New-York tribune., 1900-12-11
WESLEYAN ALUMNA'S LETTER.
CORRECTION OF STATEMENTS CONCERNING
THE STATUS OF WOMEN STUDENTS
n of The Tribune.

To the Editor of the Tribune.
Sir: In your issue of November 1s there a letter
from Professor Frank w. Nicolson secretary of the
faculty of Wesleyan University. wherein he makes
some statements concerning the scholarship of the
women at Wesleyan which, though correct in detail
are, II seems to me. essentially misleading. As
an alumna of Wesleyan and a member of the AssO-
citation of the Collegiate Alumn9 may be per-
mitted few words of explanation?
In paper recently given before the Collegiate
Alumnse in New-York Mrs. Barus suggested that
the recent action of the trustees OF Wesleyan
regard 10 the status of women there was perhaps
not surprising, in view Of the fact that last year
four Of the five prizes taken by women al
though they only one-hfth Of the students"
In his reply Professor Nicolson says: Mrs. Baruss
remark loses its point in view of the real facts
out of the twenty-fOur prizes awarded by Wes-
leyan University last year was taken by a
woman Honors at graduation were awarded TO
twenty-four members of the class of 90 Seven
teen men and three women received honors OF the
second grade. four men and no women honors of
the highest grade. There were thirteen women in
the graduating class of sixty-four. 1t should be
remarked that in the matter of honors the
women generally make better showing than this.
It seldom happens however, that they take more
than prize year out Of the twenty-four that
offered" To those acquainted with Wesleyan
the meaning Of the statement attributed TO Mrs.
Barus by your reporter was obvious. She had con-
suited the last catalogue printed-that Of 1S99-0o-
in which she found that of the five students of the
class of '99 taking high honors four were women.
Had she used the term high honors' instead Of
prizes" her statement would have been absolutely
correct. Professor Nicolson's statement that out
Of twenty-four prizes awarded in 1870 only one was
taken by woman is also correct, but the implca-
ton Is that Mrs Barus has made mistake IN her
statistics while in reality the mistake was IL the
OF the word prizes" In justice 10 the women
Professor Ncolson might well have explained that
only two Of the ffty-eght women even entered into
competition for the prizes. AlthoUga these prizes
OF small pecuniary value. the competition Tor
them amont, the men. stimulated by the rivalry Of
the fraternit!es, has always been keen. but among
the very few have cared 10 compete Tor
them
The women of Wesleyan have gone there mainly
for the exceptional educational advantages offered.
And their record for general scholarship they may
well be proud Of the following statistics will
show. There have been % classes graduated IN
which there were both men and women: OF the lolt
thus graduated 132 women. $50 men. ~
peT cent OF the women. Sc per OF the men have
taken honors OF the tTst grade: 3s9 cent or the
women q Z per cent OF the men have taken honors
Of the second grade; 56.l per cent OF the women,
"a Der cent of the men are therefore ranked as
honor students
and trustees of Wesleyan were led TO limit the
number OF women admitted to college by consld-
erutious or their superior scholarship. Thls argu-
nent might conceiVRbly have weight with under
Frs.duates: assume that II I.oud luhuep'e tht
governing body OF a university IN it, deiibsrations
A. - audeni>bls fat tLat thsfv was determined
t-4' .u.'csess:fI LtifU ~ ~ - Tad u Eiahy ot
fife lllIuT1 trustees ana
faculty. ~ limit tho number oI women VINO shVu'u