The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-07

the university.
II occurs to me that possibly much
Oh inc ditnculty surrounding the prcY-
cut si.nltiou may have grown out Of
confusion. that Is not uncommon in
A Am ,xar,, OF the word college. with
sty of virginia. as to-day constituted,
contains the college" which cores
ponds after fashion to what was
known In your dag and mine, as "thc
academic department" In this col
leBe' arc taught tho undergraduates
OF tho university. and also that some
what rara avis there. the post grad
"ate student. The other departments
OF tho university are the professional
ones OF law. medicine. engineering,
s,i,y itself but having nothing 10
do, save consequentiuliy, with the
college 1t is not proposed by this
bill to establish. as l have said above.
Il coordinate university. letting down
the bars to the women in the SCHOOLS
OF law and medicine and the like: but
women Undergraduates are taught IN
separate buildings" and with "ncccs-
sary equipment and faculty. so much
of the higher education as IL taught In
the similar. but separate existing col
leSc for mon. The trouble In the minds
OF some OF the opponents OF the bill
seems to be that IL establishes II CO.
orhihatc, and hence possibly. a CO.
educational university But IL docs
not The only hint OF coeduca ton in
thc hiii. WITHIN ms discovery is the
mar, man working in the laboratory or
library, or in some other place of
original research in the college, along
SIDE OF the postgraduate man; but it
mas seemed TO me that the experience
OF similar schools elsewhere. notably
at Columbia and Harvard. minimizes
any objection that could be proftably
raised 10 this feature.
The next objection that YOU make
TO the bill I'm its original form (Which
us stated is the only form In which
nave yet read 10. Is that: the fourth
article authorizes the rector and
visitors to employ for the purposes
OF TN said college for women
such educational equipment now en-
pioyed and In use and about the said
university AZ shall seem to them
Just and (they) shall admit
tho students of the said college for
women 70 the educational cS-
ss sp OF the university avail
to the conditions set forth in Article
H."
In reply to this beg to y that !
40 not find any university coeduca-
ton here. One of the advantages
/ urged in behalf of the co-ordinate
college is It's reduction OF expense
10 the state over the expense OF A
woman's college of equal grade else
where. Surely. II this be so. there
can be no reason for denying to the
undergraduates OF the woman's col
!ese the separate use Of such cduca-
sion to tho educational establishments
Of the university, available for com
mon use. as to tho undergraduates OF
/ the existing mems college These
equipments and establishments 1 take
to mean libraries. laboratories, mu-
scums. readtns-rooms. public halls and
the like: and this admission and use
arc carefully guarded by tho EXPIRES
sion: subject to the conditions set
forth in Article H."
was prevented by illness-and |
am not Yet weil-from being present
senate committees; but, while l am un-
able to see anything like coeducation
in this bill, nevertheless applaud
Dr. Aidcrman's stand, and l stand with
him on the proposition. that III this
oiil does not clearly prohibit coeduca-
ton in tho university, and If IL does
not by It's terms establish only CO.
ordinate and affiliated college. then
let these things. II it be SO desired
by any one. be written there so pia,n-
~ that the wayfaring man may see
IL and make no mistake.
J l must reiterate. however. that while
/ the bill does not seem TO be drawn
with the eXactncss AID precision wnlch
matter of such moment might prop
erly demand. II does seem to me sim
cero and free from chicanery: and
tnat u conveys to my mind only the
IDEA that IT creates II CO. ordinate col
lese for women at tho university. 1
make THIS statement with due recog-
as rector of the university, II Is my
duty to SEQ that this bill does not
need any writing In before l ap-
prove 1t for passage; and that m
| TO the university, the Legislature and
the people have u right to expect and
demand that the rector OF the uni
Fers.ty call attention to the defect"
i agree with you that 1t is my duty
as rector TO call the attention of tho
people to any defect, that may seem
TO me such. In this important mat
ter. But am forced to say again
that l nave not yet had pointed out
to my Intelligence any matter which
seems to me TO promise By this bill
university coeducat.on rather than tho
coordinate college work OF wo-
man college. affiliated with the uni
Versity.
AT the risk OF prolixisy. but feeling
mat whatever may add to the pubnc
knowledge In regard to tho develop
ment and progress of the movement
Tor the higher education oil women in
Virginia. | would recall TO your mind
the fact that IS far back as 1892 this
question was agitated In the board
or visitors and in the faculty, and in
the Legislature OF Virginia.
On Juno "a. 1892 a petition from
mitted to the faculty. begging that
she be permitted to stand the exami-
nations in the school OF mathematics
dor the session OF iSs2-1SsS. and re-
may deserve Ther6upon the faculty
adopted tho following: "Resolved, That
MSS Davis's petition be forwarded TO
the board with the Recommendation
OF the faculty. that she be- permitted
! TO stand the examinations proposed
under such regulations as tho profess
sor OF the school may prescribe"
On Juno 81, 1892. after discussion,
the faculty adopted resolutions in re-
gard TO admitting females to the uni
Versity examinations, and ordered the
same to be transmitted to the board
as part of tho faculty report; but
expressly stated: I'm Its present con-
dition tho university is not prepared
10 undertake for young ladies the
duties OF Instruction" The visitors
concurred in the faculty's resolution,
That at the present tImo 1t is I'M
practicable and ineHpedient for the
university to undertake the duties of
instruction for young ladies'" Then
began contest which was waged
with great ability and considerable
h