RANDOLPH-MACON SYSTEM OF COLLEGES AND ACADEMIES, a group of five institutions in Virginia, compris ing (1) Randolph-Macon College at Ashland, a college for men; (2) Randolph-Macon Academy at Bedford City, and (3) Randolph Macon Academy at Front Royal, preparatory schools for boys ; (4) Randolph-Macon Woman's College at Lynchburg; (5) Randolph-Macon Institute at Danville a preparatory school for girls. These institutions are under the control of one board of trustees, which is self-perpetu ating. The original institution is the college for men at Ashland, which was established under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and received its charter from the Vir ginia legislature in 1830, thus being the oldest Methodist college in America. It was located near Boydton, County, Va., and opened to students in 1832. The college ob tained no permanent endowment until shortly before the Civil War, and was closed during the war. Much of the endowment was also rendered worthless, and the college reopened in 1866 under serious embarrassment. In 1868 its site was changed to Ashland, Va., and since that time its work has been successful and in fluential. The first of the affiliated schools was the Academy of Bedford City, founded in 1890; the academy at Front Royal was established in 1892, and the woman's college in 1893; the institute at Danville was affiliated with the sys tem in 1897.
The Randolph-Macon College at Ashland offers courses leading to the degrees of A.B. and A.M.; graduation with distinction in four sub jects acditional to those required for the degree of A.13. is required for the degree of A.M.
The A.M. courses are elective, and the elective system prevails to a limited degree in the A.B. course. Six students' aid funds are provided, four of which are for ministerial students, and several scholarships, the largest of which has a fund of $10,000. Two literary societies are maintained by the students for literary and ora torical exercises: The buildings Pace lecture-room..bnilding, the chemical. laboratory, Duncan Manorial Chapel, the library, the gym statiutn, the Pettyjohn Hall of Science and•aght large dormitories. The library . contained in 1917 16,500 volumes. The students' in 1917 num bered 186, and the faculty 18.
The Randolph-Macon -Wotian's College offers courses leading to the degrees .of. A.B. and 'A.M. One Year of •graduat• -work in courses elected by the student is required for the master's degree. For the A.B. course the work of the first two years is prescribed, the last two years is largely elective; the electives are arranged in eight groups, one course in each group being the free choice of the student. Courses in music are offered; one course in the history of music is open to all college students and counts toward the A.B. degree; and a com pletion of the course in either piano, organ or vocal music counts three hours toward the de gree. The college occupies two large build ings, the main building and the Jones Memorial Library; the library contained 15,000 volumes in 1917; 604 students were enrolled and 49 in structors.