New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-07
CHANGES AT COLUMBIA.
PROFESSORS TO COME AND TO GO.
THE LAW SCHOOL TO RECEIVE NEW STRENGTH

The LA" sCHOOL TO RECEIVE NEW STRENGTH
"A DA COSTA LABORATORY or BIOLOGY.
The trustees Of Columbia College held a largely a.
tended and important meeting In Hamilton Hall ves
terday afternoon Hamilton Fish presided. and amons
Others present were the Rev. DR.. Morgan Dix stephen
r. Nash. President Low, W. G. schermcrhorn DR.
George L. Peabody Bishop Potter, the Rev. Dr. Mar,
win r. Vincent, Cornelius Vanderbilt Dr. George
Wheelock and John b. Pine, who acted as clerk
Three new professors Of law elected 30 take the
place Of Warden Dwight and Professors Chase ana
Petty whose designations accepted at the preySou,
meeting and new professorshp Of international law
was created. The new professors are Francis M.
Burdick, George w. Kirchwey and George Miller Cum.
ming
Professor Burdick graduated from Hamilton
College in 1869. In 1872 he was graduated from the
Hamilton Law School and began the practice Of law
in Utica In 1882 he was elected Mayor Of that
city, and afterward accepted professorship of
law in Hamilton College. Upon the organization OF
the Cornell Law School in 1887 he became and has
since continued to be member Of its faculty Pro-
fessor Kirchwey, graduate Of Yale. has been en-.
gagged in law practice in Albany In 1850 he was
elected dean Of the Albany Law School Professor
Cumming was graduated from Harvard in 1876. and
was admitted 10 the bar in 1881. Since then he has
been employed as an attorney for number Of Western
railroads
John Bassett Moore who has been elected to
I'LL the newly created chair OF international law Is
graduate Of the University Of Virginia. In August
1885, he commissioned Third Assistant Secretary
OF State, and this place he has ever since held.
The trustees determined to the bequest Of 800.
600 from the late Charles NJ Da Costa the foundation
for department Of biology. 1t is proposed to erect
biological laboratory, to be known as the Da Costa
Laboratory OF Biology. This VIII be erected. at the
request Of the medical faculty, the land brought
to the college through the union with the College Of
Physicians and Surgeons 1t is also proposed that the
head Of the department shall be known the Da Costa
Professor of Biology. The department. when fully
organized will be the connecting link between the
Medical School and the scientific and philosophical
work Of the other parts Of the university.
petition sent TO the trustees by the students OF the
Law school, asking that the degree Of L. b. be con-
frred at the end Of the second year. instead OF at tho
third year, was referred 10 the Committee on Law
School This committee consists Of stephen p Nash,
United States District-Attorney Mitchell, Samuel
Blatchford Justice Of the Supreme Court; George l.
Rives and John Pine
Permission was given to Professor Thomas r. Price,
the senior professor of the department of the English
language and literature, to take years leave Of
absence from the college. In his place, Brander
Matthews Will deliver three OF lectures Eng
lish VersifcaGon," Humorous Drama and !" Prose
Fiction in the Nineteenth Century, and Edmund c.
Stedman will deliver course Of lectures on English
Poetry
The resignation Of Professor Charles sprague Smith.
who for the last ten years has occupied the chair
of modern languages and literature accepted. 1t
Is understood that hereafter Professor Smith will de-
vote himself to ecturng and writing on the subjects
which he has made special study during his conDec-
ton with Columbia. Professor Smith received his
college education at Amherst where he was graduated
In 1874, and afterward devoted year to graduate
studies under Professor j. W. Burgess the present head
NJ tba ia Of
1873 he went to Europe with the pur-
pose of studying languages and literature.
There he remained nearly five years, first in Ger
many, then In France, Switzerland, Italy and spain
The last part OF his stay was ut oxford, where ne
studied Anglo-Saxon under Professor Earl, and the
Scandinavian languages, especially Old Morse, under
DR.. visfusson, who until his untmely death was
considered the greatest authority those languages
On leaving oxford, Professor Smith received hatter
ing certificate stating that no one OF his age had ac
compished so much he had done in his chosen field
of languages and literature.
Before returning to the United States he visited
Denmark and Sweden, and shortly after reaching
America in June, 1880, he was appointed Instructor
in IceandIc and Danish by the trustees Of Columbia
College, with the understanding that he devote him.
self wholly TO graduate studies. He was thus enabled
to offer the first course Icelandc on the programme
of American college.
A few months afterward he received an offer, in
Gebhard Professorship of German Just made vacant
by the resignation OF Professor Schmidt. The offer
was at first declined by him likely to interfere with
the prosecution of his studies in comparative literature
But he afterward prevailed upon 20 reconsider ms
determination and he accepted the place In order 10
build up in Columbia College strong and well
grounded department of Modern Languages and Ltera
ture The plans which he submitted We're apprs8ysd i
whom Professor sprague smith always received EYED inc
was in 1882 appointed professor OF Modern Languages
and Literature. He undertook the heaviest part OK
the work, giving courses himself in French, ltaiah'
lie was one Of the first to feel that the great work
that Lay before Columbia College might be hampeTei
OF President Barnard, he devoted great deal OF ms
time and energy to the task OF creating an nelgent
sympathy for Columbia on the part OF the PUZZLE 6 WIN
ing university. Unfortunately slight accident WHICH
he met with in the course of the year. and the heavy
work he had been performing for several years oOug
about long and painful nervous proStration ana
Professor Smith compelled TO give up all work Tor
In the spring of 1885 he returned to college. Tho
development OF his plans had, OF course, suffered u
great deal by his absence but he had oppor-
UNITY TO show that he had lost nothing Of his enthus
for the comparative study of literature, ana tha
he had carefully matured his views on tne s9pjee' 60. o
Phi Beta Kappa Society, and the ordlOh NC thel NC
lvercd was alterwad printed for the members OF the
society and reprinted in Boston In 1890 the trustees
of Columbia College determined 30 divide the depart
ment Of Modern Languages into two. Professor slnsh
being put at the head OF the department OF Romance
Language But his chief interest remained win the
study Of the scandinavian language ana OF compare
tive literature, to which 1t is now UNDERSTOOD Tic III
Professor Sprague smith has been called several
times TO lecture upon these subjects before c2ege ana
universities; among them Harvard, Brown University,
An herst Wellesley and Smith, lie has also addressed
ON various occasions the American Geographical soc
ety. the Historical Society OF this city, and other SINH
lar associations, describing his travels through the
Orkney and shetland Islands, Iceland and other regions
outside Of the beaten paths OF travel