The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-11
SMITH COLLEGES GROWTH.


lpNs NAinNss hNNs ~" NNhNl 1ANo
years ago Smith College began it's first term
with twelve students. To-day II numbers more
than n thousand. between the two periods
there seems to be almost n century OF change.
particularly when the Presidents report for last
year. just published. is compared with the re-
port OF the college as 1t appeared twenty years
ago, The elms," writes n woman who was a
freshman then. that now shade the main
driveway were little saplings, with stems
smaller than a girls wrist. The tulip tree in
front of the Dewey House was n small round
shrub. furnishing Its odd-shaped folded leaves
for the inspection of the botany class. The
Dewey. the Hatfield, the Presidents house and
the main college building. though without the
addition in the rear. were the only buildings on
the campus. Where the Music building and
Lilly Hall now stand. where the gymnasium
and the Hubbard. Lawrence. Morris and Dick
inson houses are, was q row OF cottages and
their backyards, shut of by a high tence.'
Instead OF the two dwelling houses OF that
time the college has now twelve to show. in
stead of one academic building six. with two
more soon to be finished. Still. the cry is for
more, and the President and Trustees are cast
ing about In their minds for means and
methods OF expansion. Students who must
board In tow are begging for places in the
college houses. which are flied to their limit,
while recitation rooms are sadly out OF proper
1 tlOu W tilt I'LL vi ItClNitibIlS tltl InusI 10
carried on in them. Twenty years ago tho
matter was simple. Intellectual food was
measured out by the ounce, and no elective
system. with its resulting complexity, dis
tracted the schedule makers, who must now
1T hours. teachers, students and multitudin-
GUS courses. till they in reality accomplish the
impossible. At squares into round holes and
satisfy everybody. In regard to the academic
work Of the college twenty years back. the
alumna says:
I'VE had a steady diet of five hours each of
Latin. Greek. and mathematics. with a Bible
lecture on Saturday for variety. During the
summer term each Of the standard articles of
diet was cut down two hours a week to give
time for history lectures. and for the botany,
which was supposed to call us out OF doors and
entice to exercise enough to dispense with
gymnastics. We had q week OF lectures and q
very little drill in elocution sometimes during
the winter. but all these lighter matters were
only a dessert to sweeten the more solid diet Of
every day."
Such a statement as this should render any
querulous Smith girl devoutly thankful for the
fate that has set her dow in college now.
when she has 1S1 courses to choose from. in
Guiding almost every subject catalogued In an
encyclopedia. Forty-five OF these courses. the
President points out. are in natural sciences.
and, with Lilly Hall and the new Science build
ing, are comparatively well supplied with rooms
for carrying on the work but. besides these.
there are 1875 courses OF study. requiring
from 1863 to 374 recitations and lectures
each week. For all OF these College Hall
has only eleven recitation rooms. some of
which are in the third story and were
never intended to be used for that pur-
pose. Although part Of the old gymnasium
has been partitioned off to supply the def
cheney. the result is very unsatisfactory.
Students and teachers alike can testify to this
and they will be as grateful as the. President
when the new Administration building Is COM
pleted. with recitation rooms enough to relieve
many Of the classes must be held at incon-
venient hours. and must crowd into rooms too
comforts OF cramped quarters and close air, at
the time when they most need good ventilation
and Tb 9z ottet to fTimpl s69t their far iast meg e r. IN 5t,c.
nlarly inconyenient for mental %exertion at any
time. But given in addition too much human
minutes flushed Cheeks. headaches. uncertain
tempers and an Inadequate treatment Of the
students and teacher. II the college had means
to provide what was necessary for rs best vel
other recitation hall this moment. for the new
rooms in the Administration building will fall
far short OF the number needed.
The cause Of college education for women is
gathering adherents in greater numbers every
among those who have actually experienced
i. As an indication OF the widespread in;
Uuen0e OF COIekb tuucuIlOn, tn0 NUMBER OF
Smith students Is an Interesting record. The
seaasrts e0% Ma sT8@ hSMsats-ss, eads St the ii ahS Win III
s sends T Igs : Gon seds it u: 1li Ii n Se y: Y Nsx
New, Hampshlre., each 80; Pennsylvania. 29i
hhP 10dS.d Island, 20 %is Vermont 2oi lind IRdiq /! II II
fornia. I; Michigan, has only four representa-
tives. while japan has three. There are, two
Washington. Utah, the District of Columbia,
Wyoming. Florida. Kentucky. Delaware. Cana
da. India and Turkey have one each;
r With such a gathering together Of the prod;
9cts OF different trainings. different IDEALS and
3 evolve a unity for the college as a whole. But
the likenesses are emphasized rather than the
: itself a part Of the college and yet, at the same
! time to be conscious OF itself as q body, More
99s snfs a h student L so in sh9 nm minds ndstf OF hsg t isIloS stu sH:
{ Dept as, regards her position in college itself
! T fnmilyl n and % GReFtioda DO y Is e GONE W irom yf2n n'
stead, it, runs rather this way: Who are
you, and what are you going, to do
. before the frst term is over. girl may be the
daughter Of whomsoeyer she likes, 1t win no
race nor hinder, her to be poor and obscure
= The secret OF the coalition of forces which
in the fact that, in spite of many points Of de
= parture, each student can meet every, othel
interest. For the time being a kind of artificial
> universe in miniature + created within tn
= illnltS OF Ine campus. All hlnUltlOnS unu emo
4 tionscan find expression in 1t. all kinds OF TEN
p%eraments be satisfied. all sorts Of activities
: : mSrs means eP Iss 81 f snnrsssi nmai t heS very S9te s6o % Z ! !
: being u citizen in the college world gives the
t relation between cir, and girl, which results il
r the individuality of the college. "a kind of mys
: FERROUS composite OF twcnty-e!ght States anC
: six foreign countries, to which each. of n thou
sand girls have contributed something.
0 The tendency OF Smith alwaya is to unity 81
o far as possible and yet to preserve the integrity
OF each part. For instance. the students, al
regards their religious persuasions, are divided
IN among II different denominations. Their,
I Presbyterians,, 155 EpiscQpallans. 80 Unita
: rians, 40, Methodists, 30 Baptists; y Univer
. salists. 10 Roman Catholics, q Dutch Reformed
. Z Jews. 3 Swcdenborgians. 3 Friends, 3 l.u'
therans, 3 processing FREE Religion, 2 be
: Day Baptist. l belonging 10 the Union Church
III with no preference. The students attenC
. the churches s - town Instead .rv Gi Gathe tr'
: own. There is no monitor system. bu
+ each Studenb reports Ia her class Office
IN her phurnh attendance NJ fha en-