Music-Making and Music Learning for Females in Poughkeepsie, New York at Vassar Female College: 1865–1888.

This article examines the establishment and development of one of the first collegiate music programs in the United States at Vassar Female College between 1865 and 1888. Founded in 1865 in Poughkeepsie, New York, Vassar appointed the nation’s first professor of music and allowed music courses to count toward a Bachelor of Arts degree by 1868, eventually offering a Bachelor of Music degree in 1887. The study explores the curriculum, key faculty such as Edward Wiebé and Frédérick Louis Ritter, student music-making traditions, and socio-political factors influencing the program, including racial exclusion and limited resources. Despite challenges like restricted practice time, inadequate facilities, and racial biases, Vassar’s early commitment to music education laid important groundwork for academic music study and expanded educational opportunities for women in the United States.