DR. GERALDINE HODCSON.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTRTOR."1
SIR,—We, the undersigned thirty-seven past students of the Secondary Training Department, Bristol University, loam with consternation from a letter addressed by the Council to the Lecturer in Education, and printed in the Bristol Times and Mirror of July 3rd, that " Council does not propose to continue the Department for the present." The opportunity of a year of preparation for our future career, of a year of more comprehensive study and more mature thought, was to us of suoh great and lasting benefit that we cannot but deplore the decision of the Council to withhold, even temporarily, a similar boon from others. More especially do we regret that this suspension involves the loss to the University of Dr. Geraldine Hodgson. Wo wish to place on mooed our sense of personal obligation to those who, in establishing the Depart- ment, secured for us tho advantage of intercourse with a scholar so distinguished, a friend so kind. Our debt to Dr. Hodgson is inestimable. Under her inspiring direction, our period of training became, to a degree unique in our experience, a time of mental quickening, of intellectual growth. Her wide knowledge, her sound judgment, her inflexible logio, stimulated and energized us all. By example as by precept, she taught us that nothing less than our best should be given to our- pupils ; she kindled in us something at least of her own courage and enthusiasm, humanized our sympathies, deepened our sense of responsibility, and raised our whole conception of tho profession we wore about to adopt. Tho withdrawal of an influence so inspiring from a Department—in our opinion—so vital must necessarily occasion us the deepest concern, and while confident that Dr. Hodgson's brilliant gifts and command of expert knowledge will not be antlered to remain unutilized, but will continue to be exercised in the service of education elsewhere, wo wish to express to all who are interested in the welfare of Bristol University our keen disappointment that such exercise will henceforth be dis- sociated from the Department which for fourteen years she has served with such unwcarying devotion and such signal success.—We aro, Sir, &c., JESSIE ALLEN, Rosz M. CASSWELL, B.A. (London) ; HILDA F. CLARKE, B.Sc. (Bristol) ; NORA L. CUTTLE, B.A. (London) ; ELEANOR Doom.y, M.A. (London), Head-Mistress, Twickenham County School ; BERTHA Dusan, Assistant-Mistress, Mortimer House, Clifton ; Vicron Ent:HULL, B.A. (Bristol), L -Cpl. 3/4 Somerset L.I. ; HILDA K EDWARDS, B.A. (Bristol) ; ADELAIDE Fist; B.Sc. (Bristol) ; ADA R. Forma ; E. M. FLEETWOOD, B.A. (London), Assistant-Mistress, Episcopal Modern School, Exeter ; L. K GRUNDY, B.A. (Bristol) ; N. M. GRUNDY, B.A. (Bristol), Assistant-Mistress, Basingstoke High School ; MARJORIE HAYWOOD, B.A. (Trinity College, Dublin) ; VIOLET A. HYETT, Head-Mistress, St. Margaret's College, East Grinstoad ; DOROTHY &too, B.A. (London), Assistant'-Mistress, Devonport Secondary School for Girls ; HILDA K Jozns, B.A. (Bristol), High School for Boys, Hereford ; Hume KEEN ; MARY H. Liswis, B.A. (London) ; CONSTANCE LITCHFIELD, B.A. (London) ; HELEN D. MaTrazws ; GLADYS K Moass, B.A. (London), Assistant- Mistress, Munioipal High School, West Hartlepool ; DOROTHY PALMER, Assistant-Mistress, Ramsgato Secondary School ; HILDA H. PEARSON, B.Se. (Manchester) ; HILDA PRESTON, Assistant-Mistress, St. Bride's School; GERTRUDE E. Qumercer, B.A. (Bristol); EuzsnErn RENDALL ; E. M. SANDERS, B.A. (London), Diplome° de 1' Universitet de Paris ; CHRISTINE SLADE, B.A. (London) ;„: J. A. C. SKIM Assistant-Mistress, Granville School, Leicester ; EDITS
ROSE STRICLAND ; K A. Sirrrom, Assistant-Mistress,
Streatham College for Girls ; EDITH H. VINCENT, B.A. (London), English Mistress, Girls' Grammar School, Batley, Yorks ; MARY W. Warren:n.4 Oxford Hens. School of Modern History ; G. K WILLIAMS, Cambridge History Tripes ; FRANCES WOODMAN, B.A. (Bristol) ; DOROTHY K. WRIGHT, Assistant-Mistress, Chelmsford Grammar School for Boys.
[We gladly publish this tribute to Dr. Geraldine Hodgson's work at Bristol University, but- in doing so we must not be considered to be passing judgment upon the wisdom of the decision of the University in suppressing the Department over which she presided, nor can we antes upon a discussion of that decision. All we are concerned to do is to afford publicity for this very remarkable expression of respect and gratitude made to Dr. Hodgson by former pupils.—ED. Speclator.1
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