The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-25
YHE AFFAIRS OF PURDUE.
Extracts from the Retiring Report
of President f. e. White.
Discussion of the Anti-Fraternity Rule
the Consolidation Scheme, and the
Action of the Legislature.

sty, presented his retiring report to the
trustees on Wednesday. The total number
of students last year was 219. After giving
tabulated statements of the number of stu
dents during the past year, and also of the
attendance by years since the school opened,
the report says:
1t seems proper to notice. in this connection,
the charge that the antifraternity rule OF the
university has reduced the attendance OF stu
dents. 1t was stated by senator (Mr: Hilllgasl,
on the floor of the Senate, that this rule had d.
minished the attendance from 2S4 to less than
$50. The persistency with which this charge OF
loss of students has been made for three years
past is evidence that "the wish is father of the
Thought" What are the tacts9
This famous rule adopted in 1877, and the
years 1879, 1880 and 1881 are the only years In
which the fraternity agitation among the sun
dents has been a serious annoyance in the uni
versity, and, by referring to the above table, 1t
will he seen that these are the years OF largest
increase of students, eliminating in 1881,
when the total enrolment reached Zo4
1t Is further seen that the slight faIllng OH bne
next year in the academy and special schools
(there was a continued gain in the eollegel was
Standard of admission to these departments.
The truth is, that the rule in question has
doubtless caused both gain and loss OF stu
dents, some having come to Purdue because of
the existence Of the rule, and lew remained
away on account of it, The balance has been,
and will increasingly be, on the side of gain
The college which leads all the colleges in the
West in the number of students has excluded
college fraternltiea from the beginning.
1t is freely admitted that the suits brought
against the university have affected its attend
ance unfavorably. If the faculty had not been
arrested in their work and subjected to harrass
ing litigation the loss of students resulting from
the raising of the standard of admission would
doubtless have been made good by a more vigor
GUS canvas for students II is Enthusiastically true
shat If the time thought and money which have
been expended in the defense of the rightful au-
thority of the university against this wicked
assault upon IL in the courts had been
used in advertising and canvassing for
students, there would have been marked IN
crease in attendance. But it i'll becomes those
who have culpaby subjected the university to
the grieyous wrong, to charge the result 10 those
who under their fire, have herOcally upheld the
banner of college authority and maintained the
efficiency of the institution.
tied resources of the university and the impera-
tive demand for the use of all available means
in furnishing needed appliances and paying cur
rent expenses, have forbidden extensive adver-
Using, or the employment of agents to canvass
for students, whatever may be true of the pro-
prety of such canvass in State institution.
We have been obliged to rely chiefly on the dis
tribution of reports, catalogues and circulars,
and the voluntary cooperation and assistance
of the active friends of industrial education.
We have not felt justified i'll negecting the I'M
portant duties pressing upon us in organizing
the university, and demanding more than all of
our time, TO make a personal canvass for STU
dents.
THE CONSOLIDATION SCHEME
This leads me to speak of the proposed CONSOLE
dation of the Indiana University and Purdue
University by removing the former to Lafayette
The recent burning of the pricipal building Of
the State University, with its valuable museum
and library, has renewed the advocacy of this
scheme, and regret to see that a late member
of the Purdue faculty has taken leading part
init.
AS is well known, have uniformly advised
the officers aud friends of Purdue University
against any support of this measure. and this
a Of he
cause have believed the consolidation of the
two Institutions to be undesirable and unwlse,
and l see nothing in the great disaster which
has befallen the State University to change my
opinion. On the contrary, am more and more
convinced that such consolidation would he
both detrimental to the cause of liberal educa-
ton in Indiana and subversive OF the great work
OF technical education undertaken by Purdue.
have never had much confidence in the sue
sessful solution of the problem of higher indus
trial education under the shadow OF dominating
classical and professional departments, and my
confidence in the successful outcome OF such
scheme is much less than it was seven years ago.
In case has the at empt to conduct agricul-
tural and mechanical schools as departments of
State universities, with Leading literary and pro-
fessiunal departments, been fairly successful,
and in nearly every instance this attempt has
been signal failure and the fact is realized by
no more fully or more keenly than by the
discouraged and struggling men who are at the
head of Industrial departments in the land-srant
universities. letter now before me, written
by the professor of agriculture in one of the
leading State universities of the West, contains
this sentence: LAS agriculture Is only one OF
many departments here, it is of Insignificant
proportions, and many have lost all hope of our
attaining any estate worthy of the cause, but 1t
IL for me to work on"
Few and-grant universities have tried the ex-
pertinent of uniting classical, professional and
Industrial departments in the same institution
more intelheently and earnestly than the Uni
versity of Minnesota under the able direction of
President W. W. Folwell. In mis- openine ad-
dress president Of the department of higher
education, at the recent meeting OF the National
Educational Association at Saratoga, DR.. Fol-
well said
"We shall soon be obliged to follow the ex-
ample of older civilizations in respect TO indus
trial education The attempt to organize indus
trial work In connection with literary colleges
has not proved successful, and will not"
The "exampe of older civilizations thus
commended, is the organizing of industrial in
situations separate from the universities The
taking out OF the industrial departments from
the few Stare universities in which they have
been organized, and establishing them as seua-
rate industrial schools would unquestionahlv be
a great gain to THE cause of higher technical
education in the States where these institutions
exist.
Twas induced to undertake the solution of
this industrial problem in Purdue by the favora-
BILE conditions which Indiana seemed to present.
The State University, at Bloomington; the State
Normal School, at Terre Haute, and the
National Industrial College, at Lafayette,
rate board of control, was, to my
mind, the organization of higher education by
the state on right principles, and the successful
solution of the industrial college question here
seemed possible. The consolidation OF these rad
ieally distinct institutions in one university
would be hopeless surrender Of both industrial
and normal training, and the nations munificent
grant for the benefit of agriculture and the me-
chanic arts would be irretrievably lost to the in
dustria classes.
have been fully satisfied from the first. not
only that the organization of a classical depart
mentin Purdue would defeat its industrial de-
partments, but that any organic connection of
the institution with the classical colleges OF the
State would jeopardize, If not suhvert, its high
est success industrial college, and this
opinion has been generally shared by my col
leagues in the faculty and by the trustees
Hence the antfraternity rule, the severing of
all connection with the State oratorical ass0cia-
ton, and the recent dropping Of Latin from the
courses of study. These anu other like measures