Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-10
MT, HOLYOKE COLLEGE
Monument of the Patience and
Energy of Mary Lyon.
GROWTH OF SEVENTY YEARS
Struggle for the Higher Education of
Women.
GREATPREJUDICE ENCOUNTERED
Popularity and Success of the Institu-
ton From the Day It Was Opened.
Many Teachers Trained.
Observation-Disclosures
BY WILLIAM Z CERTIS-

Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. August 81, 1907.
Several towns called Hadley are scatter
ed promiscuously along the banks of the
Connecticut above Springfield, and a CEN
fury ago they had quite a large commerce,
by steamers and fiatboats. with Hartford,
New Haven and New York. but l shall tell
you about that in another letter. The orlgi-
nal is called Old Hadley; then We have
North HadleY. South Hadley East Hadley
and Hadley Falls. and although / haven't
been able to find a West Had!ey thus far,
there NAV be one concealed somewhere in
the Holyokes. South Hadley is in the midst
of the mountains. and within few miles
of this town YOU find forests as dense,
rocks rugged and scenery as wild as
those of the Rocky mountains. Many spots
of natural beauty have been left undisturb-
ed under the protection of old Mount Tom
the principal peak of the Holyoke range,
which divides the intellectual community of
Amherst from that of South Hadey where
Mount Holyoke College for Women is To-
Gated. Years ago the Amherst students
used to sing paraphrase of The Mockng
Bird:
I'm dreaming now of Hadley.
South Hadley. South Hadley
I'm dreaming OF Hadley
Where the Holyoke girls singing all the WHILE
1t was then quite journey to cover the
nine miles between the two colleges but
now a trolley will carry you through a
most charming valley and gorge that nature
has left in the Holyokes, in about three
quarters of an hour. and the line Is well
patronized. as you may imagine. The pres
ent administration of Mount Holyoke Col
lege encourages social intercourse between
the students of two Institutions and consii-
ers 1t essential to the thorough education Of
a twentieth century young woman to meet
and know men.
Mary Lyon in the Hall of Fame
Mount Holyoke College-it was called a
seminary until 1S93-was the first institu-
tion ever established to offer a higher edu-
cation for young women, and tablet to
Mary Lyon its founder, was recently placed
In the Hall of Fame at the College of the
City of New York betw cen those of Emma
Willard of Troy, another pioneer and pro-
gressiye educator. ard Maria Mitchell the
astronomer. At the first unveidng in 1901
there was no woman among the twenty
nine Americans who were so honored but
at the second unveiling the Emma Willard
Association. represented by Mrs. Charles
h. Patterson of Troy and Mrs William S.
Searle of New York, was invited to do the
honors for their instructor; Prof. Whitney
of Vassar. Mrs Benjamin Albertson and
Mrs. Charles S. H!nchman of Philadelphia
represented the admirers of Maria Mitchell,
and Mrs. ]. ID. Walton OF Bellport. L. l.,
and Mrs. j. w. Sylvester of PaSsaic N j.,
did the honors for Mary Lyon.
These three women were chosen by popu-
lar vote as the most eminent and useful of
their Sex in American history, and what
ever may be said Of the others, no one will
question the right of Mary Lyon to that dis
tinctiOn. 1t has frequently been said that
Hers was the most fruitful life lived by
any woman IN the nineteenth century,"
More than 5000 American young women
came under her influence. Five other col
leges for the higher education of women,
in addition to Mount Holyoke owe their
existence to her, and among her pupils
were seventeen principals of schools for
women.
Pioneers Of Education.
Graduates of Mount Holyoke have been
pioneers of education all over the world
Teaching as vocation has been the aim of
a majority of the alumnae. From the first
the faculty of Mount Holyoke has made it
its most important duty to qualify it's
students for good teachers and the latter
have carried the principles, the inspiration
the methods the piety and faith of that
institution into every continent. The pio-
neers of the higher education of women in
Persia, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa the
Transvaal. China, Japan the Hawaiian Is
lands. Spain and in several of the South
American countries have been Mount Hol-
yoke girls. From its early days the college
has been more than ordinarily well equipped
for scientific training and pedagogy, and
the students have been particularly eager
to acquire both because most of them have
been compelled to seek a career. Their
success has therefore been natural. The
list of the alumnae will disclose a very
large number engaged In the profession Of
teaching
Mary Lyon was born in Maine in 1877 and
was buried at Mount South Hadley in 1S49.
Her grave Is in the center of the campus.
hidden by a beautiful grove. Her tomb
stone Is modest square block Of marble
engraved with an appropriate eptaph:
Mary Lyon
Founder of Mt. HolyOke
Female Seminary.
For twelve years its principal
teacher for thirty five years
And Of more than 5000 pupils.
Born Feb %. 1897.