The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-05-27
Six Graduates in Diplomacy
Still Bitterly Opposed to
Woman Classmate-Fac-
ulty Equally Determined.
Ground of Opposition Not
the Graduates Sex, But an
Alleged Mental lncompe-
tency and Lack of Dignity

"Only those candidates for the de-
gree of doctor of civil law who present
themselves upon the stage for their
degrees will receive them," says Presi-
dent Needham, of Columbian University.
eve are firmly resolved not to &c
upon the stage to receive our degrees
if one is also to be conferred upon Mrs.
Bailey" said prominent member OF
the advanced class in Jurisprudence and
diplomacy.
This is the state of affairs which pre-
sents itself to the faculty and students
of Columbian University less than a
week before the graduation exercises.
Opposing Contentious Upheld
President Needham says that Mrs En-
ma Reba Bailey has completed the re-
quired course of work, and has submit
ted a thesis which has been favorably
passed upon by the faculty
He maintains that she is therefore a
suitable candidate for the degree of doc
tor of civil law
Mrs. Bailey's fellow students, however,
protest strongly that she is not well
grounded in law. or of sufficient general
learning TO deserve the degree; that she
has shown her thesis to different mem
bers Of the class. and that it is jum-
bic os assertions without logical connec-
tion.
Compliments Secretary HITCHCOCK. /.
The subject chosen by Mrs. Bailey is
'.Shall the power of the President be
extended or restricted?' In this they
claim she has devoted the most import
ant part OF page to eulogy of the
Secretary of the Interior. The students
also say that it is not because she is a
woman that they object to her taking the
legal knowledge.
A Statement From the Students.
The opposition has been famed into
a fever heat, because of an impression
that it had been based on the grounds
OF sex only. Two members of the grad
uating class have accordingly prepared
statement for The Times, which they
SACi CD lASOA pOA chi46 LAC OplAlOu OF the
entire student body in this particular
case.
II is set forth that members of the
student body of the Columbian Law
School. as well as of the School of Com
parative Jurisprudence and Diplomacy,
are highly indignant because of the
light in which they have been placed by
an article in local morning paper In
stead of basing their objection to Mrs.
Bailey on the fact that she is a woman,
as set forth in said article, they are
unanimous in declaring that such is far
from being the truth. They represent
that they have at no time made any
statement of their beliefs on the sub
ject of co-education. They ground their
protest wholly on what they believe to
be the incompetency of the particular
candidate TO receive the degree, and
state that they would make the same
objection should any man of like men
tai attainments seek the same degree.
Not Opposed to Co-Education.
That this is their true position they
think is shown by the fact that upon
Mrs. Bailey's first entrance to the
school they made no objection AT that
time they were unaware of her mental
qualities. but they believe her mental
incapacity to have been made so glar-
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