The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Wheaton College

WHEATON COLLEGE, located at Norton, Mass., was one of the pioneer schools for the education of women. It was founded as Norton Female Seminary by Judge Wheaton in 1834 and organized by Mary Lyon. The school was opened for students in 1835 and incorporated by an act of the General Court in 1837. The name was changed to Wheaton Female Seminary in 1839, but the institution was commonly known as Wheaton Seminary until by an act of the legislature of Massachusetts in 1912, the name was changed to Wheaton College and it was authorized to grant degrees. The school was never coeducational. Wheaton College is situated on a slight elevation and in a healthful pine-tree region. The extensive grounds include more than 100 acres of land, diversified by gardens, lawns, hedges, trees and meadows, containing an athletic field, tennis courts, basket-ball standards and other equipment for outdoor sports. The college has 20 buildings, nine of which are new brick buildings in the colonial style of architecture and six are dwelling-houses just outside the campus. The college has an endowment of about $1,000,000. Wheaton recognizes the new intellectual needs of the home without lessening the opportunities for those who aim at professional work. It is the only small separate college for women in Massachusetts. It allows for personal association, especially between student and teacher, and for the development of individuality. It is democratic in spirit and unsectarian but thoroughly Christian. There are no secret societies. The faculty is composed of both men and women, selected not alone for their ability in research work, but primarily for their efficiency as teachers. The curriculum is carefully planned, and a matter of considerable importance is the organization of the studies of the curriculum into a group system. This affords a well-rounded course of instruction for each student and at the same time allows room for the exercise of individual taste. Wheaton College admits students on three years of Latin, the fourth year to be taken in college. With this exception all courses in Latin are elective. College mathematics is also elective. Wheaton offers a limited number of assistantships which yield various sums annually up to $100 each, according to the service rendered.