The Portland daily press., 1886-06-08
Admission to College.
PORTLAND, June 7, 1886.

PORTLAND, June Z, 1886.
To the Editor of the Press:
In the interest of fair play 1 would ask
you to republish the following letter written
by Prof. Little of Bowdoin College, in reply
to attacks similar to that of 'B' in today's
PRESS. 1t seems to me that nothing else can
so clearly expose "B's" unfairness and spite
as this plain statement of facts.
YouEs, E. F. HOLDEN.
| To the Editors of the Leaviston Journal:
AS correspondent in your issue Of the
| 25th has given an erroneous impression in
| regard to the action OF the President and
| Faculty of Bowdoin College in the matter of
| a special student who is member of the
base ball nine, ask permission to make the
| following statement of the facts. AS Is the
custom at most New England colleges, not
ably at Harvard and Amherst, our courses
of study are open to persons VINO satisfy the
Faculty of their fitness to pursue the par
ticular courses they elect, although they
have not passed the usual examination Tor
admission to college. Such persons are
known as special students and are members
of the college, but not candidates Tor de-
gree" In accordance with this practlce
hardly year has passed without one ore
more special students pursuing their StudleS
in the same classes with undergraduates,
with great advantage to themselves In the
majority of cases and with no apparent in
jury to others. Early in the present season
application for admittance as special
student was made in behalf OF Mr.. Soule.
After assurances from a source that could not
be questioned, of his fitness to pursue the two
studies he had selected, the request was
granted. 1t was not understood by the
Faculty, as your correspondent seems to
state, that his purpose was merely to play
ball and that he was to be paid for his ser
vices.
On Monday, May TO- the record OF the class
in history showed that he had been absent
six times, twice by permission and four times
without excuse. Accordingly, that day Prof
Smith stopped a student after recitation and
inquired into the reason of Soule's absences
Finding that there was no good reason he re-
ported the case to the Faculty at their regu-
lar meeting that afternoon, and the President
was requested to notify Soule that his record
was not satisfactory and that he must attend
to his college duties or be dropped, and the
notice was promptly given.
This was before the first game with Colby,
and consequently before any protest or COM
initial to referees had been made. The fac
ulty acted in the matter as soon as 1t began
to appear to them that Soule might not be In
earnest in what they at his admission under
stood to be his genuine wish to study, ana
their action was guided by their invariable
rule to give student fair notice and ample
time for amendment before Severing his con-
nection with the college
Allow me to suggest that the trouble in this
case arises primarily from the fact that 'Spe-
cial Students" are permitted to play on col
lege mines.
The connection of such students with any
college is, from the nature of the case, slight
and easily taken up, and thus offers to college
students strong temptation to secure per
son mainly for his proficiency in athletics.
That other students than those of BOwdOin
yielded to this temptation in this particular
case was abundantly shown by letters pro-
duced before the referees, but of which your
correspondent makes no mention.
Respectfully,
GEORGE 7. LITTLE.