" COEDUCATION "- 1871-1904 401 



other up and down the staircases or have boxing-matches 

 in the lobbies any longer, for the girls are there. ' ' 



My report went fully into the matter, favored the ad- 

 mission of women, and was adopted by the trustees unani- 

 mouslya thing which surprised me somewhat, since two 

 of them, Judge Folger and Mr. Erastus Brooks, were 

 among the most conservative men I have ever known. The 

 general results were certainly fortunate; though one or 

 two minor consequences were, for a year or two, somewhat 

 disappointing. Two or three of the faculty and a con- 

 siderable number of the students were greatly opposed to 

 the admission of women, a main cause of this being the 

 fear that it would discredit the institution in the eyes of 

 members of other universities, and the number of the 

 whole student body was consequently somewhat dimin- 

 ished; but that feeling died away, the numbers became 

 larger than ever, and the system proved a blessing, not 

 only to the university, but to the State at large. None of 

 the prophecies of evil so freely made by the opponents of 

 the measure have ever been fulfilled. Every arrangement 

 was made in Mr. Sage 's building to guard the health of the 

 young women ; and no one will say that the manliness of 

 men or the womanliness of women has ever suffered in 

 consequence of the meeting of the two sexes in class- 

 rooms, laboratories, chapel, or elsewhere. From one evil 

 which was freely prophesied the university has been singu- 

 larly free. It was declared that a great deal of " spoon- 

 ing " would result. This has not been the case. Both 

 sexes seem to have been on their guard against it; and, 

 although pleasant receptions have, as a rule, taken place 

 weekly at Sage College, and visits to its residents have 

 been permitted at suitable times, no embarrassing attach- 

 ments have resulted. 



The main difficulties arose from a cause which proved 

 very short-lived. Several of the young women who first 

 applied for admission held high ideas as to their rights. 

 To them Sage College was an offense. Its beautiful par- 

 lors, conservatories, library, lecture-rooms, and lawns, 



I. 26 



or THE 

 UNIVERSITY 



