▁put ▁H oll ins ▁in ▁contrast ▁with ▁the ▁Seven ▁Sister s ▁in ▁the ▁N ortheast . ▁Despite ▁its ▁academic ▁rig or , ▁H oll ins ▁and ▁other ▁southern ▁women ' s ▁colleg es ▁were ▁smaller ▁and ▁poor er ▁than ▁women ' s ▁college ▁such ▁as ▁Smith ▁College ▁and ▁Mount ▁Holy oke ▁in ▁the ▁north . ▁However , ▁H oll ins ▁saw ▁its ▁en roll ment ▁rise ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁two ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁as ▁more ▁women ▁sought ▁higher ▁education ▁nation wide . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁until ▁his ▁death , ▁C ock e ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁a ▁st ip ulated ▁sal ary ▁from ▁the ▁institution ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁trust ees ▁could ▁instead ▁put ▁the ▁school ' s ▁income ▁toward ▁pay ing ▁fac ulty ▁and ▁impro ving ▁the ▁grounds . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁trust ees ▁found ▁themselves ▁so ▁thoroughly ▁in ▁deb t ▁to ▁C ock e ▁that ▁the ▁school ▁was ▁de eded ▁to ▁him ▁and ▁his ▁family . ▁▁ 1 9 0 1 – 1 9 3 2 : ▁Mat ty ▁C ock e ▁and ▁acc red itation ▁ ▁Charles ▁Lewis ▁C ock e ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁eight y - one ▁was ▁a ▁grave ▁moment ▁for ▁the ▁H oll ins ▁Institute , ▁but ▁the ▁transition ▁to ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁his ▁forty - five - year - old ▁daughter ▁Mat ty ▁C ock e ▁was ▁smooth . ▁"