The origin and development of two women's colleges, Mount Holyoke of Massachusetts and Meredith College of North Carolina, are compared, illustrating some of the early chapters of American higher education, when religious purposes for schools were common, but when schools for women were not. The social, historical, and religious contexts of the founding of both schools, Mount Holyoke in 1837 and Meredith in 1899, are discussed. In addition, the personal contribution of Mary Lyon, the founder of Mount Holyoke, is emphasized, including her academic ideals, her ideas about the role of women, and her work in raising the money to start the school. The distinctive aspects of the founding of Meredith, with its origins in the Baptist Church and the chivalric ideas regarding women prevalent in the South at that time, are also emphasized. Major changes in the schools since their founding are briefly summarized. Contains 24 references. (KM)