Evening star., 1940-03-21
BY GEORGE HADDOCK,
Star Stan Correspondent.

ST. MARYS CITY, Md, March
2i.-Dressed in the flowing gowns of
century ago, some 80 young women
today will welcome guests to the
centenary celebration of st. Mary's
Female Seminary, built near the site
where the first Maryland settlers
landed more than 300 years ago.
BattledUe and shuttlecock was
considered proper, ladylike exer-
else in 1889 when the Maryland
Legislature adopted an act authoriz-
ing the creation of the school as a
monument to the founding of the
State some two centuries before.
But the genteel recreation of 1910
is far cry from the slashing bad
minton played by 1910 misses. And,
instead of the embroidery, included
on the Nineteenth century curricu-
lum, modern students az the semi
nary study mathematics and science.
To Welcome Alumnae.
Led by Miss M. Adele France,
school president since 1923, the staff
and the students will greet alumnae
and other visitors at open house from
to pm. Tea will be served in the
large main building of the school,
which was built in 1924 along the St.
Mary's River to replace the original
structure burned in that year.
The disastrous fire in 1924 was
only one of the setbacks successfully
overcome at the school. The hard
ships started in the first year of
operation.
Gov. William Grason on March
n, 1910, signed the legislative act
creating the school for the purpose
of training the mothers of future
generations" Established as strictly
non-denominational the school has
perpetuated the principle of religious
tolerance.
But tAe mere signing of the charter
didn't put up the buildings. A public
lottery finally provided the funds for
the starting of the school, after all
other methods had failed.
Finally, in 1846. classes got under
way. There were fewer than 10
students and only three teachers.
The first principal-a Mr.. Meany-
apparently had his worries, for he
was charged by the trustees with
"imbibing too freely" AS a result
the trustees nearly abandoned the
whole idea.
Second Principal Dismissed.
The school hung on, however, sur
viving another immediate setback
when the second principal-a
woman, this time-was dismissed for
distributing books of a partisan reli-
gious nature.
Again, in 1852, trouble appeared.
The original Board of Trustees hav-
ing gone into debt, petitioned the
State for removal of the school.
They were told that, as the school
had been created as a State monu-
ment, it could neither be sold, re-
moved nor discarded. So it strug-
gled on.
Now eight buildings occupy the
compact school grounds, and this
spring construction will be started on
new gymnasium provided for by
the Legislature with an $4,000 ap-
preparation. The school is located at
the entrance to St. Marys City.
Across the green from the main
building is G reproduction of the first
Maryland statehouse, and a few
yards away is a church built partly
from the bricks of the old state
house.
Facts about the seminary's early
history have been difficult to gather,
but through perseverance Miss
France and her staff have gradually
pieced the story together. Informa-
ton on the earliest phase came from
the late Mrs. Cecilia Coad Roberts,
whose father, Senator Coad, was one
of the proponents of the establish
ment of the school.
Early Studies Recalled.
Miss France said Mrs Roberts told
of attending the seminary in 1846,
even though she was too young. The
first students, she said, did a little
embroidery and studied music and
French"
When Nine Despommier was prin-
cipal, the schools prospectus for the
fall of 1858 was more businesslike.
French, music, drawing and oil
painting were offered for study and
the bill for board, washing, fuel
and use of bed" was payable semi
annually in advance.
In addition, Nine. Despommier's
prospectus politely requested parents
mot to send their daughters pickles
or sweetmeats," and assured them
tkA$ t1aA ~ 400 s,&a41a De-