Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/143

137 ORIGIN OF PACIFIC UNIVERSITY. 137 connection with one or the other. They have also been the means of bringing into touch with the college many of the prominent men of the state and the coast who at various times have been invited to lecture under their auspices. Until 1869 a segregation of the sexes had been the policy of the institution as that was the generally accepted idea throughout the country at that time. The westward move- ment of population and the difficulty of supporting sepa- rate schools for the sexes was gradually bringing about a change. In 1869 President Marsh was convinced of the impracticability of his plan, and also seems to have un- dergone some change in regard to the theory of separate education. His policy of separating the academy and the college and establishing a seminary for young women was abandoned, although considerable headway had already been made in that direction, sites had been secured for the separate schools, and committees appointed to look after each and to apportion the funds. With the admis- sion of women to the regular college classes in 1869 it be- came necessary to have a preceptress, and the first to hold this office was Mrs. A. J. Anderson, followed in turn by Miss P. A. Wing, later Mrs. P. A. Saylor, Mrs. N. Spiller, Miss Mary E. Mack, and Miss Luella Carson, who held the position for the longest period of time from 1878 to 1884, when she resigned to accept a position in the State University at Eugene. Most of the young women took a three-year course of study leading to the degree of Mistress of Science. Miss Ella Scott, later Mrs. Latourette of Ore- gon City, was the first to take the longer course leading to the A. B. degree. As the administration of President Marsh drew to a close a difference of policy, which had existed for some time previous,, became more prominent. Some of the trustees and friends of the college were desirous that a