1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Mount Holyoke College

MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE, the pioneer institution in America for the higher education of women, situated in the village of South Hadley, Massachusetts, near Mount Holyoke. It was founded by Mary Lyon (q.v.), and was chartered as Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in 1836 (opened in 1837), but the name was changed to Mount Holyoke College in 1893. Besides the recitation halls and laboratories there are the Dwight Memorial art building (1901), a library building (1905), the John Payson Williston observatory, botanical gardens (1901), a gymnasium, a hospital, and seven residence halls. For undergraduates the college offers two years of work in prescribed courses in Latin, Greek, French, German, English, history, Biblical literature, profane literature, physics, and chemistry, and two years of work in elective courses; for graduates it offers one year of advanced work, including courses in education designed for those preparing to teach. To make college expenses lighter and to “promote a spirit of democracy and of consideration for others” every student helps either in housework or in the academic departments. In 1908–1909 the college had 110 instructors and 748 students.