The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-09
LESSONS It TEACHES
The Growth and Progress OF
EIon College.
ONLY NINE YEARS OLD
BIZ STANDS AT THE HEAD OF
THE SMALLER COLLEGES.
IT HAS FOUND CoEOUCATION A SUCCESS
Practically Without Endowment and Supported
by Small Church it has Neverthe-
less Done a Splendid.
Work..

Work.
Elon College, \. c., June .-(Edi-
torial Correspondence Only nine
years old, this college has not
only come to be Il potential
factor in North Carolina educa-
ton, but its success has demonstrated
that co-education is as practicable here
in the South, where the dominating
sentiment has always been against it as
i'll the great Northwest where it is al
most universal. Established in 1890,
Elon college was the first of the de-
nominational colleges to open the college
to women on the same terms as to men.
Guilford had tried it and succeeded
among the Friends, but the other
churches had established separate male
and female colleges. The Christian
church was therefore largely a pioneer
i'll co-edilcation i'll college instruction i'll
North Carolina. Every passing year has
convinced the trustees and members
of the faculty that it is the best and
most rational way to educate both
sexes.
Josh Billings always said: Il never
| argy agin Il success" Co-educatiOn has
succeeded here in every respect, whether
reference is had to numbers, scholarship,
department or high standing. As to the
whole country, El0n college was merely
walking in the path of most of the col
leges Editor Emmett Moffitt, the able
editor of ,he Christian Sun, tells me
that of the $40 colleges and universities
in America, 265 are open to boys and
girls alike, and that no institution adopt
| ing it has ever gone back to the old
idea that the boys and girls cannot
be well educated in the same college.
Prof. Atkinson says that the objection
most often urged against co-education,
that the boys and girls think too
much about each other, does not hold
| He says that in the nine years of the
life of the college, only nine couples of
former students have married. There
has never been a marriage during col
| lege season, and instead of the policy
of co-education hindering study it slim
ulates it. President Staley says: Con
tact of sexes in the school room, under
proper regulations, tends to promote
neatness. politeness, purity of speech,
correct morals, and studious habits.
DO not print it," said Prof. Atkin-
son, that only Is Elon college students
have married in nine years. We mean
that only 8 male students have married
female students after leaving college.
1t might injure the college if the young
people got the notion that co-education
tended to discourage matrimony. Our
experience has shown lis that ut college,
vI,iIo oncb nthar thprn x
very little love-making. and that very
few marriages result from college con-
tact. This fact answers the argument
against co-education.'
Elon college was born i'll the brain of
the Christian church. September 18th,
1888, when the General Convention in
session at Graham, decided to establish
college. Before that Rev. W. 5.
Long, ID. d.. and Rev. j. L. Barrett,
ID. D., had been agitating its establish
ment. 1t was chartered in 1889, and
its doors were thrown open to students
in September, 1890. 1t is the smallest
of the large colleges and the largest of
the small colleges as some one has said
of Dartmouth college AS ! admired
the commodious buildings and equip
ment, here in the midst of a lovely
Young oak grove / could but feel that
the State and church owes a great debt
to the brave and earnest men who have
built this temple of learning. The Chris
tian church is not large in membership
and does not embrace many rich men
in its fold Three States support the
colege-North Carolina with $4,000
members: Virginia with 5000; and Ala
A. fn,, -, 1lnt rs
come from the last named State. No
church in North Carolina, in proportion
to wealth and numbers, has been so
generous and made so many sacrifices
to build a college as the Christian
/ church. Its members have enthusiasm
for it and have just cause to be proud
of their college.
The property here is worth So0.OOO.
| No contribution has been greater than
| 81, 800, and most of the money has
been paid in small sums. 1t has an en-
dowment of only $1,000 bequeathed to
the college by the late Rev 0. J. Wait.
of Fall River, Conn. Hon. f. A. Palmer.
president of the National Broadway
bank of New York. has told leaders of
the church that he has made provision
in his will by which he will leave the
| tOlltHe enough Oh Udlk SUCK 10 iliSuiC
it an income of $4,000 per year on the
basis of 4 per cent, though So0,00o
stock in that bank will really give Il
larger annual dividend than that
amount. Ii is hoped and believed that
the knowledge of that large fund will
encourage others to help provide it with
an endowment sufficient TO enable it to
grow steadily and add to its equipment.
1t will do no better work than in the old
curriculum, for its faculty is capable
and thorough. but an endowment Will
give it greater facilities and enlarged
equipment in the noble work it is doing.
1t has now ten members of the faculty
whose excellent instruction is seen III
the success of its graduates and in the
fine speeches of the class of 1899.
Nowhere in North Carolina is more
care taken to give the female pupils
the comforts Of home The Young La
dies Dormitory is fitted up with all the
modern conveniences, hot and colo
water, and charge of ten dollars III