New-York tribune., 1910-02-06
Bcrnord's TsOerfiefb Birthday
Pioneer Days Recalled by Early Graduates-FIrst e'ass
Baby Will Enter College Next Fall.

,-- ,,,.,.,;,.r ,f the class. Then, OF
course tr,ora was Miss Ella Weed, who
did all the work Of a dean, Just Tor ue
love -. ,.s.. the alrrln:R now say, end
dear old Mrs Eeely, the janitress' VINO
made a point OF serving hot TEA or cocoa
lust at the moment when weary headS
were beginning TO buzz with all the knoWi-
edge that had been crammed into then'
There were only ten members Of the
teaching staff III those days, ana oniF nFe
subjects Of study. with no cnoice OF courses
This seems a meagre allowance LOT 'he
present day Barnard SiTl. who mas pc
wildering array OF courses 10 choose from
and staff of sixty men and women TO
teach her. Latin and Greek were tNe Ia
yorite studies and the most necessary re-
quirements OF entrance II IS matter OF
o=necial pride with the founders of Bar
narj that they insisted upon the same en-
trance examinations for the girls as for
the Columbia men from the very start,
even though they lost thereby a numoeT OF
students VINO hadn't had any groundwork
in the classics How insistent the aCtnofl-
ties were is shown by a story about MIS-
Annie Nathan Meyer who was closely as
soc!ated With the early days Of the college
acting in the capacity of registrar or any
other necessary official on the morning
when the first entrance examination was u
be held she was greeted at the door with
the news that Dean Van Arnringe, WHO was
then head of the mathematics department.
had sent over a lot of papers different lro'h
those he had given the men. but that noth-
ing could be done about it
Why. of course something can be done.
said Mrs Meyer. Don't You give those
,.apers out TIL l say So And she was on
She boarded a Madison avenue car. rode up
the five blocks, dashed up the college steps.
almost collidins With one OF the instructors
v-ho told her that they had all talked 10
DR.. Van Amringe in vain about those two
sets of aapers Almost frightened b. her
own boldnesS, Mrs. Meyer went on, how
ever. TO the Office OF the dean, and found
him as she had been forevarned. quite
Convinced that his course was the r'ztt
one.
I'm sorry. Mrs. Meyer he said, but I
cannot change my position. Those papers
I sent over were made out by one of my
assistants, and they are far better than
mine
PERHAPS" answered Mrs. Meyer, but
will tho world believe Il? VII people be
lieve that girls can pass the same eN-
animation as the men if you don't give
them the same aucstions?'
Z hadn't thought OF that replied DR.
Van Arnringe And he handed over the
desired papers.
Mrs. Meyor was one of the women who
had tried to study for degree at Co
lumbia in the days when women we're
granted 4 degree but given no means OF
getting II. They We're at that time barred
from lecture rooms, Laboratories and Il
braries and expected 10 pass eya1nlna tons.
Animated by an enthusiasm born OF per
sonal experience. she gave all her spare
time for years TO the efforts which cul-
minated in the opening Of Barnard in loSs
The first class graduated in 1SsS, and 1t IS
curious that its members did not go In for
careers in the ordinary sense Of the word
Much to the surprise of every one who
thought that higher education Was Intended
,r,Iv for those who wanted 10 teach, four
Of the first graduates of Barnard have
married and only two of them have At any
time earned their own living. This class of
eight beasts of six children. one Of whom,
the daughter of Mrs. Pollitzer. will enter
Barnard in the fall OF 1911 the first class
saby to be registered as student