This book, "Earliest Years at Vassar," offers personal recollections of the foundational period of Vassar College, a pioneering institution for women's education in the United States. Written by Frances A. Wood, who served as a music teacher, English teacher, and eventually librarian at Vassar, the book provides an intimate look into the college's beginnings, including the social life, early regulations, and the academic environment. It delves into the challenges and triumphs of establishing a rigorous academic program for women, detailing how the curriculum evolved and the initial student body, which numbered 353 in 1865.
Frances A. Wood was a significant figure in Vassar's early history, joining the college as a music teacher in 1866 and becoming its librarian in 1880. During her tenure as librarian, she quadrupled Vassar's collection and established the modern Vassar Library with the opening of the Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Library in 1905. Her personal account is valuable as it captures the spirit and atmosphere of a time when the higher education of women was still considered an experiment, with the world watching its success or defeat.
The book holds historical and literary significance as a primary source document detailing the early years of one of the first degree-granting institutions for women in the United States. Vassar College, founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, aimed to provide women with an education equal to that of the best men's colleges. Wood's recollections highlight the college's commitment to intellectual rigor and its role in shaping women's higher education. Collectors interested in the history of women's education, the development of American colleges, or the social history of the late 19th and early 20th centuries would find this book particularly engaging due to its firsthand perspective on a pivotal era.
Overall condition is Good. The cloth covers and boards are Good, showing bumped corners, edgewear, moderate rubbing, light soiling, and sunning. The spine is Good, exhibiting darkening, faded lettering, moderate rubbing, and sunning. The hinges and joints are Very Good. The text block and pages are Good, with dusty edges, minor foxing, minor spotting, and minor toning. The endpapers are Fair, displaying minor dampstaining, minor foxing, minor soiling, and minor toning. Plates and illustrations are Very Good.
Illustrated edition. Hardcover. No dust jacket. Bound in cloth.
Page Count: 98
Location: ABS-1-1-003