The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-22
TO CONVERT TUSCALOOSA
FEMALE COLLEGE INTO UNIVERSITY ANNEX

The announcement that the executive
committee Of the board Of trustees of the
university is considering a proposition to
purchase the Tuscaloosa Female college
for the purpose Of converting il into a
university annex was received with great
interest
The present inadequate quarters at the
university have created a strong senti-
ment In behalf of the young women at
the Julia Tutwiler annex, and any
movement looking to a more comfortable
building will receive hearty eommenda-
ton.
The discomforts and Inconvenience un-
dergone by the young women in the
cramped and cherries quarters at the
annex have been discussed in numerous
newspaper articles and the appeals for
improved conditions to meet the demands
of Alabama's young women have been
frequent.
The brilliant record made by the young
women since the doors of the university
were opened to them is known through.
out the state, and the advocates of
higher education for women desire that
Alabama shall provide an adequate an
mex, that the bright girls of the state
will not be compelled to seek university
course in other states.
Higher education for women has no
stronger friend in the state than Presi-
dent ]. w. Abererombie of the UNIVERSE
ty.
Mr.. James e. Webb of Birmingham, of
the board of trustees, is a strong advo-
cate of university course for women
and has frequently expressed himself on
the subject
The Tuscaloosa Female college is one
of the most beautiful and historic places
in the state, and is rich in tradition and
hallowed with romance and sentiment.
The memoirs of hundreds of fair wom-
en- would contain Gdny references to
their schoo1uays spent within its walks,
and no educational institution In the
south ever graduated a greater number
of women who are well known today in
the social and literary life of the south"
1t is among the really fine old inst-
tutions."
Since 1898 Mr. W. F. Melton has been
president and under his administration
the college has only added to its prestige
as a splendid educational institution for
girls and YOU women.
The building has an interesting history.
1t is picturesquely located in the "City of
Oaks" and the grounds with the magnif-
cent trees may soon be seen in the height !
of their springtime beauty
In the event that the building Is pur-
chased for the annex, it will be the third
time in its history that the property |
has been owned by the university.
President Melton gives the following
history of the institution:
The middle portion of the main build
ing was erected in 1880 by DR.. John
Drish, a practitioner of medicine To the |
left of his residence facing the street,
was a small brick office, the front porch |
of which was supported by the posts that |
are now In the front of the music hall
In 1886 a syndicate of Baptists pur-
chased this residence from DR.. Drish /
and established the Alabama Atheneum
for the education of young women. DR.. !
John Leadley Dagg was called from Phil /
adelphia to be the president of the school. |
He remained in charge until 1914 when /
he was electe,- to a professorshp in |
Mercer university Penfield. Ga. 1t was |
in 1897 that the dining hall and other adj
ditions were made to the building The
Atheneum began to decline for reasons
given by DIR. Dagg in his autobiography
two or three years before he left it. We
have no record of the place for several
years, In faol until 1t was bought by the
University of Alabama for a residence |
for Etr. Landon C. Garland. I mis- was the |
second time the university owned the |
IT being the original owner
when the land was included in the grant
from the United States to the universe
ty March 3, 1919.
The place being too large for a private
residence, once having been a school, the
Methodists of the section wanting a
school, DR.. Garland being a Methodist, IL
came about that the Alabama conference
bought the property from the university
and established the Tuscaloosa Female
college with Thomas b. Russell pres
iGent
The dates are probably not sufficiently
accurate to be quoted, but following Mr..
RUSSELL there came the Rev. John Mitch
ell Bonnell, the Rev. F.. M. Grace, Os-
borne Parker the Rev. and Mrs. r. M. |
Sanders, Dr. William ]. Vaughn, Prof. |
w. c. Richardson, the Rev. c. d. Oliver, |
the Rev. b. f. Larabee, all of whom were |
presidents of the college when it was
owned by the Methodist conference. Mr.. |
Alonzo Hill bought the property from
the trustees and for seventeen and a
half years conducted this school as a pri- |
waite institution, building for 1t a reputa-
ton second to no other girls school in
the south The year after Mr.. Hills |
DEATH the school was run for Mrs Hill |
by Perry and Dixon. Then the Methodsts |
Of Tuscaloosa undertook to purchase the |
property for the North Alabama con-
ference. A board of trustees was organ
ized and the Rev. John d. Simpson was |
elected president of the college and re-
manned at Its head two years and a half. |