The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-16

be Forthcoming, as the installation OF
such an institution ms Is proposed will
mean nm enormous Increase In property
values In any suburb selected. Tho tract
OF land once secured, tile services Of a
competent landscape artist would be Used
To lay 1t off and locate the central
buildings, which would be erected as fast
as the means could be secured. An
offer of site of twenty-five acros or
more would then be made to each Of the
institutions whose names have been men,
toned. and II will be optional witt, each
one to take advantage OF tho offer.
Removal OF the Womans College hns
been In the air for some time. II liz
understood that the original site for the
Womans College contemplated by the
Baptist Education Commission was some
where near Sherwood Pork. It has been
decided, 80 1t is stated. that the Woman,s
College will be located in Richmond ar
vicinity, and Its removal from lis pres
ent site Is an economic and Immediate
necessity. The Baptist Church OF yir-
s'nia has already started upon the move
ment to raiss for the Woman's College
and for the strengthening OF Richmond
College half-mllion OF dollars.
reward this amount single snbscrlp
tioh or Sibo.oO0 hns been made Rich
mona College has an equipment entlrely
,h mao, FOR Its growing demands; has
expended II they are to be continued in
use. and. Furthermore, occupies plot ~
ground In the most rapidly-advancing
sectlon or the city. which. although in
hueduhte Tor the educational and athletic
pun poses Of the college Is valued MT half
n million OF dollars. Richmond College
could, therefore. remove to some acces-
s'ble site In the suburbs. and handsomely
eau,p itself from the proceeds OF the sale
OF It's present tract OF land. Hence 1t lis
apparent that this enterprise for the
aggregation OF colleges about central
plant OF common utilities Ia OF scutest
interest to those having in charge the
Baptist institutions OF the State.
1t Is known that tho General Educa-
uonal Board has cvinced tho livelie.t,
interest In the educational Potentially
OF Richmond owing to It's resources, itgS
traditions. Its mellowed atmosphere and
the pre-eminent reasonableness OF its
people.
Central Organization.
AS to the central organization pro-
posed, members OF the committee np-
preached yesterday called attention to
several phases In this connection 1t
ought to be borne In mind that an organ
ization OF this magnitude will take time
long time. 1t Is not to be supposed
that all the central buildings can be
erected at once Doubtless AL vii,
agree that ony two things are neces-
sary.
LIST. The acquisition of n suitable tract
OF land. OF 200 acres or more. and.
"a. The erection OF central library
building.
The erection OF the remining buildings
contemplated. such as an auditorium. an
Y. ". c, A.. national
history museum. gymnasium. etc,
could be postponed until means could be
Secured.
Fortunately the Sherwood Park tract,
which Ia under consideration. has an
Artesian we'll. with tank and pumping
station. water mains, sewers, macada-
mixed roads and shade trees.
One OF the suggestions made last night
WAS that each OF the various institutions
have individual styles OF architecture.
For instance. the central or university
plant could be OF a classic type. The Wo-
mans College. Colonial In style. Rich
mond College, of the old English type.
or perpendicular style. like the chapel OF
Henry VII. at Westminster. while the |
other colleges could adopt the renais-
sance. the Moorish or other orders of |
In this way the Individual |
itY OF each separate college would be |
accentuated. not only by tbs charter and |
life. but also by the peculiar
style OF the architecture of the home in |
which 1t dweids. a
Witt. regard to the memorial OF Hamp- |
Den Sidney and Randolph Macon from
their present locations. 1t is known that |
both OF these institutions are away from |
centres OF influence. and while doing |
good work in their respective denomina-
lions are hedged with limitations.
One OF the leading educational experts |
IN America has recently made this state
nent: THE moral Influences and re-
straints surrounding the average college
student in city of from fifty ~ one
hundred thousand people are superior to |
the influence in the small country col !
ege. in which the students dominate the |
town or community"
The strong trend of the times IS TO I
locate colleges in cities. A leading au-
thority on education lays down this law
IS fundamental: THE attractive power
Of colleges, both in the article Of stu
tents and OF financial support, varies I
inevitably as the square Of the distance.
That Is to say, college is largely de-
pendent on the population within radius
IF fifty miles. There are more people
within n radius of one hundred miles
rom the City Hall. Richmond. than are
n
any other point in the State OF Virginia.
Hence both population. wealth and such
educational facilities as newspapers. the
Virginia State Library, etc, render Rich
nond the most eligible site for the radia-
ion OF influences and ideals in Virginia.
The chronological feature OF the enter
Prise Is attractive to many who are think
ng and talking of the proposed univer-
,ity. There is In Richmond the Me-
,hanics' Institute, doing most excel
ent work with limited equipment and
endowment. and maintaining large night
school for classes in the various branches
II technical science
In the university scheme. instead of
ZACH classical college maintaining, as is
low the case, a small and poorly equipped
laboratory for the few students who de- /
ire chronological classes, these denomi-
schools could confine themselves
strictly to literary and classical form
II education, as contemplated by their
ounders and supporters and the occa-
ional student who desires technical class
IS. in addition to his classical work, might
,e sent across the way to the great
institution, which will un-
Io,ibtedly be the outgrowth of the pres
mt Mechanics Institute. On account OF