The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-29

COMMISSIo NEk WRITES

~. p. r. Ciaxton, United States
4 eormissSoner OF education. in q letter
M ~ advocates strongly endorses the
Q0s0E9ano4o wofnanse college bill nnM
\ ho1pro the Senate Committee on Pub
Y ~ Institntions. The letter was writ
keu 70 thu Central Committee and was
/ n reeponse to request Tor IN opinion
sgae ~ the merits OF the bill.
~. ClAxton, who has been called
Il ~ hi present high position from the
south, has studied educational prob
d lSmg In America and Europe for
q tAffty years He has been superin-
st1ndent OF city schoois. Instructor Of
taophers In q normal college. pro-
+ 9eebor Of educatin In the University
~ Tennessee, and has addressed thous-
As61n Of bodies of educators through
& 0ut the countryA
Il. IA The Letter.
The letter reads:
Department OF the Interior,
Bureau Of Education, Washington,
n. JAM ~. l9I3.
~ the Central Committee interested
IN the establishment OF State Col
lege for Women at the univeraity
OK Virginia:
@ Ladies' and Gentlemen.-In reply
no your recent communication permit
4 me 10 sAy that ] am greatly interested
III your plans and in the bill now
4 pending Ia the General Assembly Of
\ Virginia for the esta biishmens Of q
c0-crdinate college for women u tho
University 0f Virginia. Ry all means
YOU ought to succeed. and this or sosns
similar bill should be enacted into I
nv BY the present Legislature of tho
8tkxe.
No State can make any just claim
60 real Democracy that does not offer
something like equal. opportunity to
al IT. children for education and for
preparation for the duties and respon-
abilities OF life. In this consists the
essence Of Democracy. This must In
clude girls N well as boys. Modern
life demands AZ large q degree Of
education. even u Of somewhat diff
{ ferent kind. for women al for men.
IL the State provides higher edu-
cation for young men, II must pro-
v1de ID an equally generous way for
the higher education OF young women.
believe no thoughtful person can
~ WIN deny This
i befteve the State OF Virginia
ma1kee no provision for ifs women In
schools above the high school grade
except In the State normal schoois-
e u hardly 10 be. supposed that al
the young women in Virginia whose
fuller and more complete education
would be profitable 10 themselves and
To The State are to bc teachers IN
tass slsmentary schools for which the
normal SCHOOLS prepare. ~ ~ be
enachsrs Of schools at any kind, for
that matter. In hundreds ~ other
wAyD may educated women serve %
ciety. ana the life OF Virginia must
~ leas rich and noble than Il should
b. u Il does not make = liberal pro-
visaon for the sducation Of Its young
women az ability. Certainly no one
Will doubt this, nor can any one doubt
that many young women Of fine ability
In Virginia must 80 without this
higher education and the fuller de-
veaopment of their faculties and
powers n they must depend on pri-
vate and UNCONVENTIONAL schools
The only question then 10 whether
this opportunity for the higher eau-
cation a. women IN Virginia shall be
provided h separate institution
undef separate management and
fhcnlty but OF equal rank with the
Universfty Of vtrginia. In ! co-ordi-
nate college II the university. or by
cO4ducatiou n thu university After
the manner of Western colleges and
unity eruities The firzn would be quite
costly. The last would probably ~
suite Questionable to many thought.
nj and patriotic vir4inians and loyal
friends 0f the university. fndsSd II
cannot % claimed that the practice
u yNt thoroughly estAblhhed IN sat-
sin0actOSy way Ia MI pisces whore Il
hsas been trted, though the tendency u
I 4roWing, and this will of course.
lhocOme = fact In Virginia unfess some
s6n0h ncfi0n a h now contemplated