EARLY CHANGES IN THE SCHOOL.

This school, consisting of a model school for small children, a preparatory department for such as wanted to enter college or to take special studies, and a normal course for those intending to teach, really constituted Drury College at its beginning.

So long as mere numbers were sought these excrescences were allowed to remain. Time after time the model school was abandoned and reinstated, until about 1881, when it was finally dropped. Such, too, was the fate of the normal department. Vigorous efforts were made to draw students here rather than have them go to normal schools elsewhere. The faculty exerted themselves to give valuable instruction on methods of teaching and in all ways to make the time spent here as valuable to the future teacher as though spent at a regular normal school. Yet, after all, the department was doomed from the beginning. The chief thing the college wanted was numbers. The chief thing the student wanted was the prestige which a normal course then gave to a prospective teacher.

There were periods of success, but a normal student wants a normal atmosphere, and college atmosphere and a normal atmosphere can not exist in one place. As with other successful colleges, the effort was at last abandoned, and the faculty have contented themselves with occasional lectures on methods at normal schools and in normal institutes. Efforts have been made to build up large departments in both music and art. Some excellent work has been done in both of these branches, but all attempts to develop them on the scale once intended have been abandoned.

Early in our history these two things were settled: (1) That the original idea of developing the embryo college into a university was not to be carried out; and (2) that for years to come much of the best work of the institution would have to be done in thoroughly preparing students for the college proper.

RELATION OF THE COLLEGE TO THE PREPARATORY DEPARTMENT.

One further idea has taken definite shape within the past five years, that a preparatory school and a college ought not to be under one faculty. We believe here that the Western and Southern idea is radically wrong and that both the college student and the boy in the preparatory school alike suffer in being under one set of teachers during their entire course of instruction, however wise those teachers may be.

It has been, then, for some time the purpose to separate the two departments absolutely. For the present teachers are employed so far as practicable in the preparatory department who are specialists in their work, just as in college. The authorities believe that a real fitting school demands the best scholarship and a peculiar aptness in

drilling the young mind. It is a rare thing to find a man who is distinguished for both preparatory and college work. The methods should be radically different. The ends to be secured are not at all the same, and the youth should in each step of his training be under those who are superior in molding the intellect at that particular stage of development.

It is questionable whether the preparatory school and the college should be on the same campus. Certain it is that they should not be

together nor under the same regulations.

The college here retains its preparatory department as an essential part of the institution for two reasons: (1) Because money can be saved to the college by having some preparatory work done by college professors, and (2) because there are no schools in Missouri outside of the large cities (so far as we know) and few in the West, which as yet thoroughly prepare students for its freshman class.

As to the requirements for admission more will be said later. As soon as money is received for the adequate endowment of the fitting school, or of the college, a complete separation will be made, the only relation existing between the two being that graduates from the preparatory will be received into the college without examination. We believe that it is as important for the fitting school to have its own name even as for the college. We believe that it is impossible for any preparatory school to become famous so long as it is the mere appendix to a college. Andover and Exeter would never have been noted had they been attached to some college.

TWO IDEALS IN THE COLLEGE.

Here, however, there were for years two prominent features in the work; two ideals exactly opposed to each other, and yet both being carried out by our faculty.

In

On the one hand was an eagerness to attract large numbers. order to do this buildings must be erected, attractive and commodious facilities for the "accomplishments" must be provided; courses of of study must be arranged to let through those contented with a little; things must not be made too hard for the weak ones.

The other idea was that the only excuse for the existence of the institution was the demand for a college in this section of the country whose standard of scholarship should be on a par with the best New England colleges; that numbers are unnecessary to a college of the first grade; that the work by its excellence must commend itself to the best element of the Southwest.

GROWTH OF THE TWO IDEAS.

Let us follow the development of these two ideas. This will necessitate a review of the growth of the college in two directions; (1)

particularly as to externals, buildings, and published advantages; (2) as to courses of study actually followed and requirements of students. It will be of interest to notice the fluctuations in attendance until

the one idea prevailed.

NECESSITY FOR LARGE BOARDING HALL.

The college was located between what was then Springfield and North Springfield, two towns about 13 miles apart. There were few houses in the neighborhood of the college where students could secure board at reasonable rates.

It was argued that there must be a home provided for lady students who came from a distance. To secure such a home it was necessary to build. The community was disappointed in the unpretentious building erected at first; to satisfy these parties a large building must be erected. "Then, too, the college will commend itself as a permanency if its buildings are substantial and costly." These arguments prevailed, and as a result of the effort then made Walter Fairbanks Hall was erected at a cost of $32,000.

The building stands back from the street about 200 feet. It has 4 stories and a basement. In the basement is a large dining hall, while the rooms in the fourth story are used for art and the ladies' literary societies. In this hall the lady teachers and lady students live. The building is designed to accommodate about 100 persons.

MISSOURI CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC.

On the completion of this structure vigorous efforts were made to draw lady students. The Missouri Conservatory of Music was organized under the able leadership of Prof. A. B. Brown, and for a time it looked as though the plan of making a popular school was going to win. Probably no one thing did more to make the college at once favorably known with the masses than this study of music. In this study results were immediate, and the public was soon familiar with the conservatory. Professor Brown associated with himself in the conservatory three teachers, and work was done on the voice and on wind and stringed instruments. In 1881 Professor Brown retired from the faculty, the conservatory became simply one of the departments of the institution, and was put under the care of two competent instructors on the pianoforte and the violin.

The character of the work required was wholly changed. The musical course was divided into seven grades, and actual proficiency was required for promotion from one grade to another. The chief mover in the departure was Prof. W. A. Chalfant, a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, who sought in music the same exacting thoroughness demanded in other lines. Professor Chalfant still remains with the college, and has done much in this section to

give dignity to the study of music. With this change in the requirements of music the enrollment was greatly lessened, as will be seen by comparing the numbers under column marked "Music," page 111.

ART DEPARTMENT.

In drawing and painting also every effort was made to enroll numbers, and numbers in this department increased rapidly. Starting with 6 in 1874, 50 were enrolled in 1881. Then came the same change as was found in the musical department. Under Miss Frances J. Fowler, a thoroughly trained teacher, a rigid course in drawing was obligatory before painting was allowed. With the practice in drawing and painting a systematic study of the history of art was required. As the demands increased the numbers decreased; the subject no longer met the popular demands. Within two years the number. studying art was reduced to 20. Thus the second of two prominent features in a popular school was practically withdrawn. Hereafter only those pursued the study of art who wanted a knowledge of the subject and were willing to work in order to acquire it.

EASY COURSE OF STUDY.

There was a third thing which had its influence in making the college a popular school, namely: A full college course which required little previous preparation and which was not difficult or exacting. In this course "substitutions" were admissible and frequent. It offered to the young lady who completed it a diploma and hence all the honor which graduation from a college is supposed to have. This was called the "ladies' course." A moment's survey of the numbers who pursued this course explains how it helped to draw students. Here we are confined to the college department because in the early days it was not the custom to require any particular preparation for the ladies' course.

Thus far, in connection with the building of Fairbanks Hall, and the ladies' course of study, we have considered the influence which especially affected the attendance of lady students.

Earlier in the article we mentioned the model school and the normal department as being among the agencies employed for increasing numbers. But as these things would affect both sexes about equally it is not necessary to consider them further here.

ATTENDANCE OF STUDENTS.

It may be of interest to notice two things before we proceed to discuss the growth in the courses of study: (1) The attendance of students in the literary department during the years of the college history, and (2) the proportion of young men and young women.

In this we leave out the normal department and the model school as

being short lived and not affecting the point at issue. The general statement made earlier is sufficient for the art department.

The above table records the numbers as given in catalogues of the respective years.

INTERESTING FACTS BROUGHT OUT BY THIS TABLE.

By this table it will be seen that at the time the largest numbers of students were in attendance in the music and art departments the largest numbers were not in attendance in the regular literary work of the institution. On the contrary, the years 1876-1881 were the very largest in music and art and the very smallest in the literary department.

It will be further noticed that as soon as these departments were put upon a solid basis they were less patronized, and, inasmuch as hard work must now be done, a larger proportion preferred to do the work in the time of the regular curriculum.

By giving the total attendance each year it would be seen that many did not continue their connection with the institution after the music and art requirements were exacting, and that the regular courses of study failed to draw such large numbers as had heretofore been drawn to the college.

PROPORTION OF YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN.

The second point, the proportion of young men and young women, can not be so definitely settled, because the catalogues are not clear and the memory is not a safe guide. This, however, is known to be near the facts in the case: In the earliest years of the college the number of young men was somewhat smaller than the number of young women. From 1878 to 1881 the young women were about one and a half times as many in number as the young men. From that