HIGHER EDUCATION FOR WOMEN
When Sir William Dawson became Principal of McGill in 1855, there was no
provision in the University for the instruction of women. They were not
permitted to attend the classes available to men. Indeed, women's
education was then under discussion and debate in Great Britain and the
United States. It had many supporters but it had also many opponents.
The agitation for the higher education of women on equal terms with men,
particularly in the liberal arts, went back to the days of Defoe's
"Essay on Projects" in which he included a section on "an Academy for
Women." It had echoed from his time down through the eighteenth century
until 1791 when Mary Wollstonecraft published her systematic treatise,
"A Vindication of the Rights of Women." Thereafter the original plea
merely for education became but a minor part of a larger demand for the
franchise and for general equality; and instead of a sober emphasis on
the necessity for learning, there was a somewhat hysterical clamour that
women "should be admitted side by side with men into all the offices of
public life with respect both to kind and degree." This agitation soon
gathered abundant ridicule by the advocacy, led by Amelia Jenks Bloomer,
of reform in women's dress, which would make it, as far as possible,
the same as that of man, and would consequently be an outward and
visible sign of the equality of the sexes.
[Illustration: _Dr. Alexander Johnson
Vice-Principal of McGill University_ 1886-1903]
The derision and scorn incurred by the movement because of the unwise
zeal of some of its advocates had not yet passed in the fifties. In
Canada, the question of higher education for women was avoided, or
regarded with doubt or indifference. But Principal Dawson was an earnest
and enthusiastic believer in women's education, and early in his
connection with McGill he formed plans for the providing of facilities
to make such education possible in the University. Because of the
indifference and the opposition to what was looked upon as a useless
innovation, these plans were slow in maturing and in actual
accomplishment. The Principal, however, persevered; circumstances were
favourable, and in the end his hopes were fulfilled.
In Montreal at that time there was a girls' school, presided over by
Hannah Willard Lyman, who later received an appointment to Vassar
College. In this school no adequate course of instruction was given in
Natural Science. Miss Lyman was desirous that her students should
receive some knowledge of that subject, and she asked permission to have
her pupils listen to Dr. Dawson's lectures, which were given in the
afternoons. Her request was granted and the school girls attended the
lectures for one session. But the experiment, for some unexplained
reason, was not satisfactory and it was not repeated.
In his annual University Lecture in the autumn of 1869, the Principal
expressed his belief in the benefits that might be conferred by the
University in providing means for women's education. "I think," he said,
"it would be quite possible for the University to provide lectures on
scientific and literary subjects, which would be open to all the ladies'
schools in the city, and that certificates of attendance and examination
might be given to such pupils. I do not propose either that young women
should attend the ordinary College classes, or that except in special
cases the ordinary professors should lecture to them. I should have
special classrooms, and in many instances at least special lecturers
appointed by the University. Of course, this is a purpose for which the
constitution of the University does not permit its funds to be used,
even if they were sufficient for it--which they are not. I only wish to
intimate my conviction that an opening for usefulness lies in this
direction--one which I have often wished to have the means of
cultivating, knowing that in this country very few young women enjoy, to
a sufficient extent, the advantages of the higher kind of education; and
that the true civilisation of any people is quite as much to be measured
by the culture of its women as by that of its men."
A few months later, at a meeting of Governors and friends of the
University, held in February, 1870, preparatory to making an appeal for
funds to the citizens of Montreal, the following resolution was
unanimously passed:
"That this meeting rejoices in the arrangements made in the mother
country, and on this continent, to afford to young women the opportunity
of a regular college course; and being persuaded of the vital importance
of this matter to the cause of higher education, and to the well-being
of the community, respectfully commends the subject to the consideration
of the Corporation of the University, for such action as the expected
addition to the endowment may enable them to take."
But no part of the funds which were contributed as a result of the
appeal were specially assigned to the education of women. In December
following a reception was given in Molson Hall to the benefactors of the
University who had recently subscribed so generously to its revenue. At
this gathering, Chancellor Day referred to the necessity for providing
the means of furnishing a higher education for women, "a matter," he
said, "in which we are wofully behind the age.... I trust the time is
not far distant when McGill College may become the privileged instrument
of ministering to this urgent need. In this whole matter of education
for either sex, women are directly and deeply interested."
A few months later, in 1871, Hannah Willard Lyman, the former Principal
of the school for girls, died. Her former pupils in Montreal determined
in some way to perpetuate her memory. They collected the "Hannah Willard
Lyman Memorial Fund" for the establishment of a scholarship or a prize
for women to be awarded in McGill when women would be admitted to its
classes, "in a College for women affiliated to the University or in
classes approved by the University." But no way existed for the carrying
out of this desire. The Governors showed little sympathy with the idea
of admitting women students to men's classes; they had no objection to a
distinct women's College, but no funds for such an undertaking were
available. Dr. Dawson then appealed for help to the women friends of
McGill, and his appeal at once met with a ready response. In the autumn
of 1871 a number of women interested in the higher education of their
sex met at the residence of Mrs. John Molson, and formed the "Ladies'
Educational Association of Montreal," for the purpose of obtaining, in
the absence of University opportunities, instruction for its members.
This Association carried on its work for thirteen years, until women
were at last admitted to McGill. It was self-supporting, although it
asked only very moderate fees from its students and paid its lecturers
generously. Principal Dawson gave the introductory lecture of the first
session in October, 1871. The students who took the full course of
lectures and passed an examination on the work received a certificate of
"Associate in Arts."
[Illustration: _Percy Molson
Founder of the Molson Stadium
Killed in action July_, 1917]
But the hope of admitting women to the classes in Arts had not been
abandoned. On October 25th, 1882, Professor Clark Murray moved at a
meeting of the Arts Faculty a resolution, which was carried, to the
effect "that the educational advantages of the Faculty of Arts should be
thrown open to all persons without distinction of sex." In the summer of
1884 a deputation of women who had already passed the examinations for
Associate in Arts waited on Principal Dawson and asked that
opportunities be provided in the College to enable them to proceed to
the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The obstacle in the way of granting this
request was the lack of funds. But a few weeks after the request was
made, Sir Donald Smith agreed to give a sum of $50,000 for the purpose,
on conditions to be settled by him. These conditions stipulated that the
classes for women were to be wholly separate and distinct from those for
men, and that no expenditure was to be incurred beyond the income of the
endowment. The offer was accepted by the Board of Governors. The sum
given was sufficient to provide the necessary duplicate courses for the
first and second years in the Arts Faculty, and in the autumn of 1884
the first session for women in McGill commenced with fourteen regular
and thirteen partial students. The women's classes were given in the
lecture rooms of the east wing of the Arts Building. The students were
known as "Donaldas," after the name of their generous benefactor, and
the course was known as the "Donalda" course.
After two years had passed, in October, 1886, Sir Donald Smith increased
his endowment to $120,000 in order to provide sufficient income for
courses in all four years, and thereby to enable women students to
proceed to the B.A. degree. In the session of 1886-87 there were twenty
regular and fifty-eight partial students enrolled in women's courses,
and in 1887-88 the number increased to twenty-six regular and eighty-two
partial students. At the end of that session eight women received for
the first time the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Higher education for
women in McGill was now an assured fact. The Principal's dream had at
last been realised.
But Dr. Dawson had hope of a still greater development of women's
education. He said: "This great work is not yet complete. We look
forward to a College for women, either a College of the University
co-ordinate with McGill College, or affiliated to the University. Such
College while taking advantage of the Museum, Laboratories, Library, and
other appliances of McGill College, and to a certain extent of its
staff, will have its own building, provided with all modern improvements
and refinements for educational work.... I desire to express, as a
matter of personal experience, my entire sympathy with those who hold
that the education of women should be conducted, as far as possible, in
separate classes." The hope here expressed was again to be realised--and
Principal Dawson lived to see the accomplishment of his plans. Sir
Donald Smith, then Lord Strathcona, was again appealed to. He increased
his endowment fund for the erection and equipment of a building such as
the Principal had in view, and the building of the Royal Victoria
College was begun in 1895. On September 4th, 1899, two months before Sir
William Dawson's death, the Royal Victoria College for women was opened,
and the women students of McGill had at last a home and lecture-rooms of
their own, "provided," as Sir William had dreamed, "with all modern
improvements and refinements for educational work."
[Illustration: _Lord Strathcona_]
Since the opening of the Royal Victoria College the opportunities for
the education of women in the University have been greatly enlarged and
developed. To-day women students are enrolled on equal terms with men,
not only in the Faculty of Arts, but in the Faculties of Law and
Medicine, and in the Departments of Commerce and Physical Education.
Indeed, women students are admitted to all Faculties and Departments of
the University with the exception of the Faculty of Applied Science.
Women graduates of McGill have continued to go out for thirty-three
years to fill important posts and to take a prominent place in the
building up of Canada and in service to humanity. In the half-century
that has passed since the formation of the "Women's Educational
Association of Montreal," with its humble beginnings and its scanty
courses for "Associates in Arts," the higher education of women has made
undreamed of progress. In McGill it owes its guidance and its growth to
the tolerance in a time of prejudice, the determination in a period of
opposition, and the patient faith in a day of discouragement, of Sir
William Dawson, who believed in the greatness of women's sphere and
influence in his country and in the world.