SMITH COLLEGE. 



537 



acter of the education which should be given ; ap- ' 

 pointed the first trustees ; aud selected Northampton ' 

 as its site. The market value of the funds which the 

 college received from the estate of Miss Smith after 

 her death, June 12, 1870, was estimated at 8387,468. 

 To this sum the town of Northampton added 825,000, 

 to comply with a condition of her will concerning the 

 site. 



The college was incorporated by the Common- 

 wealth of Massachusetts, March 3. 1871, and a char- 

 ter was granted empowering it: "To grant such 

 honorary testimonials, and confer such honors, de- ' 

 grees, and diplomas as are granted or conferred by 

 any university in the United States. The trustees 

 held their first meeting at Northampton, April 12, ! 

 1871, when the Board was organized. The same year j 

 13 acres in the centre of the town were purchased j 

 as a site; but it was decided not to build until tho 

 funds could accumulate and a president be obtained. 

 A circular issued by the trustees, Sept. 10, l7'2, 

 stated: "It is the design of the trustees, as it was 

 evidently of the founder, not to add to the number 

 of such schools, seminaries, or academies, as now ex- 

 ist for young ladies, but to realize completely and 

 truly the idea of a Womnn'x Coltey*. They would 

 secure to young women a culture fully equivalent to 

 that afforded to young men by our best New Eng- 

 land colleges, and yet differing from that as woman 

 differs from man in her physical and mental consti- 

 tution, and in the sphere of her active life. The re- 

 quirements for admission will be substantially the 

 same as at Harvard, Yale, Brown, Amherst, and other 

 New England colleges." 



llev. L. Clark Se>>lye, D. D., was elected president 

 of tho college, June 17, 1873, while professor of 

 rhetoric and English literature at Amherst College. 

 He entered immediately upon tho duties of his office, 

 and under his direction the first academic building 

 was erected, and formally dedicated, July 14, 1875. 

 The college was opened for tho reception of students 

 the second Thursday in September, 1875. Those 

 only were received who were able to meet the same 

 requirements in Greek, Latin, Mathematics, and 

 English, which were demanded in the New England 

 colleges for young men. There was no prepara- 

 tory department. A four years' course of study 

 was adopted, corresponding in extent and thor- 

 oughness with the collegiate courses in tho leading 

 American colleges. The trustees decided to receive 

 at the opening only those who were qualified to enter 

 the First Class, and to add rach year a new class and 

 the requisite teachers, until tho four classes and the 

 Faculty were formed. Sixteen were admitted to the 

 First Class and eleven teachers were provided for 

 them. There were no commencement exercises un- 

 til June 18, 1879, when eleven graduates received tho 

 degree of A. B. 



A distinctive feature of the college was the adop- 

 tion of tho plan of coin para' ively small dwelling- 

 houses, entirely distinct from the academic build- 

 ings, and arranged as far as possible liko private 

 houses. Each was to bn presided over by a lady who 

 should act us tho " house mother," and whose spe- 

 cial duty it should bo to direct its social and domes- 

 tic life. Stud"ntB were permitted to choose between 

 residence in thi-^e college homes or families in tho 

 town which were approved by tho Faculty. One 

 divflling-house was provided at the opening of the 

 college, and others were afterward erected to ment 

 the wants of successive classes. These dwelling- 

 houses are separate establishments ; each has its 

 own kitchen, dining-room, parlors, and bedrooms, 

 and each is located apart so as to lessen the danger 

 from fire, and to give free access of light and air to j 

 the other buildings. The largest will accommodate 

 fifty students, and the smallest twenty-one ; and the 

 present policy is to provide accommodations for no 

 VOL. IV. 2 1 



larger number in any single house. The plan of 

 these dwelling-houses is the natural outgrowth of 

 the design of the college, as expressed in its official 

 circulars: "It is a Woman's College, aiming not 

 only to give the broadest and highest intellectual 

 culture, but also to preserve and perfect every char- 

 acteristic of a complete womanhood." 



The physical culture of the students is provided 

 for by a gymnasium, and by a specialist in that de- 

 partment, who prescribes, after personal examina- 

 tion, exercises adapted to the individual need. In 

 its religions character the college is Christian in its 

 aims, but undenominational in management and in- 

 struction. There is no college church, aud students 

 are expected to attend churches in the city, accord- 

 ing to individual preference. 



For some years Smith College gave academic de- 

 grees only to those who completed the usual colle- 

 giate classical course, but in 1886 two additional 

 courses of study were arranged, called the Literary 

 and Scientific. These also extend through four 

 years, and graduates from tho Literary course re- 

 ceive the degree of Bachelor of Literature ; from the 

 Scientific course, the degree of Bachelor of Science ; 

 white graduates from the classical course continue 

 to receive the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The dis- 

 tinctive peculiarity of there courses in Literature and 

 Science is the requirement of a greater amount of 

 modern languages or of the natural sciences, in 

 place of the classics or mathematics. The design 

 of all the various courses is thus stated : " The 

 college is not intended to fit woman for a particular 

 sphere or profession, but to perfect her intellect by 

 the best methods which philosophy and experience 

 suggest, so that she may be better qualified to enjoy 

 and to do well her work in life, whatever that work 

 may be." 



In 1880 a school of music and a school of art were 

 established in connection with the college, for the 

 purpose of providing the best facilities for (he study 

 of Music, practical and theoretical, and of Drawing, 

 Painting, and Sculpture ; and the following year a 

 Music Hall and Art Gallery were erected for their 

 accommodation. These schools have separate corps 

 of teachers, and regular courses of study extending 

 through four years. Members of the academic de- 

 partment can take a part of any of these courses as 

 clectives, and students of approved age and attain- 

 ments can pursue them exclusively as specialties. 

 Post-graduate courses nro provided for those who 

 wish to pursue advanced studies in Music, Art, Phi- 

 losophy, Langiiiigo, Literature, and Science. 



Additional gifts have been made to the college. 

 The mos't important of these are: 30,000 for an Art 

 Gallery, and 50,000 for an Art Fund, by Mr. Win- 

 throp Hillycr; 50,000 as a bequest from Mr. George 

 \\. Bnbbard ; .> 500 for tho Lilly Hall of Science, 

 by Mr. A. T. Lilly ; 20,000 to purchase works of art ; 

 15,000 for au Observatory ; 10,OCO for additional 

 studios to tho Art Gallery ; $12,000 for scholarships ; 

 and 85,000 as a bequest from Gov. W. B. Washlmm. 

 From its general fund the college gives annual 

 scholarships of 100 to all deserving students who 

 are unable to complete a collegiate education with- 

 out such aid. The present value of the college funds 

 is 8469,283, and of its real estate, $400,000. 



Since the opening of the college the number of 

 students has t-teadily increased, aud in 1888 it was 

 435. The various classes number as follows : First 

 Class, 155 ; Second Class, 98 ; Junior Class, 60 ; Senior 

 Class, 48 ; Music School, 37 ; Art School, 31 ; Besi- 

 dent Graduates, 0. The Faculty, aside from lect- 

 urers and non-residant teachers, numbers 23, aud 

 includes both sexes in about equal proportions. 

 Miss Smith in her will appointed only men as trustees, 

 but in June, 1888, the trustees requested the associate 

 alumnte of the college to nominate three candidates 



