The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-03-13
Scholarships and Prizes in College, as
Incentives 10 Study.


Twenty years ago, the Trustees Of Dart
mouth College abolished the popular system
Of Prize Exhibitions and Assignments foi
Commencement Exercises, which hut been ir
use from il foundation, and which, -uItA-ta
rious limitations. is still retained ia maAt aim
/ liar institutions. Some Of It's distinguished
Alumni questioned the wisdom Of this chang,
and anticipated general depreciation Of the
standard Of 'oholarship IL the College as one
of the natural, il not necessary results Not
withsinnding the continued prosperity Of the
institution Lllring Tia Intervening period, and
I the assurance furnished from reliable sources
that there has Aee1s, f4ef, rur, u rrrUrils
cd Improvement in tho general scholarship Of
lis successive classcs, the idea is still enter
tanned 10y many of them, that a return to the
told system Of prizes and appointments, would
be beneficial. An Association Of the Alumni
residing in, and near BOSTON, presented. to
the Board Of Trustees Of the College, AT It's
last Commencement, Memorial, suggesting
"the cSpcdi2ncy o, establishing system of
Scholarships and Prizes fog the encourage
mcnt nnd'rcward Of superior merit" and rec
ommcnding, in casy the suggestion were fa-
vorably rcccivcd ,thutinquiry he made "Whcth-
er-the income Of the Second College Grant,
50 called, designed for the aid ef young men
from New Hampshire, would not be best APP
proprated to them in scholarships and prizes
for merit, if thc.tcrms Of the grant would so
allow whether the income from the town of
Wheclock, might not be appropriated in like
manner, to young men from Vermont whcth-
or the gratuitics from the -ChaHdlef-Fuurf
would not be best awarded upon similar prn-
ciplcs and, whether regard should not be
paid to scholarship in distributing the pro-
cccds Of the funds for the aidof students pre-
pairing for the Ministry"
In reply to this Memorial the Trustees have
just published an elaborate Report in Pam
phlet of fifty four pages. This Report is
written by Dr. Lord, the President of the
College, and besides arguing the impropriety
and inCxpedicncy of Grcrting the specific
funds referred to above, to the purposes sug-
gcstcd by the Mcmorialis;s discusses, az length,
the supposed utility Of system of prizes and
scholarship distinctions, as incentives to
young men in n course of Collegiate Educa-
ton. The points assumed as the basis of
the argument against such u system are
l. THAT a College is public institution
designed and incorporated to qualify young
men for leaders of the Church and State"
>. That the requisite qualifications forsuch
leadership are knowledge, Wisdom, and Vir-
tue"
3. "That these qualifications are yoluless
in separation from each other, and are then
likely to be injurious in proportion to the de-
gree Of culture knowledge without wisdom
is insane and mischicvous and both without
virtue serve only to give greater energy and
efficiency to those destructive elements which (
are common both to individuals and Society," |
4. THAT the organization and discipline !
of n College, constitutes its order; and fits
guardians are under obligation to perfect and |
preserve this necessary order, agrceably to
The highest standards kRo,cn among men,"
8. That the ultimate standard binding on
all Christiau educators is the Scripture"