276 THE FEENCH BLOOD IN AMEEICA 



home for old men, and had jilans for a hospital. The 

 subject of woman's education interested him, and he 

 thought women should have as good educational advan- 

 tages as men. He was ready, therefore, to consider the 

 matter with Professor Eaymond, who had Morked out the 

 plans for a distinctive woman's college. Mr. Vassar 

 furnished the capital, and Vassar College was started as 

 an experiment, with Professor Eaymond as president. 

 Into this euterprise, which grew far beyond the original 

 plans, Matthew Vassar put a large part of his fortune ; 

 and had the satisfaction of seeing the institution a great 

 success before he was taken away. This was the pioneer, 

 but soon his examj)le was followed — in Massachusetts by 

 Mr. Durant, who founded Wellesley. To-day the women's 

 colleges are thriving and numerous, and hold the highest 

 rank, while their thousands of alumni are to be found iu 

 all parts of the land. Huguenot descendants may remem- 

 ber with just pride that the first of these institutions, aud 

 one still in the front rank, was due to the philanthropy 

 aud far-sightedness of one of their number. 



VII 



Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet 

 The Gallaudet Qjje of tlic Hugucuot emigrants from France was Peter 

 Gallaudet, who left Mauze, near La Eochelle, shortly after 

 the Ee vocation, and came to America, trausferriug to new 

 shores the traditions of a family long identified by act 

 aud sympathy with the cause of Protestantism. Gal- 

 laudet settled in New Eochelle, whence his descendants 

 have spread to various parts of the country. 



One of Gallaudet' s great-grandsons was Thomas Hop- 

 kins Gallaudet, who more than any other member of the 

 family has brought the name into prominence. Thomas 

 was born in Philadelphia in 17S7, and there spent his 

 early days. Moving to Hartford in 1800, he entered Yale, 

 and was graduated in 1805. The three following years he 

 spent as travelling salesman for a New York firm. Then 



