The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-24
Dean Of Reloit Women
A Styde,,t OF Theology

Miss Florence A. Fensham is again /
spending a few days in the city, the
guest Of Miss Henrietta Clopath. Since
her former visit to Minneapolis, she has
illogical seminary in Chicago and for
the past year has been teaching old Ar
amaic there while a resident of Chicago
Commons, where she had classes, chiefly !,
in Bible study. She is probably the
only woman who has been "a regular
teacher in theological seminary.
The Woman's board Of missions of
board Of managers, wished her to speak
before the Woman s Foreign Missionary
society of Plymouth church, while she
was here. The last meeting of the year
| had been held, however, so she was in
vitel to address the meeting of the
Woman's Home Missionary society of
Plymouth church this Afternoon at the
Queen venue S.
Miss Fensham was born in New York
state, pursuing her early education at
Albany. In 1883 she went to Constan-
tinople and was made dean of the Amer
lean college for girls. 1t was there that
Miss Clopath was associated with her
as member of the faculty. During
Miss Fensham had, in all, about three
years leave Of absence, and these were
mostly spent in study. She took two
summer courses with Patrick Geddes at
Edinburgh and manuscript study in his
tory with J. iRendel Harris at Cam
bridge.
Wishing to do do special BIBLICAL
ma n to whom It was necessary for her
to make application was astonished at
the request. He conceded, to be sure,
that Oxford had decided five years be-
fore to open her doors to women; but
this was the first woman who had ever 9F
had the temeritv to apply. He piled all
manner of discouragementsu upon her, to
which she finally yielded, principally for
the reason that she found that she could
enter Mansfield, the nonconformist the
illogical college at Oxford.
After she had entered Mansfield, a
club of women of the town Of Oxford,
formed for the express purpose OF en-
coura ging the higher education of worn
en-, got hold Of the fact that quietly
working among them was woman who
had actually wished to pursue that
higher education at Oxford and had
been discouraged from so doing. 1t
did not take the members OF this club
\ long to thoroly convince the. gentleman
I Ct his ways. But Miss Fensham chose
I was having at Mansfield just the work
1 she wished, and as Mansfield was af
Z filiated with Oxford, part Of her wori
= was with the regular, Oxford professors
= It was comparatively but a shor
time ago that Miss Fensham deeld &c
the study Of theology, Acting on tn
advice of a prominent clergyman Q:
New York city, and also on accooun
of the fine work Of Professor Graham
Taylor, and the general high scholar
ship Of its faculty, she e. chose G;ea the f1si
When she reached Boston, on her way
to Chicago, she naturally desired tt
spend a few days in visiting relatives
but she met there a trustee of the Fish
: seminary, who advised her, as she, wa
the first and only woman ever admit
be on time for the opening OF al! ne ne
packed her satchel.
Miss Fensham had singular expe
. rience when she decided to study the
ology and chose to study. at Fisk.
Upon arriving at the seminary sh
was met with the remark: you mus!
have made mistake. This is semi
nary for men, Her courage was no
dashed by this, and she insisted upo1
being taken in.
At the end of her first year, at Fisk
it was found that Miss Fensham ha
carried off the highest honors Of he
class. According to the new merit sys
tenn just introduced, she had, won
scholarship which would carry her thr
the next year. She had known nothin
about the scholarship, so that the wor
had been done with no pecunlary en-
in view-|'not for the prize, but TO
the joy of doing:' 49,, :,
She took her degree in 1901, but d.
cided not to go at once, into the mir
istry, as she had at first intended to d
Miss Fensham has enjoyed her VIII
: ter's residence at the, Chicago Con
mons and her work there, especial
that among the Italians. She is tho
DIV in sympathy with the method .pu
sued at the Commons Of workin
among the people Of the neighborhoo
from a religious standpoint as far