Morning journal and courier., 1891-05-16
xALE,s NOTED PROFESSOR

Books. <. |
 At the close of the present college year in June Yale will lose one of her most pop ular instructors, as we'll as one of her most indefatigable workers, in Professor W. R. Harper, who will sever his connection here to enter the work of the University of Chi cago, of which he has been elected presi- dent. V This new university will start under the most favorable circumstances, for besides being endowed probably more richly than any similar institution in the country it has no old traditions or precedents to fol low. With all the failures of other uni versailles to look back on, with the entire educational systems of the world to select from, with the great Baptist Education so- ciety and the entire Baptist denomination back of it, with location unsurpassed and unsurpassable, and young, magnetic, progressive and untiring man as it's presi- dent, it is destined, many think, to become no doubt one of the leading and notable educational centers of this country.
 The eyes of the educated world are upon this new venture and also upon the man
 who is to guide it's destiny.
 man, born in New Concord, Muskingum
 county, Ohio, July 26, 1856. -,, He is the oldest of five children of Sam uel and Ellen B. Harper, and is of Scotch Irish ancestry. He is striking example of the value of an early start in one's life 1 work, and the steady devotion to it's inter ests. He entered the public school of his
 native town, where he prepared himself for his collegiate course. He entered Muskingum college at the age of ten and graduated at fourteen, delivering the He brew oration at commencement.
 The next three years he spent at home in private study, mastering most of the Latin and Greek literature, as well as the Roman languages
 He was fond of music and devoted his leisure to it's study, becoming leader of the local brass band and like other inter ests engaging his attention in future years, he brought it up to high stan dard and a wide popularity.
 At seventeen he entered Yale in the postgraduate department, and devoted his time under Professor w. D. Whitney
 to the study of the Indo-European Ian guages.
 Receiving the degree of Ph. D. at the age of nineteen, he at once entered on his work of teaching, accepting the position of principal of the Masonic college at Macon, Tenn.
 At the end of year he became principal of the preparatory department in Denison | university, Granville, O. It was here that
 he laid the solid foundations on which to build his future success. Becoming pro | fessing Christian he joined the Baptist | church, of which denomination he has l oi,, hooy, 1ouo1 md hnnnro1 ber. It was then that he noticed new
 method of study called "The Natural
 Method" and improving it and applying it
 to the study of language he styled it 'In- ductive," and has ever since been an ar
 dent and successful exponent of this meth cd of teaching.
 By the results of this method, and his
 own arduous, painstakingland yet compre- | hensive work, he gained name as an ex- ceptionally able teacher.
 In 1870 he was called to the Baptist
 Theological Seminary at Morgan Park, Ill , | as professor of Hebrew and the Cognate | languages. During his seven years here | he developed into man of energy and | wonderful resources.
 l In 1880 he started the Institute of
 Hebrew with twenty students, which has l developed into the American Institute of | Sacred Liturature with more than thou | sand corresponding students. In 1881 he started the Hebrew summer
 schools with twenty three students. To- day they are held in connection with al-
 most every Chautauqua assembly, besides l many independent schools under the American Institute of Sacred Literature. In 1882 he began the publication of his
 inductive text books and, associating with
 him men of ability and reputation, with
 them compiled 8 series of text books or
 various educational lines.
 Among these are Harper's Elements o1
 Hebrew, Harper's Hebrew Method and
 Manual, Harper's Elements of Hebrew
 Syntax, Harper's Hebrew Vocabularies,
 the Inductive Latin Method by Harper &
 Burgess, the Inductive Greek Method by
 Harper & Waters, the Introductory New Weidner, and recently Cwsar's Gallic
 Wars, in eight volumes, by Harper & Tol l man.
 Besides these, in 1884, he began the pub
 fishing of the Hebrew Student, which was
 succeeded soon by the Old Testa ment Stu
 dent, and later The Old and New Testa.
 ment Student, now having circulat ion ot
 more than 5000 among students and schol-
 ars throughout this country.
 He also began the publication of "He-
 braica," the only journal of it's kind | pI1uG6u III lLuSllSu, duu uofOGCu LO uu0 III terest of scholars of the highest order, two thirds of it's circulation being in England
 and in Europe.
 l In 1885 his popularity as a teacher and lecturer at the summer schools led to his | election as president of the Chautauqua College of the Liberal Arts, which position he still holds.
 l Under his leadership this institution,
 which extends the work of the c. L. s. c.
 in the higher branches of education, has
 grown until it now has about four hun l dred students enrolled.
 In 1886, he was called to Yale university
 as professor of the Semitic languages in
 the post graduate department, and in 1889
 when the Woolsley professorship of Bibli cal literature was founded he was elected to fill that chair also. Besides these two professorships he is also an instructor
 in Hebrew in the Yale divinity school. His career at Yale has been one of great
 success; he has probably done more to other man. He was the founder and is still one of the leading members of the Semitic club, at Yale, which has done
 much to promote study and research in the "dead" languages.
 His great reputation is due to his pop l ularzing Biblical study.
 Having criticised the methods of study before gathering of college men and l urged the finding of a better way, they l asked him to show them the better way, | and this led to the introduction of the in- ! ductive Bible studies which are now be-
 coming so popular in all parts of the land. | In 1889 he visited Europe as delegate | to the annual convention of the National Society of Orientalists, held in Stockholm, 1 Sweden, in August of that year. In 1889 the American Institute of Sacred Literature was organized, taking up the | work of the Institute of Hebrew and en- larging the scope of it's work. Depart ! ments in New Testament Greek, Old and ! New Testament English, Arabic, Syriac, Assyrian and English examinations were opened and have developed into large l schools of correspondents.
 Local boards have been organized in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapo- ! lis, Ann Arbor, Detroit and New Haven Winter institutes, summer schools and lec- ture courses have been held under their auspices, and great interest aroused in the study of the Bible.
 People are beginning to "search' the scriptures.
 He is an active member of the board of
 trustees of the National Y. P. S. 0. E. and has done much to encourage the growth and development of this great army of young Christian workers.
 He is a member of the National Society of Church History, of the American So- ciety of Philology, of the National .Philo- sor1f1ina1 A aaonia atiop If fha TTnifoI1 Cfo&a,