Vassar College

vas'er kol'lej, a college for women at Poughkeepsie, New York. It was founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, a wealthy brewer. In that year he gave trustees appointed by the legislature 200 acres of land and $400,000 in money. At his death in 1868 he left the institution a further sum of $360,000. It was his purpose to establish a school that should accomplish for young women what our colleges are accomplishing for young men. Vassar was the first fully equipped women's college in the United States. The requirements for admission are those that are customary in colleges of rank. Adequate buildings and a library of 50,000 volumes have been acquired. There are about 1,000 students and 75 instructors. See Smith