The most important educational movement of the last two years has been
the formation of an American Association for the Promotion of Social
Science, with four departments, and two women on its Board of Directors.
Subsequently, the Boston Association was organized, with seven
departments, and seven women on its Board of Directors; one woman being
assigned to each department, including that of law. Any woman in the
United States can become a member of the American association. If the
opportunities it offers are not seized, it will be the fault of women
themselves.
During the past winter, the Lowell Institute in Boston, in connection
with the government of the Massachusetts Technological Institute, took a
step which deserves public mention. They advertised classes for both
sexes, under the most eligible professors, for instruction in French,
mathematics, and natural science. As the training was to be thorough,
the number of pupils was limited, and the _women_ who applied would have
filled the seats many times over. These classes have been wholly free,
and have added to the obligation which the free Art School for women had
already conferred.
On the 25th of June, 1865, the Ripley College, at Poultney, Vt.,
celebrated its Commencement. Seventeen young ladies were graduated.
Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered the literary address, and two days were
devoted to the examination of incoming pupils. Feeling very little
satisfaction in the success of colleges intended for the separate sexes,
I take more pleasure in speaking of the Baker University, in Kansas,
which was chartered by the Legislature of that State in 1857, as a
university for both sexes. It has now been in active operation for seven
years. A little more than a year ago, Miss Martha Baldwin, a graduate of
the Baldwin University at Berea, Ohio, was appointed to the chair of
Greek and Latin. She is but twenty-one years of age, but was elected by
the government to make the address for the faculty at the opening of the
Commencement exercises, and seems to have given entire satisfaction
during the year.
Howard University was chartered at the last session of Congress, for the
education of all classes of students, without distinction of sex, race,
or color. It has purchased three acres of land in a pleasant part of
Washington, and is now ready to receive about twenty-five students. Rev.
Dr. Boynton, chaplain of the House of Representatives, is President of
the Board of Trustees.
St. Lawrence University, Canton, N.Y., a university still very young,
graduates both men and women, on precisely the same conditions. Civil
engineering and political economy are the only optional studies with
the women. It reports one theological student. Lombard University,
Galesburg, Ill., does the same; but I know nothing of its standard of
scholarship. It is only within the last year that I have been able to
visit the most conspicuous colleges in this country in which women are
taught with men. I consider the system of mixed classes an immense
advantage, as it secures the standard of scholarship, prevents all
foolish hazing, and places personal character and moral deportment in
their right relations to classic study. It prevents also such
instruction in the classics as must necessarily deprave the estimate of
woman.