The Journal of Heredity 



genie worth, who attempt to copy the 

 manners and life of real aristocrats. 



As might be expected, "good looks" 

 are not of paramount importance to 

 the women. 



The low place assigned to "fondness 

 for sports" indicates that the women's 

 judgment in mate selection has not as a 

 rule been much influenced by the 

 glamor of the college athlete. 



"Wealth" is near the bottom of the 

 list. The acquirement of wealth de- 

 pends as a rule upon the possession of 

 moie than average ability. Assuming 

 that wealthy men usually marry into 

 good stock, their sons should usually be 

 above the average in ability, and there- 

 fore desirable mates eugenically. For 

 these reasons it is unfortunate that the 

 possession of wealth is held in such low 

 esteem by these fifty young women. 



A small minority (13%) have 

 changed the views on marriage since 

 entering the University. Almost all 

 of these said that they had come to 

 want a higher type of husband, or to 

 regard matrimony more seriously in 

 one way or another since entering the 

 University. 



The above facts show that the young 

 women in the University of Mississippi 

 certainly have on the whole sound 

 ideas, socially and eugenically, on the 

 question of matrimony. 



men's questionnaire 



Pledge. I hereby affirm upon my 

 honor that I will, to the best of my 

 ability, fill out the following question- 

 naire seriously and truthfully 



(Place X here if you are willing to take 

 this oath.) 



1. When circumstances permit, do you 



intend to marry? 



(Answer Yes or No.) 



2. If you do not intend to marry, 

 please frankly state your objections to 

 matrimony. 



3. Underscore the number of sons and 

 daughters which you think would 

 constitute an ideal family: 



Sons— 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 

 Daughters— 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 



4. If you contemplate marriage, please 

 fill out the table below, thus indicating 



the relative importance you would 

 attach to the several qualities of a 

 prospective wife. For instance, if you 

 consider social ability the most import- 

 ant characteristic for a wife to have, 

 place "1" after "social ability." If 

 you consider disposition the next most 

 important consideration, place "2" after 

 it, and so on through the list. 



a. Housekeeping ability. 



b. Artistic or musical ability. 



c. Education. 



d. Natural mental ability. 



e. Disposition. 



f. Interest in religion. 



g. Moral character. 



h. Willingness to rear a family. 



i. Beauty. 



j. Social ability. 



k. Health. 



1. Fondness for sports. 



m. Ambition. 



n. Family connections. 



o. Business ability. 



p. Wealth. 



q. Mutual intellectual interests. 



r. Native state or section of country. 



s. Attitude on woman's suffrage. 



5. Have your views concerning the 

 desirability of matrimony changed 

 since you entered the University?. . . . 

 If so, what were your views previously? 

 Why did you change them? (If you 

 have previously attended any other 

 college or university, indicate any 

 change of views since coming to this 

 University.) 



6. Age. 



7. School and class in University. 



8. Home state and countv- 



9. Married? 



You are not expected to sign your name 

 to this questionnaire. Please mail the 

 questionnaire, filled out, to H. R. Hunt, 

 University, Miss., before April 24, 

 1920. 



Ninety-eight per cent of the men 

 said that they intended to marry. 

 The average of all the answers to ques- 

 tion 3 (referring to the composition of 

 the ideal family) is 2.5 sons and 1.8 

 daughters — in round numbers a family 

 of four children. The range of choice 

 is from none (one case) to ten children. 

 Evidently the University men, like the 



