The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-01
DISTINGUISHED WOMAN EDUCATOR.

! ~. sti =
I5nary care was O. great thing for Pro-
fessor Agassiz., AS Mrs. AgassiS herself
said, 1t secured to him many happy and
TRANQUIL years; 1t enabled him to meet
both domestic and scientific expenses and
to pay a. heavy debt incurred from Europe
for fossil fishes. When at the end Of
eight years he was free from these obi.
cations the school was given e. Up y
Again in 1865 Mrs. Agasslz had an OPP
portunity to be of great assistance to her
husband Professor Agassizs health re-
quired change Of scene. and the gener-
Sosity of Nathaniel Thayera permitted him
Ito go.to Brazil, accompanies by SIX 2 as s.
I sistants. All the expenses OF the party
were paid by Mr.. Thayer. Although It
was likely to be a long and difficult
journey, Mrs. "A gassiz decided, thatJit was
her duty to accompany her husb band. Be
sides the scientists there were several
other young men In the group and for
two months a Boston physician and his
wife Perhaps to the general public the
most important part Of Mrs. Agassiz 8
work seems to be The Journal she kept
that later appeared as a8most fascin ting
ACCOUNT Of the expedition.
In his preface Professor 5Agasslz states
that It was his wife's suggestion that this
tanment Of her frlends and partly with
the idea that he might make some use OF
it in knitting together the scientific re-
ports OF the journey with thread OF
narrative. He adds that he got into the
habit Of giving her daily the more general
results Of bis scientific observations,
Knowing. he concludes compllmentari-
ly,'.that she would allow nothing to; be
lost that was worth preserving" The
journal Is tl,i;s q delightful combination
jete ,if,,,,J 5tro1
over, the travellers notes contain much
that only the keen eye of a woman would
have notlced-little details a bout cos
tunes, meals, festivities. even about
morals All this Information is exceed:
iingly valuable, since It comes from re-
glcns seldom visited by Americans. More-
over, with her own thorough knowledge
of sclence> Mrs. Hgasslz records Pro-
lessor Agassiz's scientific notes with The
greatest accuracy
Between the lines It can be read how
invaluab BILE her presence was to the par
~. TO some Of the moro remote re-
alone. Il She was a good walker, and could
thus share many Of his expeditions, She
made light Of all inconveniences, and
would find something entertaining in the
toughest cabins Wherever they were In
that long fourteen months she gave to
their sur,roundlngs the little feminine
touch that helped keep UP the spirits of
the party, 4,
a few years later Mrs. Agass!z accom-
panied her husband on the Hassler eNpeT
dition, Of Which she wrote an account for
the Atlantic Monthly, /,
4 Six years after the death Of Professor
Agassiz q group Of Gampridge people
planned courses Of study for Wpmen, tQ
which the name Harvard Annex was
popularity given, Mrs. Agasslz was early
chosen one Of the governing board, and
when the society was Incorporated she
was made president Of the corporation.
In 1894 when the Institution became Re d.
cliffe College she naturally became pres
ldent, and In this position lshe served
faithfully until the year before her
elghtieth birthday. Though the office earr
attentive to all her duties Our chief
guide and the life and soul of our under,
taking said Professor Goodwin ct tile
time OF her retil1ment,f addng ITO her In
fluence Is due our success, md our pe-
sltlon in the academic world Tn itR
earliest day when the Harvard Annex res
garded a graduating class Of three or
four as large, Mrs. Agasslz used to open
I her house for the commencement exer-
cises To-day the candidates for The A.
3. number nearly one hundred, and fer
the A. N, g score more, While the conlr,
n,epeement audience fills Sanders Tlles
,atre to oyerfle WING, y Although numb. II
are not p measure ofTsuccess, yet but for.
tho wise conservatism pf Mrs, Agasslx
there might have been no Radcliffe COL
lege. III;
S3 Since her retirement, though 4 she Is
quite free from tho exacttoHs 8of efflca,
She As Is still deeply Interested In the lolT
llege, and during the winter every We'd
nesday afternoon she presides over the
tea tablc In tne cheerful parlor. or Fay
House. and receives cordially all students
and THAR friends who AL. Il
~ t9s
\ Without children Of her own Mrs Agas-
slz has been devoted to her three step