▁colleg es ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁began . ▁ ▁Adv oc acy ▁for ▁women ' s ▁colleg es ▁Elizabeth ▁A very ▁Col ton , ▁from ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁thirty ▁six ▁until ▁her ▁early ▁death ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 1 , ▁fought ▁for ▁the ▁better ment ▁of ▁women ' s ▁colleg es . ▁ ▁She ▁soon ▁became ▁a ▁leading ▁advoc ate ▁for ▁this ▁change . ▁She ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁Association ▁for ▁College ▁Women , ▁which ▁was ▁organized ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁Later , ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁Col ton ▁became ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁president . ▁ ▁The ▁Southern ▁Association ▁for ▁College ▁Women ▁strongly ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁nation ▁dep ended ▁on ▁further ing ▁the ▁education ▁of ▁women . ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁address ▁from ▁the ▁institution , ▁they ▁state , ▁" We ▁have ▁everything ▁that ▁is ▁necessary ▁for ▁the ▁commercial ▁and ▁industrial ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁great ▁people ." ▁ ▁With ▁all ▁the ▁resources ▁that ▁the ▁South ▁held , ▁the ▁women ' s ▁education ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁should ▁have ▁been ▁much ▁better . ▁At ▁least ▁that ▁is ▁what ▁the ▁Southern ▁Association ▁for ▁College ▁Women , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Elizabeth ▁A very ▁Col ton , ▁believed . ▁ ▁Col ton ' s ▁most ▁notable ▁work , ▁however , ▁is ▁the ▁study ▁she ▁conducted ▁on ▁colleg es ▁for ▁women . ▁In ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁works ▁titled ▁Im prov ement ▁in ▁Stand ards ▁of ▁Southern ▁Colleg es ▁since ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁Col