The Russellville Democrat., 1883-03-29

THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
Some Facts and Figures Rela-
tive Thereto.

tive IHeretO.
Editor Democrat:
In your last issue one OF your cor
respondents makes some erroneous
statements, pertaining TO our State
University; and in order to correct
these errors | wish to submit few
facts. / have just received a letter
from Gen. ID. II. Hill, president Of
the college. In speaking of the co.
rollment of students. and other mat
tiers touching the school, he says:
"The enrolment this year is 1856,
this is just 100 more thar i. S7777--S,
the first year came here. There
hes been an enlarg cement of the cur
riculum, and two years or study I'd
ded to it. The "a class Of to-day
is the Freshman OF 1877, and the
Sub Freshman of to day is the Soph
omore OF 1877.
The Sub Freshman this year nun
bers 46. The "A" class numbers
I25. In comparison with 1877 we
then have 24l collegiates now to 80
then.
In regard to the aid given by he
college professors TO the prepars DRY
department, ] would say that Pre-.
Gates gives his whole time to the
preparatory department. Profs.
Lane and Edmiston also aid below.
Prof. Lane has his chief work below.
Prof. Edmlston takes tue classes as
they are sent to him. So ] may say
does Col. Gray almost habitually
when needed.
! have taken preparatory class
myself for two weeks at time. All
the college professors hold them
selves ready to aid below when
called upon.
/ presume that at least nine-tenths
of our students are sons of farmers.
] infer this from what / have acct
dentally learned of I. oir previous
life.n
In addition to the above will say
there are five instructors, not men
toned by Gen. Hill, who devote their
entire time to the preparatory de
| partment.
For four years / was an eye wit
ness to the management of this Uni
versity, and during this time there
was strict discipline and effective
work. The college professors de-
voted much of their time to the in
struction of preparatory classes.
When the president himself Is re
quired to instruct both collegiate
and preparatory classes it is pre-
sumable, at least, that the professors
of the institution have sufficient
work to occupy their time. In res
ponse to the charge that the profess
ors Of this University receive high
salaries we would say that several OF
them receive smaller remuneration
for their services than many profess
ors in our high schools.
| 1t is asserted that the students OF
the Arkansas Industrial University
are counted 81, 2, 3 or times" in
order to make the enrolment appear
larger. Certainly, some of the stu
dents are enrolled in more than one
department; but when these are
counted twice, the catalogue SO
states; and the secretary in making
out his report deducts this number
from the whole number counted,
leaving as a result the true number
Of students actually enrolled.
1t has been intimated that there
are too many professors in the Uni
versity; to this we respond that in
an institution like the State Univer-
sity, where there Is room for every
class; where classes are reciting
every hour, and where all the sci
ences are taught, there is really a
necessity for a greater number of
professors, in proportion to the num-
Der of students, than we have III our
common schools; but by making the
calculation ysu will find that the
professors in the State University
have about twenty five students
each.
The Arkansas Industrial Univer-
sity, with its efficient faculty, will
compare favorably with Vanderbuilt;
or with any University of the West.
1t has already attracted students
from thirteen states and territories.
At it from fifteen hundred to Two
thousand young ladies and gentle
men have received istruction. The
great majority of these were students
of limited means; many of them were
poor, and by far the larger proper
ton of the entire number received
their tuition free. Eighteen of these
students were from Pope county.
No one who is far enough advsnc-
ed to enter the Freshman class, is
required to pay tuition.
The Missouri Legislature but re-
Gently voted an appropriation Of
100000 dollars to extend their
State University. The people OF
other states will judge us by our in
tellectual fruits; and especially will
they measure our love of learning
by the way in which we support our
State University.
The most enlightened countries of
Europe have their great colleges;
the United States has her military
and naval accadmies; almost every
state of this Union has its state uni
versity; and it is certainly unwise
for any Of our citizens to aid in OPP
- .ts.s~ Al