Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-20
Fifty Years Ago in
The Star

The question of the co-education OF
women was under discussion fifty
years ago well in adj
Education vance of the opening
nfxUo of the doors of the
OF women. major institutions Of
learning to students OF that sex. The
matter was thus treated In The Star
of May IT, 1873:
"At a meeting of the American So
cial Science Association in Boston on
Thursday last a paper on the highe-
education of woman read by Col. 7.
W. Higginson was the occasion for
quite an exciting discussion. Col.
Higginson argued that the question
of sex was out of place in the Ques-
ton of education; that women are
as physically able as men to pursue
advanced courses of study; and that
women, like men, should be trained
by opening the whole field of knowl-
edge to her and bidding her enter
Prof. Agassiz. Wendell Phillips. Mrs.
Julia Ward Howe, Mrs. Ednah u.
CLANCY and Mrs. Livermore all con
Cured with Col. Higginson, but Prot
should be no discrimination between
the sexes in the matter or study.
women need a different diet on &C
count of the difference in physical
organization. President Raymond OF
Vassar College thought that the Ques-
ton as to whether exactly the same
education was suited to both sexes
was as yet and unsettled one, but GER
tainly women ought to have as high
an education as men.
i
moniously, when President Eliot of
Harvard College brought a storm OF
wrath down upon his devoted head
by the expression of his views on the
thirty western colleges which. admit
| both sexes, and had arrived at a
conclusion Numerically opposite to
that of Col. Higginson. Oberlin Col
lege had been the most successful o.
any of these institutions. but the ex-
perience there was adverse to that
\ plan, because that college began with
the same course of study for both
sexes, and now had separate courses.
He believed that the minds OF women
are as different from those of men
as their bodies, and he should not be
willing to take the responsibility OF
admitting female students to Har-
ward.
surprise and Indignation that the
president Of old Harvard. an institu
tion owned by the commonwealth OF
Massachusetts,. should dare give ut
terance to such opinions. II only
to enter Harvard during the next,
twenty years, the doors, ought to BIZ
open for them. Had he a daughter
who, wanted to go TO Harvard he
should carry the subject to the su-
preme court.
"But It was reserved for the women
to polish off the indiscreet presidentof
Harvard. The metaphysical Julia Ward
Howe next took the stand, and 1t was
seen at once. from the nashing OF
her eyes, that she meant business.
Let me say she said, that I am neg
leoting some imperative business In
studying here. But the reason ] must
stand here is that an encounter of the
adversary of humankind is not to- be
where. Now the enemy of human
kind I take to be the very personal
and intolerRnt will which today has
had full time and courage TO present
itself here before us. ! wish to say
that men who are to have responsi-
the Bsurbons they can neither learn
anything nor forget anything, they
must give place 20 a wiser dynasty.
Referring to President Eliots al
fusion of the danger of large mum
bers OF girls being thrown together.
away from home, she said: I know
there are dark things In that college
(Harvard) which are not to be spoken
of, which would be scared away like
Nightmares and dreams II women
were there
"'Oh. hearts Of women. aid me" was
the pathetic invocation with which
Mrs. Howe closed her address. Find
ing It was getting too hot for him.
President Eliot retired, without wait
ing to hear from Mrs. Livermore. who
was eager for the fray"