ined ▁to ▁domestic ▁duties , ▁he ▁still ▁placed ▁great ▁value ▁on ▁intellectual ▁excell ence . ▁C ock e ▁considered ▁the ▁higher ▁education ▁of ▁young ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁to ▁be ▁his ▁life ' s ▁calling ; ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁he ▁wrote ▁that ▁" you ng ▁women ▁require ▁the ▁same ▁thorough ▁and ▁rig id ▁mental ▁training ▁as ▁that ▁afford ed ▁to ▁young ▁men ". ▁H oll ins ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁rig orous ▁institution ▁where ▁degrees ▁were ▁not ▁easily ▁earned ▁during ▁C ock e ' s ▁ten ure . ▁Stud ents ▁at ▁the ▁school ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁remember ▁the ▁" un bel ieve ably ▁ ▁serious " ▁instruction ▁and ▁" high ▁standards ". ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁H oll ins ▁also ▁pione ered ▁several ▁academic ▁practices ; ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁school ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁begin ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁elect ive ▁study , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁establish ▁an ▁English ▁department ▁under ▁a ▁full ▁professor . ▁▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁- ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁The ▁H oll ins ▁of ▁C ock e ' s ▁amb itions ▁was ▁limited ▁by ▁region , ▁as ▁C ock e ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁educ ating ▁women ▁only ▁from ▁Southern ▁states . ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁this ▁limited ▁scope , ▁H oll ins ▁strugg led ▁to ▁" prof essional ize " ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁and ▁beyond . ▁ ▁Its ▁remote ▁location ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁better ▁respect ed ▁and ▁fund ed ▁men ' s ▁institutions