New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-05
CONSOLIDATING COLLEGES.

|
DISCUSSION BY WELL-KNOWN SCHOLARS.
WHAT pr. wAsnBURN, DIR. CROSBY AND PROFESSOR
SHORT THINK OF SMALL COLLEGES AND LARGE
| UNIVERSITIES.
| The Phi Beta Kappa Alumni i'll New iork
held their first reunion for at Delmohlcos last
evening Among large aud representative company
present were the Hon. Stewart L. WO0dforh' preSeht
OF the associations; General Alexander ,. Wepn' Woo
president: the Rev DR.. Howard Crosby the Rev Dr. f.
A. Washburn Professor Charles short OF Columbia COZ
icge Dr. A. b. Ball. tne Rev. Arthur Brooks General b.
T. Foster and Austin Abbott. lively discu''ion' an
hopr and a half long, preceded the collation. and tho SO
cial part Of the entertainment.
DR. Washbnn opened with pauer the feasibility OF
consolidating the smaller colleges into great UNIVERSE
ties the theme previously chosen. He said he found on
looking over the company FOR grey heads tnat he was
something of patriarch among them, and hoped what
he sbond say would be received the dying whisper OF
an old collegin. lie should not present an elaborate
argument but endcavor to treat the subject IN Snch
a WAY a. to elicit discussion and not to exhaust IT, or MS
hearers think said he, that the end to be gained by
discussions Of this kind ought 10 b. the university ana
the aim 10 stop the Increase OF flc large number OF small
and rival colleges Consolidation suggests Itself AZ the
most natural means. law OF growth governed
the collegiate system. oxford and Cambridge had
their beginnings in the church. OR forefathers
forming the conceptions, sought 10 use learning as
the handmad OF theology. To the zeal aud generosity
Of were due the colleges OF America But
however beneficial the denomuational influence was at
end a. has ended. in dwarhng he character
Of the college itself The church colleges 81 England have
Kept down the grow o science. Den0mnaona zeal has
so scattered the wealth IL devote To educational pur
poses that ch college is crippled, aud there not one
truly National or even State university while we are
using every means force the growth Of the common
schools. In Massachusetts Harvard at one end
OF the state and Amherst and Williams Colleges the
other In Connecticut there is Old Yale in Sewiayen,
and Trinity College at Hartford These conditions do not
meet the needs OF modern culture.
Consolidation may be the rcadicst mode OF cure added
Dr. washburn but ti matter to join insiitu-
lions founded IN the denominatonul spirit When the
ue slope OF old Trinity sold to The city OF Hartford,
II was ny thought that if the college could be moved to
Ncw-Ilaven and made part Of YALE keeping at the
same time its autonomy as an Episcopal col
ege, it would be better Tor both Institutions
There were legal obstacles, perhaps Out The trustees
were against the project interpreted surrender of
the Episcopal Church to Etw-Engand Congregational
ism. And they concluded to build qua Triangle IN the
Oxford style ana to ii the few books and the few
Students. Amherst will not H. down with Harvard
when Dr. Bushnell suggested that they should anticipate
the lion ald the lamb it asked, Which Is the Lion
and which the lamb ?" don't believe the cOnsoda-
ton will be soon effected. There viii be
struggle among the small colleges and survival OF the
fttest The expiring each State viii be drawn to
a college ike Harvard. Yale, COLUMBIA or Princeton or
narrow seetaran spirit there thO5, wac urge as II
objection the nonreous character which must pertaI
to suca Il consolidated university. For my art shall
regret any shallow which should give us one
sided skcotcisn thin that all hndlanccs ana OBJ
jeclons and Will bc met d. wise ana peTseVeFInE
Professor Charles short doubtcd the feasibility Of con
solddtng mny colleges. Oi th' 81" colleges ol tIe
country OcIyinS the seventy Roman tAiholic colleges
out fhc question: all Bat forly-So owed their origin
10 dcnoninatona Influences lie cted INC act thdt 81
Elfd College, with an extraordinary ehdJW Aeh was DO
ing the ordinary work OF high school. lie said
thI religion was cVcuncd from iis NUS ana ClrfsSnrn
1mitc WtHih tine gtouuds but he dit not sig
failure OF tne institution to take rank according
10 s wealth followed - natural aequrnGe nom nay
exclusion, leaving II, pcrHapelo ne lhericd' IL lHSnt
sDlil1ted with M0diebury CHile-t. ana Mh.idus WIN
Harvard. and yel IA thr University "a Burlington ahd
Williams College bad b.. -ttr claims 10 ut regarded a- seats
OF puil0sopa.c thought thIn either Harvard or 1ae
BOwdoip College. "iich, with dartmouth II woMd be
sad, ought To- be merged 10 Harvard, mad educated
i,i srors u isi,y 4 m. W,sf owed NOS tuaa
mere consolidation WIS GlYi, bio 10 hdch "A
STATE rs OaIo. which had tweny-line colleges. " Bald
VII University" sand hc, (which / mention not 70
GsiW&S, 10, nus out oI ilty tduSIlcfI' Iclem -et
wl,n was III OHIO, had q gradul,iHs class 81 three
Led r, aud -cuten,s. JUNIOR class 90 one lady and
three gentlemen sophomore class Of two lanes ana
enc Or ahHan class mink consolidation there would
be- % capital thing lGrr,t iaugnterl
Cdanctiiof CROSBY said' Nv '"u IMPRESSION j. that u
National Iuiyers'fy would De national calamity. IL
wauid very iuVcfrct4y DO what bow is done by local
colleges ~ a. uH"-c TO p'a' university before society
demands IT, Colleges ave natural growth.
Religious ideas llSltItd tue on hiilFtl.tit-. 10
tues, modern times the republican idea which
demands me education OF the whole reoyle
pac,s the college. among tIr people" llo thought de-
noinduOsl schools were necessary and that 70 folly
10 t,ac general tacooJ, or ai thcoogos IN secular
COLLEGES, which must devote thcloCiycs TO te scientific
side O education. Any attempt 90 separate pA0- ,Phb
ami theology would utterly iail. Protestant roman
Catholic Hebrew SCHOOLS we've Necessary tOkeCp awe
pml0sOphc thought IL WAS useless to attempt to mi
tate Europe. Tho German university system wOud
never be suitable 10 America. Young men, he believed
should be educated mean hUne aHd under home Influences
without when The mOrds OF the students could not be
cultivated.
Toe Rev. WB. Richmond followed and supported the
views advanced by Dr. WIshburn with facts and sta
tigtlcs.