The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-16
Where Should Colleges be I.ocated7

Where Should Colleges be Located?
A good many college Presidents and pro-
fessurs have lately discussed the question,
whether largo city or country town e
best adapted for the site OF . university.
30 far as historical precedente 20. there Is
much to be said on both sides. but 1t will be
found that, Is usually happens In such con-
troversies, the field OF inquiry Will be mar
rowed and Q conclusion furthered by q
definition Of terme.
In the middle ages the most distinguished
universities were those Of Paris. Bologna,
Prague, Salamanca, and Oxford. OF these
the first three were situated In large
cities; the other two in towns which, while
nominally cities. being Bishops sees. con-
tanned relatively small population. In
Germany during the latter part Of tho
eighteenth and the early part of tho nine
teeuth century. the small-town university
acquired tho greater prestige, as was nota-
bly, exemplifed In the cases OF Halle. Heidel-
berg, G6ttinRen, Jena, and TdbinRen. Since
1S4s. and more consplcuously since 1870,
a reverse tendency has been observed.
At present the leudinE universities.
whether We look to academical smincnce
or the number OF students. arc those Of Ber-
lin. Munich. and Leipsic. to which We should
perhaps add BreslAu. &c. too. In Scotland
tho universities located In the comparative
ly small cities Of Aberdeen and st. Andrews
rank decidedly behind those OF Edinburgh
and Glasgow. England has had n contrary
experience. Neither the London University
nor Trinity College. Dublin. can preteud t.
vie with the two great universities which
for centuries have d'Rnlfied the Insignificant
towns OF Oxford and Cambridge.
In our own country We have followed tho
example Of England rather than OF Scotland
for several reasons. chief Of which Is the as
cendnncy acquired by age. Harvard. Yale.
and Princeton would generally be acknowl-
edged to be tho foremost American univer.
stiles, and neither of them ia situated In a
large city. slough Now Haven eau no longer
be spoken OF as small town. VI UNIVERSE
tics located In tho midst Of great urban
populations We have no lack. There are two
In Philadelphia. there Is Johns Hopkins
Unlversity,in Baltimore. and Columbia Col.
leae In New York. We would not dis
parnge their usefulness or dispute their
claims to respect when wo say that
with tho tiroe frat named. Yct tho subordi.
nation Ut the metropolitan universities needs
to bs qualified In some particulars. The
law school connected with Columbia Col
lege has long been placed In tn" first class
and the samo thing may be said OF the med.
ical school attached t. tho University OF
Pennsylvania. Again, rs regards :hn viz.
orous prosecution " scientific r"senrc'. the
Johns Hopkins University hns shown its"l1
quito allc to cnr,s with inr older institutions
These qualifications OF the superiority
with which our snbi ban or rural univcrsi.
ties are usually credited, point ns to u help
ful defni ION Of terms. W. should distin.
guish between college proper and u veri
table university 1t may be that SINAI
town Ia better suited than \ large city FOL
the work OF tho academical department Of
Harvard, for example. the work requisite
for the degree OF Bachelor Of Arts. work, by
tho way, never done In German universities
but supposed to have been accomplished be-
forchnnd at the gymnasia. As II rule
students In the academical department OF
American institutions are considerably
younger than those in the professional
| schools. and there 10 theory that thoy can
not safely be exposed to the temptations o
large city. The theory Is not borne
| out by the experience Of Edinburgh
and Glasgow. Nor do we ourselves
consider young man much more ironclst
against such dangers at the age Of "a thar
ct the ass of 10. But Il may b. that . small
tswn y naoGs likely TO generate ~ AoA
dsmieal stmssD6sgs. 70 Invite 10 Studioui