Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-03-01
Joseph Cook on College Rank.


1t is a common and Just complaint that
professional training in our century is too
often one-siden and narrow. Specialists all
men must be who succeed, but they who
succeed best will be specialists and more
Much of our education builds an arc, and not
the whole circumference, OF culture. Only
whole wheels wilt roll Wherever We leave
out an arc in our culture there is likely. as
the wheel rolls. to be halt some day. II
great university thinks it may be wholly
secular, and teach nothing concerning re-
ligious truth, ignoring the loftiest faculties in
man, then | say that university Is not build
ing circles of culture but rockers. This age
is a babe that goes in cradle on wheels. and
no longer in one on rockers.
Except the large culture of the higher
powers of the soul, there is nothing we need
more to insist upon as q remedy for skeptl-
cism than SOUND scholarship. If students do
not care to compete with each other from
motives of ambition, let them, from the love
of usefulness, put themselves on the list OF
those who, by successful competition in col
lege, have given prophecy of their success
IN the competition of subsequent life. Ma
cauley said once that the general rule, be-
yond all doubt was that the men who are
first in the competition of the schools have
been first in the competition of the world.
Who are some of the men now in public
life in America whose college rank has been
a prophecy OF their success in life? l under
take to affirm that the upper quarter OF a col
lege class furnishes more men of eminence
and high usefulness than the lower three
quarters taken together. beg the pardon
of every one here who, on account of i'll
health, or from any other cause, may have
dropped behind in the competitions of uni
versity course There are illustrious excep-
l.. l. ell Eal, fI..t rst
quarter, no doubt were geniuses who cannot
be brilliant in every particular l believe that
Mr. Emerson and Mr.. Hawthorne did not
lead their classes in scholarship, although
Mr. Emerson was class poet, and Hawthorne
particularly requested his faculty that he
might not receive part at commencement.
But of the graduates of Harvard between
1900 and 1850, who have obtained renown,
how many ranked in the first quarter of the
class to which they belonged Four-tfths
The first twenty have usually furnished moro
men of distinction than the lower eighty IN
any one hundred of college graduates. EX-
aiming statistics which have recently been
collected very psinstakingly by Mr.. Twingh,
| find that among those now eminent in
America, President Noolsey in 1920 took the
first honors of his year President Eliot in
1853 was one of the first scholars of his class
President Porter in 1881 had the third rank
President Seelye in 1853 had one OF the very
first places. President Smith. late OF Dart
mouth, took in 1880, the third rank Presi-
dent Barnard in 1928 had the recond rank.
President Walker in 1914 was lea1ing schol-
ar of his class President FELTON,, in 1927,
was graduated with high distinction. Presi-
dent Hill. in 1913, was the second scholar in
his class at Cambridge. Professor Bowen,
who leads now the philosophical department
at Cambridge was the first scholar of his
class in 1898 Professor PIERCE, in 1924. ex-
celled his classmates as much in the knowl-
edge of mathematics ss he does now his fell
low professors Professor Dana, in 1888,
was the fourth scholar in his class. Leonard
Bacon in 1920, was the fourth. Professor
Tyler of Amherst College, In 1880, was only
one-half of one per cent. behind that scholar
who afterwards became known to the world
as Professor Hackett, and whose rank at
Amherst, in $780, was 974 per cent for the
whole course 1t is well understood that
there is no infalibility In college marks.
Who knows which was the better scholar
TYLER or Hackett They were both excellent
scholars, and have been very distinguished
men. The little differences between the
ranks are not insisted on in forming college
estimates. Something, however, must be
taken as the rule by which to rank men, if
you appoint the parts according to the rank
ing list, and so much an apparent injustice
may occur as here. But the general rule
stands. nevertheless, that the upper quarter
furnishes as many distinguished men as the
lower three-quarters.