Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-07-20
ABOUT MARRYING.
College Girls Tell Why so Few Be-
come Wives.

| come wives.
The charge made by the Rev. Dr.
E. Winchester Donald in speech de-
! livered at Abbott academy, Andover
Mass, that the methods of education
| followed in nearly all the female col
leges make pupils unwomanly and Itoo
erudite has aroused a storm of agita-
ton at Bryn Mawr Wellesley and
other institutions included in DR.. Don
aids arraignment. There may be some
basis for this extraordinary criticism
in the fact that the percentage of mar
riages of the student class falls far be-
low that of ordinary women, and this
may open a wide field for thought
among the educators of this country.
1t may be that college education
does not make a young woman self
centred and that the influence Of mar
rage among the graduates Is merely a
coincidence; but the following Stats
| tics of the classes Of 'S9 and '94 at
/ Bryn Mawr would indicate that there
may be more truth than poetry in DR..
/ Donald's severe accusation:
Glass '89-Ten years out of school,
averaging now 1898 years of age; &c
members, II married; studied three
years postgraduate to take the de-
gree of Phi. D. Neither of these has
married
Glass '94-Five years out of school,
averaging now 272S years of age; 20
in class; have married; studied one
year extra to take degree of A. M; 1
stayed three years to take Phi. d.,
thus shortening time for possible
courtship.
OF 7S women who have held fellow
ships 10 have married, or 10 per cent;
of 161 graduates 80 have married, or
"a per cent; of 225 girls who did not
stay to take their. degrees SO have
married, or II per cent; of 294 A. BIS
30 married, or IA per cent.
Fewer girls marry after taking the
A. b. degree than those who do not
graduate. Whether or not the Bryn
Mawr students are guiltless of DR..
Donald's charge of unwomanliness,
one thing Is certain they are taught
to keep secret, for everything relat-
ing to Bryn Mawr is kept a profound
secret.
When asked concerning DR.. Don
aids remarks, Miss M. Carey Thomas,
president of Bryn Mawr, declined to
talk for publication, and said: II have
no answer or explanation to make"
Justice c. Strawbridge, president Of
the board of trustees, frigidly de-
clined to discuss the matter. Each Of
the students approached made a
heroic effort, to be true to Bryn Mawr
traditions, but their manner indicated
silent Indignation.
One Of the young ladies who declined
to give her name, said: ut is true that
the proportion Of marrying college wo-
men is lower than will be found in the
same number of society women. TAX
ing all college women together about
onethird of them marry. Not that
they are less attractive, or less de-
sirabe as wives, but they are busy,
and the time and circumstances for
eourtship are lacking. Once married
however, many of them carry on their
work as before. The General Asso-
citation OF College Alumnae was the
first organization to take up problems
of the home and of domestic service"
Another undergraduate said: Grad
yates leave college at the age Of
twenty-one or twenty-five, and are less
likely to rush into marriage. They
think longer and look at maternity
more seriously. While | must admit
that there is great difference in the
percentage of married women who
graduate compared to those who do
not, | do not think that girls erudi-
ton scares young man or creates
desire to remain single, but makes a
woman more sensible and restraints her
from rushing unheedingly into we'd
lock"