The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-31
PROFESSORS STEPPING OUT
BECAUSE THE TRUSTEES THOUGHT
THEM BEHIND The AGE.
The College Of the city OF New York seekins
60 Improve its Fseuity By Eieetins Men
who will Keep Order In the Class Reons.

When William Wood LID, President OF
the Board OF Trustees OF the College OF the City
OF New York. called that body to order yester-
day afternoon. khere was q look OF expecta-
tIon on many faces. and IL was whispered about
the room that something startling was TO be
communicated concerning certain OF the pro-
fessors connected with the institution.
Every trustee was In his seat. excepting
Trustee Vermilye. necessarily absent on sc-
count OF sickness. The meeting was one called
especially to consider the action Of the
Executive Committee OF tho Board but
when. preliminaries being over. the clerk was
about TO read tho report OF that Committee.
Trustee Wheeler moved that the reading Of tho
report DO omitted. This occasioned some sur
prise. and II was asked how tho Board was to
know what the Committee had done. unless the
report OF their doinRs was read. Trustee
Wheeler explained that certain actions OF the
trustees as embodied In the report had been
modified by certain actions Of certain other par
ties whom the Committee wished to shield.
There was more talk OF this kind. but those
who didn't want the report read convinced for
tho time the other trustees that perhaps 1t was
Just as we'll not to read the report Of the Exocu-
tive Committee.
A minute later the clerk began TO read long
list OF nominations Of candidates for the profess
sorships OF Crock. Philosophy. and Mathe-
matIcs. This brought Trustee GouldinR TO his
feet He wanted to know why the Board was
receiving nominations for chairs in which there
were no vacancies.
Trustee Watson tried to explain that the oc-
cupants OF these chairs had resigned. Their
rcsignatons were about TO be read. He. as n
member Of the Executive Committee. hoped the
Board would not demand full report OF tho
Committee on this point II the Board knew all
the circumstances. II wouldn't want to know
cerned that the matter be allowed TO rest.
This did not satisfy Trustee GouldinG. He
wanted TO know trhV tho professors had re-
had been forced upon thom by tho Executive
Committee Had the Executive Committee done
something 1t was ashamed of
Do YOU ask that question Ms friend OF these
mon 2" Trustee Watson asked.
Trustee Gouldng replied that he asked the
OF tho College OF the City Of New York. and as
the representative In that Board Of a certain
num6er OF tho taxpayers OF fhe city. ~
cussion. resulting In ordinations OF Read the
report. Let the whole thing be made public
and the like. The clerk then proceeded to read
the report. but when he came to a communica-
ton Of the ub-committee OF the Executive
Committee. Trustee Wheeler asked that that DO
omitted. II was evidently tho Interesting part
OF the report. and Trustees Goulding. West and
others wanted to know all about IL. but they
didn't succeed Just then.
The clerk thon read the names OF candidates
to fill tho three chairs named that had hereto
lore been occupied PcSEaC, bE PEois Huntsman
OF Moral and Intellectual Philosophy the name
OF Edward A. snifIen was proposed; for the
Crock Language and Literature Austin Stick
ney. Then the clerk read the res eslgnations OF
dated Dec. a. and OF jesse A. Spencer. Profess
sor OF Greek, dated Dec. 80 The next impor-
ignt suggestion IN tho report was that Profs
narttt
Professors Tor one year. with salaries of ~, 900
each.
tiont and stronger desire to know was
manifested, IL could not be overlooked, und
arose and asked permission TO make a few re-
marks The Executive Committee, he said. in
their Investigations, had ascertainod that in tho
thirty years since the foundation OF the college
II had fallen into rut. While new methods OF
teaching had been employed. and progress
had been made in many directions. tho col
lego had gone on IN tho same old way. II was
behind the nge. The world didn't stop Coll
leges sometimes did. Ho didn't censure any
one. but tho interests OF the college demanded
n change In some OF the departments Tho
committee made no specific charges OF bad
character or misconduct against any one. but il
seemed best that some OF the professors should
The college could not bo charity hospital.
and men should not be kept In prOicssOrial
chairs who ought to be replaced by younger
and better men. The present incumbents were
not 10 Yarate their chairs until September next.
and II was the recommendation OF ths Commit.
toe that they be made Emeritus Professors.
Prof Dochorty. the Mathematical Professor.
whose resignation had not yet been read, had
nt his own request. been permitted TO instruct
the junior class In calculus. and was TO
receive s1,5o0 The men whom tho committee
suggested TO succeed tho professors would help
the college BY an infusion OF new, blood and
energy. Prof. Mason, was a graduate OF the
principal OF the Yonkers High School. and the
Albany Academy, the actuarY Of the Massa-
chusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. and
M Afs MT is.0 81 A..
Pennsylvania Mutual Insurance Company. He
was competcnt teacher and mathematician.
Prof Griffln graduated at Williams In 62 and
had been tutor and Professor OF Latin in that
college; Prof. Stckney was a Harvard gradu.
ate Of the class q '52. He had been tutor and
Europe for several years. The Board all knew
that the classical department Of the college was
not what 1t should be- and It was because her
classical record WIS not good that they sought
IA professor from Harvard
Trusteo Watson Jumped up as soon as Trus-
too Wheeler sat down. He was Chairman OF
thnt sub-committee whose report had been
suppressed. He wanted to make a few remarks
and in them TO incorporate that. report. 1t was
necessary to get at the facts in tho case because
the persons anxious 10 keep their positions had
their side Of the story. The Board ought TO hear
the other side. The sub-committoc had tried
To keop their investigation secret not on their
own account. but on account Of the other per
sons, But these men had talked II all around
tho city. n,, NJ ~.
said, energeticalY and | commend them Ia
the friends of tho eX-prOfORsOrs Eight yen ~
ago lhe Board Of Trustees arrnignod four Pro-
frssors Of the College OF the CITY OF New York
as incompetent to retain order in their classes
Then was seen what we now SEQ. These Pro-
frssors dying around tho city getting petitions
In order that they might retain their
places. Tho Board wayerod. and because
there was not u majority who could with
stand them, these men were not turned out
Tho public knew and ielt that something was
wrong with the college. something rotten
The state Legislature attempted 10 neldlo with
the college. but the votes OF the people forced il
| To lot It alone. Thon It wis seen that the true
friends Of tho college must do what they could
for 1t. They must lift II up. A Subcommittee
Of the Executive Committee composed of
Trustees Kelly. Wheeler and mysoll was an.
pointed to investigate"
Trustee Watson then told the result OF the In.
vestigalon. Tho committee had found those
| four professors. who eight years ago had been
unable to keep order. stiil going ON in the same
way, their class rooms the scenes OF cOnstiO
disorder and turmoil. During perio,is of time
In which no other professors had had com.
plnlnts for disorder and disobedience these four
| men had had 40. 60. lO9. and III complaints
| and yet tho other professors taught the same
| boys. Tho Investigations showed an utter in.
| ability on their part to keep order. and 10 man
| age their departments, The boys faced them
| down. and disgraced them constantly.
| We'll" the trustee said. "wo showed the
professors the results Of our investigations
| They had not n word TO say. but they wanted
| the record suppressed They wanted TO be-
| permitted to resign, and go out into tho cold