New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-29
VASSAR 50 YEARS OLD
Faculty, Students and AIumna
Celebrate at POughkeepsie.
PORTRAY CULTURED WOMEN
Festivities Will Continue Until
To-night, with Concerts,
Dances and Addresses.

| Poughkeepsie. y. Y. April T.-The
faculty. students and alumn@ OF Vassai
College are celebrating the fiftieth ami
| versary Of It's foundation to-day and to-
morrow. Since the death Of the founder
Matthew Vassar. his birthday has usually
! been commemorated by a ball given the
students by the trustees Of the college. but
| this year being a special anniversary, II
was considered fitting that the dance be
| given up and a larger and more general
| jubilee be substituted in which both the
students and the alumna might take part
| 1t is. however, strictly a private affair
since no guests are invited, nor are other
! colleges represented
| This morning, after an assembly for col
| lege singing. President Taylor OF the college
gave an address, and a pageant represent
Ing Women of Culture In Five Ages was
presented this afternoon on Sunset Hill.
Each scene represented women who salts
fed the ideal Of. culture Of the age in
which they lived and suggested a charac-
teristc phase Of the life OF the time The
pageant opened with a representation OF
Sappho. attended by the muses. OF poetry
and song and by her nymphs. The next
scene portrayed Queen Radegunde. the
founder OF the Convent of Poitiers, in a
, medieval convent. TO which she had fed
from the court of her husband. Clothair,
King OF the Merovingians. seeking the
privileges and opportunities OF the centre
of culture OF the time.
The next age represented was the Re
Nuisance. A festival of the peasants OF
Milan celebrated the marriage OF Beatrice
d Este TO the Duke OF Milan. Here were
represented the briliance and ceremony OF
an Italian Renaissance court, the folk
songs and dances characteristic Of peasant
life AT that time The next scene showed
Or Samuel Johnson. Fanny Burney, Mrs.
Montagu and other literary persons N the
eighteenth century at a blue-stockins tea
party. The scene was an adaptation from
the diary and letters Of Fanny Burney.
The fifth step in the progress Of wom-
ans culture was represented by reproduc-
ton Of the first founders day of Vassar
College, April 20, 1876. In this scene Maria
Mitchell. first director OF the observatory
Hannah ". Lyman. first woman principal;
Aida c. Avery. first resident physician. and
a crowd OF college girls OF the SOS received
Matthew Vassar and President John II.
Raymond at the entrance TO the main
building. and escorted him with songs 70
the chapel. AS far as possible all the de-
tails Of the first celebration were carefully
carried out. Some Of the gowns worn by
the girls were actually those OF the mem
hers Of the first graduating class. The
song sung to the founder was that written
by one Of the girls for the celebration OF
1874
There were addresses IN the chapel by
represe natives OF the faculty, alumnse and
students tonight basketball game and
glee and mandolin club concert will take
place tomorrow forenoon. At sunset the
senior hoop dance will he held. This dance
has for many years been given on May
Day by the members OF the odd year grad
uating class, a Maypole dance taking its
place IN alternate years. On this occasion
its customary time has been changed that
il might make up a part Of the general fes-
tivities A reception will follow, and in
the evening there VIII be senior hoop dan
cling and concert by the choral club and
college orchestra, assisted by an alumne
chorus
This celebration is an especially signif-
cant one for Vassar. since II calls into such
sharp contrast the college as IL is now and
as n was at the time Of It's foundation.
When Vassar College was opened, in 1854,
there were only three buildinss-main
building. the observatory and the riding
hall. Ten members constituted the faculty
seven men and the three women repre-
sented in the last scene Of the pageant.
There were but 20 teachers and 253 students