The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-06-12
A GREAT DAY AT THE UNIVER-
SITX
Col. Wm II. s. Burgwyn's Mastery
Grafton Leads to the Establishment
of a Chair of History.

Col. sym II. S. Burgwyn's Mastery
Grafton Leads to the Establishment
of a Chair of History.
| When it was announced that our dis
tinguished fellow-townsman Col. VIM.
II. S. Burswyn, had been chosen COM
mencement orator by the joint invita-
| ton of the Philanthropic Society and
| the Alumni Association of the Univer-
! sity of North Carolina. we felt satisfied
that a better selection could not have
been made, and so expressed ourself at
| the time. a gentleman of rare nat
ural gifts and attachments, and an elo-
quent and impassioned speaker, we
recognized i'll him those qualities that
made his selection an eminently wise
and fitting one. Col. Burgwyn chose
for his subject, 1.-The Necessity of Pre-
serving the Memorials of the Past, and
of Transmitting to Posterity Just and
Impartial History of North Carolina"
| How well he handled his theme is
abundantly shown in the enthusiasm
and applause with which his speech
was received, and the further fact that
it was decided at once to establish a
Chair of History at the University, and
the promptness and alacrity with which
subscriptions were made.
Much rs Col. Burgwyn is to be fe-
dictated upon his admirable address,
which was pronounced by those who
heard it an elaborate and finished pro-
duction, its happy issue, resulting as
above stated, is a higher compliment
still. He not only talked well, but
talked to good purpose, and it's high
and noble influence will be perpetual
and lasting to the State.
The State Chronicle gives a brief sy-
nopsis of Col. Burgwyn's speech as fol-
lows:
COL. BURGwYN's ADDRESS.
Col. W. H. S. BurgWyn was next intro
duced. His address was a long and full
and careful resume of the most important
epochs in the history of the State. "The
necessity for preserving the memorials of
the pa It and OF transmitting to pOsterity
a just and impartial history of North
Carolina.' Col. Burgwyn began his ad-
dress by combating the claim made by
President Haven, that the University of
Michigan was the Oldest institution that
may rightly be termed a State institu-
ton. 1t was not until 1917 that steps
were taken to establish the University of
Michigan.
The Halifax convention in November
of 1776 declared that a university ought
to be established, and in 1889 the legis-
lature proceeded to carry out the noble
resolution of the Halifax Congress. The
claim would not have been made if the
people of North Carolina had secured an
accurate history of the State Colonel
Burgwyn then proceeded to give valu-
able account of the most interesting
events in the history OF the State.
THE NEED OF A CHAIR OF HISTORY
In an address before Cornell University
(June +, 1919 Prof. D. C. Gilman, now
President of the Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity, said, 1T will be a curious enquiry
for some philosophical writer on the in
tellectual progress of this country to as
certain what were the themes, the text
books, the methods OF instruction and
tuition which prevailed in the American
Colleges prior TO the revolution.
What sort of instruction at Cambridge
filled Saml and John Adams with their
notions OF civil liberty. What sort of
culture at New Haven brought Jonathan
Edwards to his lofty rank among the
theOlOgians OF this country and of Scot
land; what discipline at Princeton fitted
James Madison to exert such influences
upon the formation of the constitution,
and what academic drill at Columbia Col
lege made Alexander Hamilton the foun-
der of our national credit and our finan-
cal system?'
Though Columbia College claims the
honor of being the first institution to
recognize history as worthy of a PROBES
sional chair, and in 1717 appointed the
Rev John McVickar, Professor of PhilOs-
ophy, Rhetoric and Bellies Letters, who
under the broad agis of philosophical
professOrship, protected and encouraged
historic political studies, yet it was not
until 1899 that the first distinctive en-
dOwment of a Chair of History in any
American college was made. This was
done by Harvard, and it led the way to
the recognition of history, as worthy OF
an independent chair in all our higher in.
situations of learning.
In 1855 Michigan University instituted
a department of History and English Lit
erature.
Yale had no historical professorshiI
until 1865.
In 1857 Columbia College, n. Y, called
Dr. Francis Lieber from Columbia Col
lega, S. c., to its new professorship of his
tory and political science
This call of DR.. Lieber marks the first
recognition, by a Northern college. of his
= tory and politics as coordinate sciences
This combination would seem is the best
History is past politics and politics is
present history. History is primarily
the experience Of man in organizing sOci
cites. Political science is the application
. of this historical experience to the exist
ing problems OF an ever progressive sOci
ETY. History and politics are as insepa
s rable us past and present.
= Almost every institution for the higher
s education now has courses in American
history, and it is not a pleasant reflection
for us, that in a list embracing some fifty
colleges in the United States, showing tn,
principal facts relating to the study o
history in American colleges and univer
: stiles, the University OF North Carolina il
:, not mentioned.
>, THE STATE UNIVERSITY THE PLACE FOR 1T
An adequate foundation for the prose
cution of studies in American institution
D can only be made at the University. /
+ is not called for in schools below tina
= rank. History has become technica
l study and it must be pursued as such
e The tendency of the educational work O
to-day is towards SDecialiZatiOn Tech
nical instruction is the only instruction
7 that counts in this world; general infor
j. nation has little, if any, value compared
with it everything about something, no
= something about everything, is the desid
: erdtun in education. When Presiden
White, who had been President OF tn
. University of Michigan, became Presiden
It OF Cornell, he selected the chair of His
+.A..-- :. IL tLc,.o /