New-York tribune., 1886-03-20
YALHS GRoWTH IND CONDITION.

PROFESSOR FISHER TALKS TO THE NEW-Yopv
| ALUMNf-NEEDs OF THE COLLEGE.
The Yale Alumni Association held one Of II,
social meetings last night nj the University trnh
Theatre. Chauncey ". Depew had been called ON, q,
town ana Isaac L. Poet presided. About scventy.sro
were present, among them T. c. stodman DWo,
Collier, Thomas c. Sloane and Edward r. Brown Afe,
some resolutions recently adopted at a mass meeting .
Yale students setting forth the need OF
gymnasium, had been read P Oossor George r. flshe,
of the Yale Theological School, was introduced Us
spoke The Growth and Condition OF Yale" in part a.
follows:
"Trty years ago tho demand for the study OF uodern
literature and natural science made necessary vas,
expansion in the college curriculum and 10 oon necop
with that demand the system Of opoDas arose In our
sister university M Cambridge that system has beo
carried ont logically TO it's fullest extent The Yale
Faculty always felt, however. that too great an ex
tension OF oponas would result I'm too great Specialize
ton. The man makes the head OF Iiu yol know
is less OF than ths who makes the whole oil
And the Is the with both industry and &C ture
without gymnasium drill think it futile to give A
college student his choice entire and the very start
During the first two years studies are prescribed
and pursued in cor0mOn by all the members OF the
classes Daring the junior ana seaiOr years the most
OF the courses are optional siigBt restriction only
being put the student by the arrangement OF groups
"One great advantage Of present system Is that 1t
social forces OF the class system Many people seem TO
think that at Yale close eyes and follow tho
traditional system of the older days but our present
curriculum IS the object Of constant Thought and careful
consider aton and IS improving every year The char
aoerisc point Is the endoavor TO preserve the gym
nasia feeling, the integrity OF classes and the com
munity OF studies OF tine old American college. Our
modern college is IA compound oi gymnasium and uni
yersity. Thirty years the professional schools
langulshing and the academic department alone -four
ishipg. We used to say you know, that the Medical
school was on It's way to the FRA regard Tho Law
school the way to the jail aDd Tue Divinity school
the way to the pOOrhO1se as, indeed, geographically
they were But soon the Silsbee School OF Fine Arts
was founded and then the Sheffield Scientific school.
The Law School and the TheoOg cal gschOOi were re-
vived, the PEABODY Museum bnlt anu now Wtoh look
back the progress seems almost amazing. Iho acalelh
cal department besides has cone ~ for large sdro O
this progress We distinctly repndlate the teS oi hun
bers. Twenty five years ago princeton ana 'o'umOa
reused themselves from ha dormant sta 20 caeef
tonnded i'm the West and the University OF Virginia ha,
gradually drawn away our southern stltuency III
wonder that Yale has not grown largely lh hOnbcss
IN recent years Ahou' th'"H, @ ~, las @ @"ii,eh
hun lredS Of uen FROM Yale. mean tho expense
living New Haven; not tine expense OI legilmite
tuition, pat that OF societies OF sportr ana o social
life. A college should no a Place Oi pldlu Hilus and
high thinking and those who hOd that Wow send their
10 Amherst, Williams and other smaller places.
Yet the falling of Is not 50 great rs many suppose.
Taking together the freshmen this year IN the COLLEGE
proper ana Ia Tue seIeHtlic schoL we n'Ne % Ce-
ccntly approaching the freshman Glass at Harvard
WITH regard 10 oranges ~ an Oid ,li cJlP-e you
cannot m .:a great aud summary change. any doc.
trnalre theory whatever They must come only with
the exgency and reasonably, 1 know something about
colleges aud abroad and tHnk the governing body
OF every great university shOld be It, resident teachers.
Practically. however tue corporation DO constituted the
re deEt teachers will govern and ought to g":crn Ts
great problem at Yale the next twenty will 10
To give tho character OF university 10 the institution,
and TO gather together It's forces tor the PROMOTION ot
higher university culture can great progress aud
great nope In the college Many or it, worst habits
have fallen into 'mnOcuOus drsuetudr. lLaught-t.i
There cheerful buOyaA feene lor II, luture ooth ID
,i,.. "a nd
Yale a. an American university sua not regain That
illu,trOu- position when she hell UntIspucd tuHty
wears agO a. an American college" Applause.
hrcf discussion followed Professor Fishers speech
she'd omen r+fre,nments were served college
we're sng aud the brilliant future "f Yale pctured Dy
tue learned professor was celebrated Win becoming
uilgritV.