Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-03
from View that Education
Units Women for Life Work.
ALSO DISCUSSES MARRIAGES
Says that Motherhood is Normal
Status of Woman and Happiest.
HOME AND FAMILY THE NUCLEUS
CnlI" This the Highest Ideal, hut .
Says that Girls Are Not
Failures II They DO
Not Wcd.

PHILADELPHIA, Juno 2-Presidcnt
Tatt In his address to the graduates OF
Bryn Mawr college today on womans col.
lege education spoke IN part as follows;
Your president has asked me at this
commencement to say something in respect
to the higher education OF women. It Is,
Of course, theme most relevant and GER
name to the occasion, but 1t Is one of which
hesitate to speak in the presence OF those
who have made II their life study and
whose opinions in regard TO the matter are
of so much more real weight than my
own"
The president reviewed the advances
made in educational advantages for both
sexes since 1900
Continuing, he said:
Il dissent from the view that an aca-
demc education unfits a man or woman
for business, II may be that the tastes
that lead one to an academic education
are not those which insure business sue
cess, but the assertion that the mental
discipline, the power of reasoning the cu-
tivation and comparison OF ideas, are not
of assistance in business transactions in
which the highest quality of the mind are
actually in action, can hardly be true.
But it is said that women are not all
going into the professions and so that the
education necessary as a basis for a pro-
fessonal career is not needed by those
women who have competency or who
| look forward to marriage and motherhood
as the chief end of woman.
| Reason for Education of Women.
"It is even suggested that the highest
education of women rather units them to
discharge the duties of wife and mother;
that in some way or other it robs them of
charm and gives them an intellectual in
| dependence that Is inconsistent with their
| being the best wives and mothers 1 ut
| tery dissent from this view. The COM
panionship of married life is the chief
charm and reason for Its being so far as
t. relates to the two persons concerned
The enjoyment of the home with children
and the training OF them, are. of course
among the most important duties and
pleasures of married life, and It certainly
does not detract from the power of a
woman to make good companion or to
teach and train her children up to high
ideals that she should have the advantage
of the higher education. 1t is not essen
tial that a woman who knows much must
conform TO the unattractive manner and
ways OF the conventional blue stocking
that she should make the cT,eut OF her
knowledge q source of discomfort to those
with whom she associates or that she
should lose her interest in the sentiment
and emotions of life or fail 60 have an ap-
probation of beauty and romance
Il am quite ready 10 concede that mar
riage and motherhood are normal status
for women, and, otacr things being equal.
she is happier in that condition than In
any other. But this is far from saying that
womans life is failure because she
has not married and that her life may not
be a failure because she has married. The
home and the family arc tile neucleus OF
the highest happiness. but II clrcum-
stances are such us to force women to ac-
ccpt husbands whom they do not respect
and love and whom they would not marry
except TO escape a life OF poverty the
home and the family are not hkely to be
model OF to furnish an deal"
1--WE cannot be blind to the general move
ment In favor of opening more and more
occupations not dependent on physical
strength to the female sex.
Education of Mothers.
II do not think we can estimate the
enormous advantage that the present gen.
Grafton has enjoyed, and that the future
generations are to profit by, in the lncreas
= lngly sound and thorough education Of the
. mothers OF families.
/ Il do not think we can estimate the In
? creased happiness that men and women
e have experienced who, as husbands and
t wives, have enjoyed the higher sense Of
n companonship that is made possible by the
association of ideas between two thoroughly
. educated people
10 THE higher education OF women should
y be sought wholly without regard 10 a pro
n Ifessional or matrimonial future. The mental
discipline that 1t affords, the mental pleas
ures that it makes possible the enjoyment
of reading and study that II Invites are
5 enough in and of themselves to he compen-
n sation for the effort in securing It.
e Before l close ] wish to call attention 70
e one advantage that think there Is in thu
d independent womans college 1t may be
A that my view OF this Il inspired by that
d sense of infalbllity which Dr David star
It Jordan ascrbes as a result OF the training
e at Harvard or Yale, but whatever it'
y cause, / cannot help giving expression to IL
a 1t seems to me that there must be a close
- analogy in the benefits derived from tn,
association OF life In Bryn Mawr and thos'
- which every graduate Of a college and up.
versity like Yale values ever more highly
than he does the mental discipline and tins
learning which he acquires from his college
course.
The friendships that are formed IN col
: lege, by an association OF four years at Z
time OF life when out natures are malles
BILE, when or characters are being formed
when we are not Old enough to have hac
e our selfshness indurated when We Iespon,
more quickly to the motions when on
IS IDEALS OF friendship and our actual friend
ID ships are more nearly the same, are moF'
e enduring than friendships formed there
n after They are friendships that bear ne
10 tooth OF time and the trust Of absence. Thel
are friendships that can be taken up upoI
IN a moment after an interval Of twenty year
m and seem as fresh and fragrant as flowe
"A OF the friendship when II first budded
III Danger of Discomfort.
y There Is one danger of college educa
ton and four years life under college in