8 SIMON HENRY GAGE 
young men and women of the country; and the broad scope of | 
that education as outlined by Mr. Cornell and President White 
appealed to him who knew from his own experience in the world 
the need of something in addition to a knowledge of the ancient 
classics. Henry W. Sage had just built and given Sage College 
for housing the women students of the University so that pro- 
tection as well as education seemed cared for. The father who 
had known almost pioneer life did not hesitate because the 
institution was young, and perhaps a little rough; he knew by 
experience the fundamental virtues residing in youth and 
roughness. His wishes, aided by the adventurous spirit of the 
daughter, prevailed, and he came with her to the University 
which she entered in the autumn of 1875 As good fortune 
would have it, when their carriage drove up to the entrance of 
the newly finished Sage College, President White was there. 
For as was his custom, he had been looking at this building, 
as he always did at all growing buildings, to see if it was all 
ready for the fine young women he felt sure would come to it 
to receive the instruction already given men. He welcomed 
the father and daughter and went into the building with them 
and saw to it that food and a room were provided for the first 
Sage College student. 
The course pursued in college included a further study of 
Latin, much English literature, and a large amount of historical 
study. In the historical study two subjects seemed of para- 
mount interest, Roman history and American constitutional 
history. She also never failed to make the most of every op- 
portunity to hear the lectures of Goldwin Smith on English his- 
tory, and those of Andrew D. White on modern European history. 
With these classical, literary, and historical studies came 
studies in modern science, among which physics and biology 
took the strongest hold upon her. She was the first woman to 
take laboratory work in physics in Cornell University. The 
facilities for laboratory work were limited, the only space being 
under the raised seats of the lecture room. But as with all her 
other teachers, Prof. Wm. A. Anthony, the founder of the de- 
partment of physics at Cornell, believed so much in the ability 
and earnestness of his aspiring pupil that he gave her space and 
