The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-10

Most Of the college commencements take
place between the middle and the end Of this
month. from the 18th to the Both, aud the
examinations arc now CLOSING preparatory
to the winding up Of the college year. Be-
fore July comes, therefore We shall have
turned out on societya great host of ncwly
ilcdgcd Bachelors VI Arts. who will have the
opportunity OF justifying what their sheep
skins say OF them. There will also be n
fresh crop of Doctors Of Laws and Doctors
OF Divinity, whose learning in most cases
will, OF course, be an amusing fiction Of their
diplomas. But how could We keep up all
our colleges il they did not thus crafty the
vanity OF men? There is nothing in the
Constitution To prevent schoolmastcrs and
trustees, banded together in what they call
II college, from writing as many capital let
tcrs a. they please after the names Of their
friends and patrons.
One of the most notable things IN the de-
veiupmcnt OF our system Of college educa-
ton is that while the number OF colleges has
greatly increased, the less than half dozen
leading universities the only schools which
are really entitled to such name. have
simultaneously swcllcd the numbers If their
least. Of them has become large enough TO
be troublesome Harvard now enters classes
exceeding two hundred in number and they
are steadily getting more numerous while
Yale, with preparatory examination less
rigorous, Is also admitting more young men
than ever before. The growth Of Harvard has
been SO great within the last quarter Of
century that the number Of its living alumni
has been increased TO a heavy total. and such
an increase means the further and steadily
progressive enlargement OF the classes; for
Harvard graduates, where they are able,
are pretty sure to send their sons, II they
send them to college at all, To the alma
mater OF which they have SO proud and
tender memory. The ball thus goes on
growing in magnitude at rapidly incrcas-
ing rate. What an enormous college, there
fore, must be the ancient univcrsityof which
JOIN HARVARD was the first benciactor. and
to which he gave his name when the next
century opens!
1t is probably his forecast Of this almost
incvitase growth which is stimulating
President ELIOT, who is Il young and enter
prsing man, TO the untring efforts he Is
making to get money for the college from
/
use which hamper 50 many of the existing
cndowments. lie furesces the speedy COM
ing Of Tbs d9yMhRtRe 6BaSmnnqtvvGoHs s Htg'.
dents TO be governed and instructed
Already there are complaints that the Young
men are running wild, and that each Is So
small an atom Of the college world that he
pursues his way almost unnoticed. The
classes, Too, are so large that the members
separate into cliques which are Indifferent
or even hostile To each other. and the chief
professors have personally next TO no inter.
course with the students This great and
growing company Of pupils in each elias.
makes necessary the steady enlargement of
the machinery Of instruction, so that now
tHe professors tutors, and body OF teachers
generally are alone greater in numbers than
1he total OF teachers and pupils in the
majority OF the so-called colleges of the
country.
Is not therefore, the time approaching
when this great university will need To be
divided into number Of colleges. after the
plan OF Oxford or Cambridge in England
and all held together under common poy-
eminent? Then, instead Of Harvard COL
lcge, we should know Harvard or Cam
bridge University, with Massachusetts Coll
lege' Halworthy College, Stoughton College.
Hollis College, and other subordinate in
stitutions, each distinguished in its way.
and each drawing its proportional students !
according TO their varying tastes for study (
or ior companionship But there is plentv /
OF time to think about this, and meanwhile /
harvard men will find reason for pride I'm
the rapid increase of the college community !
at Cambridge