The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-19

present last year and IL more than the
year before. They are studying Latin,
3 French. German, Greek, English, history,
political science, mathematics. physics,
chemistry, geology, biology, education,
philosophy. ethics, psychology and logic;
in fact. they have registered for courses
in every department of the university,
even including that of engineering They
come from all sections of Alabama. OF
the 296 enrolled since 1893 when women
were first admitted, Tuscaloosa has fur
nished 10; Birmingham, Al; New Decatur,
o. Livingston, IA; Mobile, 10, and Mont
gomery, II. and other parts of the state,
1902. Adjoining. states have furnished G..
OF the total number enrolled 10 have
received the A. M degree; two the M. s..
degree 60 the A. b. degree, and Al the
b. S. degree, making a total of 1lo
graduates. It would be interesting and
profitable to know what has become of
these graduates after leaving the univer-
sity, but no accurate data concerning
them is available. Certain it is that some
are teaching, others are engaged in busi-
ness or professional pursuits. and many
have married.
Interesting as these statistics are they
are not to the point The questions that
concern US in the present discussion are
"a 'on what ground are women students
admitted to the University of Alabama?
60 What is the attitude of the university
authorities toward the admission of
women? go How do the men students
regard their presence the campus and
in the class rooms? "a How do they rank
.fxyaa I'm
lum fully adapted to their needs? 90
What are tlhr living conditioner %
What can be done to further their inter-
ests while at the university?
shall proceed to discuss these questions
in the order named and what l shall say
will be based on, a close study of the
situation as have observed it at the
University of Alabama for the past six
years.
Women students are admitted to the
University of Alabama because of their
desire for higher education and because
they are justly entitled in q state sup
ported system of schools to the same edu-
oational advantages as young men. 1t
is utterly Illogical and unjust to educate
boys and girls together in the elementary
and high schools and then say to the girls,
IF you desire further education You
must go to private or denominationai
college," where high rates of tuition u.s.
tally prevail, and to the boys, You may
now enter the state university, where you
nay spend four or six years fitting your
selves for your life work." at the expense
of the state5 This was the view the
hroadmnded board of trustees-of the Uni
Nersity of Alabama took in 1893 when.
In face of many protests, the echoes of
which have not yet altogether died away,
trey opened the university to women. At
first this news was almost too startling
n a a nd wan Of
century after this action was taken, many
people apparently refuse to believe it.
But 20 years of experience have confirmed
the board of trustees In their view that
the step they took was a wise one, and
at this time co-education is firmly en-
trenched at the University of Alabama.
Grounds OF Admission
Women students are admitted on the
same basis as the men. They become
candidates for. and usually are successful
In obtaining, the various degrees offered
by the university. They pay the same
fees as the men students and are placed
on the same footing in the class rooms
No special concessions are allowed them
because of their sex
Attitude of Authorities
1t would not be at all necessary to
discuss this question were 1t not for
the fact there are persistent rumors 60
ing around the state that the univer-
sity authorities are opposed to CO.
education. 1t is hardly worth while to
state that these rumors have no founda-
ton in fact. Where they emanate from
no one is ever able to say. Certainly
they do not come from the board of
trustees whose favorable attitude to-
ward co-education is a matter of record.
The faculty has long since ceased to
discuss its merits and dement's. Both
ex-President Abercrombie and President
Denny have openly declared themselves
In favor of it, zr
To illustrate where he thought these
rumors came from, President Denny
told this story last year to an audience
of summer school students. Back in
old Virginia. a friend of his, who was
the commemorative attorney in cer-
tain county, was called upon to prose-
cute man clearly guilty from the evil
dence produced of having stolen a pig
from a nearby neighbor. During thu
trial the lawyer for the accused ex-
amined no witnesses and declined to
make a speech before the jury in be-
half of his client In due time the jury
retired, and after few moments OF
f-deliberation, much to the surprise
the prosecuting attorney, brought in a
verdict of not guilty. When court ad-
journed he walked over to the lawyer
of the accused and asked him why,
though he had made no effort to clear
his client, the jury brought in YER
diet of not guilty. The lawyer replied,
Every man on the jury received a piece
of that pig" The meaning of the story
is obvious. The reports that the Uni
versity of Alabama does not desire
women students come from other insti-
buttons which are openly and actively
seeking them. DR.. Denny concluded by
saying that the University OF Alabama
Will gladly welcome all qualified young
women who apply for admission to its
classes.
Attitude of Young Men
The relations of the sexes at the uni
versity are perfectly harmonious The
young ladies move freely about the
buildings and on the campus and are
treated by the young men students with
all the respect and courtesy due their
sex. The effect of educating the sexes
together SO. aptly described by Mile.
Dugard has been exempliHed here:
young women, far from becoming
masculine by contact with boys, have,
on the contrary, greater dignity and re-
serve, and the young men, In their turn,
lose in the society of young women
that roughness of manner and that
carelessness in attitude and language
(which characterize the men educated
apart from women"
However the present conditions have
come about slowly; for when girls were
first admitted, the boys chatting under
military discipline, resented their pres
ence in the class rooms because Of the
fraodorn aororda1 than Tho cff,.x, d