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Dearest Mary, it is eleven oGÇÖclock and I am writing in my old study in my red wrapper, with a cleaned white front, over my nightgown. Your letter came this morning greatly to my delight but I had such an enormous mail and so many engagements that I read it by snatches until a few minutes ago when I have reread it all consecutively. Trust you are surely better-- do you not think such abnormal activity is a sign? Your campaign as outlined in you letter is worthy of a Napoleon and requires a Bonaparte to carry out. May I ask if you think I have no duties at Bryn Mawr? Can I cut Monday and Tuesday-- Bessie reads her paper Tuesday evening-- and can I arrange for ad hold parlor meetings and interview people at Washington when I am at Bryn Mawr, pray? Your offer of 101 shows your rising faith in the interest for our scheme. Do you think that too many people could be got together for our parlors? Yes, you are better decidedly or such wicked plans would never occur to you. You are-- words fail me to say what an all-devouring insatiable monster you are-- but I will forgive you this and more, for the sake of the nice letter you wrote me. I tried so hard to answer your last SundayGÇÖs letter in the middle of the week. It came Tuesday evening and from that time on I had only the moment or rather the -+ hour in which I saw Mr. Garrett's pictures. What a memory he has (I have noticed it in other things) to remember he saw you and me that day in a picture gallery! So this time was literally the only time for every night from 9 till 12 or 1 I corrected exam papers. Miss Sherwood came-- but no, first I must tell you about the meeting this afternoon. It was a little Trojan war and lasted two hours. Order of proceeding. Chairman asked Miss Thomas to be secretary pro tem Secretary read minutes of last meeting (which entirely legible and went off well) [Illegible] report read. Camilla ill from cold and Mrs. Brune read names and subscriptions of all Baltimore members etc. rescued through Baltimore Committee. In reading over the file letters-- letters in your medical school file it seemed to me better not to ask the foreign committees for reports now when by 15 March reports must of course be called for-- Washington was raising its $500-- New York has a meeting of its Committee only today. BostonGÇÖs report was not in, but that seemed the only one that could perhaps have been got. I thought it better then, not to trouble the foreign secretaries and I hope you agree, It seemed to make no difference in the report. Interest was great in Baltimore subscriptions. Foreign Cities report-- I told about St. Louis and Chicago and Bessie read letter from Dr. Brayton saying Mrs. Polter Palmer had promised to get her Foreign Committee to join so that the subject could be talked of in the GÇ£intervals of business.GÇ¥ Then we asked Mrs. Brown to tell about Annapolis. This all went off very well and a great many questions were asked. Mrs. Brown reported about the printing committee i.e. said our new circulars with full lists of Annapolis committee were going through the presses. Kate McLane shrouded in crepe arose looking like a Nemesis and moved a resolution which I enclose a copy of which [sic], in Mr. McLaneGÇÖs handwriting, she handed to the chair. She then said widespread dissatisfaction in Washington, in all other Committees among the medical profession existed and in support of her statement she would read a letter from an eminent woman physician whose name she would not give. She then read a letter which she must have asked Dr. Blackwell to prepare for the purpose. A most foolish and nonsense and incorrect letter in which Dr. Blackwell said that Harvard and Columbia now offered the GÇ£same termsGÇ¥ and every one knew how inferior they were, therefore if the Trustees could be got to affirm that Dr. OslerGÇÖs open letter expressed their position a vast amount of good would be done and she begged etc. that it be done. Miss Eaton then as quickly as possible seconded it. Then we were in the fray-- Mrs. Davis, Miss Davis, Bessie, Mary Carey, Mamie, I, Mrs. Brune, Mrs. Bruce, Dr. Hall, Miss Hampton, Mrs. Hurd, Mrs Kesser, Miss Hall, Bertha Smith, Kate, Alice van Bubbe-- were present. It was raining cats and dogs-- a day in which one could not walk a step, so that we thought no one would be there. Just I feared Mrs. Davis so I decided to make her angry with Kate and said it seemed to me to place our Chairman in a false position to direct her to write a second letter which as it were represented a vale of censure passed on her first letter. Mrs. Davis at once became angry as I hoped and I said she felt so and that whatever the Committee directed she would not do it; and after this she worked with us most effectively and spoke much to the point and repeatedly. This of course was aside from the argument. Then I said that we had no right to give our interpretation of the words GÇ£same termsGÇ¥ without submitting such interpretation to other committees and subscriptions. Mamie made a telling speech on this Bessie spoke against her. Kate again a long speech as usual seeing no point and repeating all her first arguments. Then as things seemed going wrong I asked for the name of the writer of the letter and told why Dr. BlackwellGÇÖs letter was not trustworthy. Kate said that she thought it was proof of the weakness of my cause that I who could, in her opinion persuade anyone of anything, had failed to convince Dr. Blackwell I answered that I had not had a fair chance-- only five minutes (at your reception it was). Here everyone laughed (her letter has not been answered yet and I am thankful as Kate would probably have used parts of it against us.) then everyone else spoke, some on one side, some on the other, and Kate spoke again and again. She had evidently got Miss Eaton, Mrs. Brune and Dr. Hall to promise to support her. Bessie was now exactly in our side. Then I played another card. I said the understanding was not universal, that our chairman could make no such announcement as in our small committee the understanding of GÇ£the same termsGÇ¥ differed-- that I for one distinctly did not understand that when we asked for (and received) admission to the medical school on the same terms that we were also securing the paid GÇ£appointmentsGÇ¥ such as Associates and assistants in the Hospital that in such a case I should have advocated sending our request and donating our money to the board in whose gift they were. This produced a sensation and of course I should not have said it unless I had seen that things were going wrong. Bessie said she thought we could not demand too much for our one hundred thousand, that she considered the appointments would follow as had been said as a consequence of the other. Miss Hall came out emphatically and said she never understood we had asked for more than educational advantages. Then Dr. hall made an impassioned speech (prefaced beforehand I thought) as to these appointments which we answered by showing how sure they were to follow if things worked themselves out naturally and so on and on and on. Everyone took part except Mrs. Keyser; Mrs Brune acknowledged herself convinced. Then Kate after repeated addresses and entreaties amd insisted on a vote and Mrs. Davies called for GÇ£ayesGÇ¥ and GÇ£noesGÇ¥ (How is that spelled?) Everyone voted with us except Molly Eaton (who would have voted the other way if it had made any difference) and Dr. Hall. it was a triumph but suppose it had gone the other way! Still I should never have let it go. We should have had to call in the other members of the committee and the foreign committees. I was glad you were not there for it was most trying and most alarming. I believe now Kate will feel beaten. But this was not all for on the evening before Friday evening Bessie and I had had a most terrible time about a permanent committee. Bessie wanted one of course to go on indefinitely and we had a worse quarrel than we have ever had. N.B.-- I will close this and continue tonight as I have 6 engagements this afternoon. Miss Metcalf, Dr. Hurd, Mrs. Bullett etc. Yours-- Copy KateGÇÖs resolution to be sent later unless enclosed.
Letter from M. Carey Thomas to Mary Elizabeth Garrett, February 22, 1891
M. Carey Thomas writes to Mary Garrett that she is impressed with the ambition of Garrett's new plan but thinks it may not be feasible. The rest of the letter is an outline of the order of proceedings for a meeting about the Johns Hopkins fundraising campaign. Notably, Thomas's adversary Kate M. McLane presented a letter of support for her side by Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. The attendees discuss the exact implications of admission "on the same terms" as men and eventually a vote is taken in which Thomas and Garrett's side wins.
Thomas, M. Carey (Martha Carey), 1857-1935 (author)
Garrett, Mary Elizabeth, 1854-1915 (addressee)
1891-02-22
14 pages
reformatted digital
North and Central America--United States--North Carolina--Madison--Hot Springs
North and Central America--United States--Pennsylvania--Montgomery--Bryn Mawr
BMC-CA-RG1-1DD2
M. Carey Thomas Papers, 1853-1935 --http://archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/repositories/6/archival_objects/98852
BMC_1DD2_ThomasMC_Outgoing_0308