194 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



offers men and get the Harvard professors to give 

 the instruction." I therefore arranged a list of teachers 

 based on the present year. 



November 26. Yesterday I asked Professor [James 

 B.] Greenough to spend the evening in my library. 

 He came with his wife. We discussed the plan. He 

 approved and made out a list of teachers. We . . . 

 separated, promising to consider the subject of its 

 practicability. 



Within a month Mr. Oilman sent the following letter to 

 President Ehot of Harvard University. 



TO PRESIDENT CHARLES W. ELIOT 



Cambridge, December 23, 1878 

 Dear Sir: I am engaged in perfecting a plan w^hich 

 shall afford to women opportunities for carrying 

 their studies systematically forward further than it 

 is possible for them to do it in this country (except 

 possibly at Smith College). 



My plan obliges me to obtain the services of some 

 of the professors, and I address you before approach- 

 ing them, in order to assure myself that I am correct 

 in supposing that their relations to the University 

 are such as to permit of their giving instruction to 

 those who are not connected with it. 



I propose to bring here such women as are able 

 to pass an examination not less rigid than that now 

 established for the admission of young men and to 

 offer them a course of instruction which shall be a 

 counterpart of that pursued by the men. It is prob- 



