University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-03-09
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Women at NJ. u.

women first entered the University
Of Missouri. They were like the real
seekers of learning. They came when
there were no provisions to receive
them. and when. one might rightly
say. they were not desired. The wonl-
en-, who now form such an important.
adjunct to college life, were literally
begged in; and it took several years
to do. it.
As early as 1869 there iwere twenty
two ladies'" as the catalogue of that
year puts it, in the College of Normal
Instruction. They were among the
special Students" and were only al
lowed to attend a few particular
classes, receiving no recognized credit
for the work they did. But the next
year. the first attempt to open the
University to women was made.
Even the catalogue of that year
published the intention, and it came
out in these words: 1T is a part Of
the plan of the Curators to establish.
so soon as may be, college for wom-
en- in connexion with the University
college specifically designed to pre-
pare women for their particular
sphere in society, and to open to them
such advantages of education and high
training as they cannot have else
where in the state"
This was not enough. This simply
stated purpose. A justification OF
that purpose was felt to be needed,
and therefore the article continues:
I'VE do not propose to discuss the
question of the co-education of the
sexse. The point is simply this: Shall
we in establishing great University
for the state, ignore and pass by one
half of our people? Shall women be
excluded from its advantages as
though they were outcasts? Or, while
they are admitted in name, shall they
in reality be shut out, because no
provision is made to receive then?"
These words were calculated to be
bitter shots of argument at the leg
islators, but apparently they must
have been considered still insufficient,
for later another argument was added,
which must have carried some weight
with it, if not with the legislature at
least with the citizens. 1t read:
Not one dollar, let it be remembered,
has the state ever yet given for the
specific education of young women.
Will it now make it's very first appro-
priation for this noble object? The
last legislature appropriated largely,
and by an almost unanimous vote, for
the specific education for. the colored
race in our midst. Can it now refuse
our daughters?" The want was simply
one of a number which were pub
lished in the catalogue. What was
wanted was an appropriation. The
argument ended with request to the
women of the state to demand with
one voice." and they would be heard
and needed"
BY the next year, 1871. the legis-
lature apparently had not been moved,
for a direct appeal was about to be
made. The Board of Curators ap-
pointed a committee of seven to pre-
sent and argue the matter at the ap-
preaching session. This committee
was armed with strong list OF unre-
futable arguments. To those already
mentioned were added the example of
citizen of Boston, who bequeathed
11s million dollars for a college for
women. The committee was also in
structed to cite the state of Wiscon-
sin. which appropriated $4,000 for a
women's building. All the hopes of
opening the University to women was
placed in the success of this COM
mittee, and the account of it con-
cludes with: IF this boon should
be denied them, the experiment Of
admitting female students must be
abandoned
t,a loS