ciety in 1884, on motion of Dr. Henry
I. Bowditch, voted to admit women to membership. Dr. Emma L. Call
and Dr. Harriet L. Harrington were the first two women admitted.
January 11, 1882, at the monthly meeting of Harvard overseers, the
question of admitting women to the Medical School came before the
board. An individual desiring to contribute a fund for the medical
education of women in Harvard University asked the president and
fellows whether such a fund would be accepted and used as designed.
Majority and minority reports were submitted by the committee in
charge, and after a long discussion it was voted, 11 to 6, to
accept the fund, the income to be ultimately used for the medical
education of women. At the April meeting, the Committee on the
Medical Education of Women presented a report, which was adopted by
a vote of 13 to 12:

That, in the opinion of the board, it is not advisable for the
University to hold out any encouragement that it will undertake
the medical education of women.

The Harvard Divinity School at Cambridge sometimes admits women,
but does not recognize them publicly, nor grant them degrees; but
there are other theological schools in the State where a complete
preparation for the ministerial profession can be obtained. The
attitude of the churches toward women has changed greatly within
thirty years. As early as 1869, women began to serve on committees,
and to be ordained deaconesses of churches. They also hold
important offices connected with the different church
organizations. They serve on the boards of State and national
religious associations. There are also missionary associations,
both home and foreign, and Christian unions, all officered and
managed exclusively by women. Even the treasurers of these large
bodies are women, and their husbands or trustees are no longer
required to give bonds for them.[149] At the general conference of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, the word "male" was stricken from
the discipline, and the word "person" inserted in its place, in all
cases save those that concerned the ordination of clergy.

Olympia Brown was the first woman settled as pastor in the State.
Her parish was at Weymouth Landing. In 1864 she petitioned the
Massachusetts legislature "that marriages performed by a woman
should be made legal." The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom the
matter was referred, reported that no legislation was necessary, as
marriages solemnized by w