher education. May call your
| attention 10 the following quotation?
Elmra College was chartered in 1852 as the Az.
P Fm,-a ff in s and opened for students 1856 For
ten years II was the only college established exelu;
sysy for w .iy for t the degree Of B A. which
in the other cSeESs IN ,his sss r 9 an
which adopted full collegiate methods with an or.
ganzed faculty OF instruction II vas s ,ns Tss ria
re and al the ,t college for that expected
ment. so as not to be dependent upon patronage Il
graduated sa sees r! o. and
| hold the diploma Of Elmira College
| The writer has often letter written by the
first president Of Nassar to DR.. A. W. Cowles, pres
dent OF Elmra. asking him for suggestions as 20
methods and lines of work. as the latter hsd area1y
| had a number OF years of experience IN a womahs
s: is Srsn oy Rs' lie.
honor be given where /. Is due. NJ X. }.
Nezv-York. June IA. 1896
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
| Sir: Honor 10 whom honor is due. In an editorial
az The Tribune June you give Vassar the credit OF
being the pioneer of womans colleges and OF hav-
ing broken the ground You mention that this COM
mencement is the thirtieth year since she opened
her doors In another column you have news Item
in which the forty-tirst commencement OF ElmrA
! College Is announced. 1t thus appears that Eimra
was eleven years in advance OF Nassar.
| Elmra had graduated l3 young LADIES' WIN !ne
degree OF A. B after full course Of study. the
same as that pursued by Hamilton and reG1irsSd by
81 visionary seemed the project at that time that II
was thought il would require the influence ana sup
| port Of all denominations 70 furnish one eoIeso
With students desiring a collegiate education and,
while Eimira was put under the care OF the synod
| OF New-York Its charter required that u nave
| representative trustee from nve other oenoin'ha-
| tons. ~, ,,. ..so 10.
| The venerable DR.. Augustus w. Cowles who mas
attained a rank as an educator along with Marx
! Hopkin has been ia president most OF ms umss
! and Is still a teacher In the COLLEGE Inc stahuar9
wont TO give this college the honor Il deserves
| Campbell ~ Y, June IL. 1898 5. W. PRATT
| (The Tribune did not say that Vassar was the
| oldest woman's college the pioneer in women's
education. Ii said Vassar was pioneer There
were several colleges older than Vassar. either
| exclusively for women admitting them to de-
grees But however valuable their work may
have been, lack of resources geographical posi-
ton or the state Of public feeling the subject
| Of women's education prevented them from doing
what Vassar did-attract the attention OF the
whole country to the nee Of giving TO women
! better educational advantages. There were
women's colleges before Vaasar, but 1t was Vas
sar that put the woman's college on plane with
the great mems colleges and gave the immediate
stimulus TO the foundation Of the other large
| institutions 1t is no reflection other colleges
that VassaI happened T. be founded when the
time ripe for this impulse. and that 1t had the
L