New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-28
GREEK IN THE COLLEGES.

,o,,,,r~,r- op mr. DRIsIER ON THE OPPONENTS OF
Tuv STUDY OF GREEK--DR CRosBY's VIEWS OF
THE BENEFITS or HELLENIC CULTURE.
An aggressive article in the January number
of The Aaantic Monthly to the effect that the STUDY Oh
Greek AS at present conducted does not produce results
MT all commensurate with the time and labor devoted 10
it, finds little favor with Dr.. Driser and Chancellor
crosby In conversation with TRIBUNE reporter the for
mer gentleman remarked on Tuesday that such atcks
had been periodical since the time Of Milton ana Locke
and that in every system Of study some nav au Oecn
discovered 1t could not be expected that the colleges
would turn out fine Greek scholars any more
than fine astronomers accomplished chemists, or thor
opchly informed biologists. IN proportion to the tine
allowed the student in the general course the results
were satisfactory. and the culture derived from the
study OF Greek was as broad and thorough
as that gained from any other study. AT Column
ba College provision was made iOr ciaSsieu
speeialties, as in the European universities. Dr.
Drsler and tutor gave instruction in Greek to the
Freshman Sophomore, aud Junior classes, THIS study
forming part of the general academic In the
other Eastern cOllegcA Under this curriculum no
change OF system could produce better results Harvard
was alone IN possessing six professors OF Greek and II
desirable results could not be obtained with such all
vantages and under the leadership of Prof Goodwin with
the assistance sOphoces might well despair
of success elsewhere AS to the abandonment OF Greek
study on account of inadequate results the present tell
dency of Eastern colleges to return to tho Old en-
fhusiasm for the classics. This was shown by the in
creased number OF students who in recent years had
TONED tie colleges which paid much attention to classical
studies Dr. Driser admitted that preparatory schools
were poor feeders and remarked that not single high
school for the thorough preparation Of students for col
lego existed in this city The average student went TO
college with vague ideas to his life pursuit. and II
would be UtOpn propose the introduction OF Greek
specially at the beginning of a college course.
Dr. Crosby said the statement that ten years after
leaving college not graduate in ten could consTue
simple sentence in Greek proved nothing. man might
remember little of Plato and less OF the datiye case yet
the benefit aecruing from his classical study woud
main even IL II could not be formulated The system at
Harvard was superior 10 that Of all other American
colleges although The Atlantic article would IMPLY that,
bayng dsosed Of the Cambridge system no more worlds
remained for the critic to conquer. All the colleges,
however, laborcd under the same disadyali-
tage. AS TO preparatory schools, no pubic
schools in the city could satisfactorily prepare
students college, and very few private schools could
10 this MANY efforts had been made to stimulate these
SCHOOLS by requiring higher standard OF amssion but
c0nSiSns Tin majority OF instances were the sole re-
snT and the grade of scholarship was not improved.
Classical studies however, gaining stronger foot
hold and the cause OF classical study at the peseut day
was receiving more ardent advocacy than ever before
Greek In the University Of the City " NewNOrk was not
studied as aspeciaity hut part of the general course,
and IN was idle 10 tnlnk of making the language a
pecalty In American colleges long as the rerDicous
haste to hurry through college prevailed.