The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-15

generally bore the brunt OF them himself
His leading questions often permitted tn
student TO answer In simple Alternatives an,
negatives He was too kindly to hu
initiate any man. and II fellow was utterl
at ses II appeared in his fatherly judgmen
to be more misfortune than fault. wha
highly stimulstive teacher he could b,
under different conditions there is nbundan
testimony ON the part OF those who speak o
him In connection with his graduate classeI
In theology and philosophy. Considering hi
comparative failure to arouse and stim ulatt
under the old-fashioned undergraduate sys.
tem-a failure OF which he must have been
conscious-many persons have expressed sur
prise that DR.. Porter should have been con.
tent to retain the system and never have
favored any radical change. 1t WAS however
part OF general academical scheme which
as whole. he heartily believed In
and supported against modern innovations.
| IL.
A year or two before his election to the pres
| idency Of Yale College. DIR. Porter wrote for
| the Ne,u EMgidnder four articles which were
subsequently published In volume. In this
| hook he laid down the principles Of collegiate
| education as he conceived 1t. 1t was a vigorous
assertion otthe conservative position as against
| the radical changes which were already In the
OF DR.. Porter for the presidency. made Yale the
| avowed cham ion OF conservatism. Just us Hnr-
ward. under President Eliot. was becoming the
champion OF the progressive party The main
lines OF Dr. Porter's position were the follow
ing: The maintenance OF Greek and Latin az
the basis OF q liberal education: the RELOCATION
Of education centring In natural science to
special schools: fixed curriculum with very
few optonals: enforced attendance on all col
lege exercises: the marking system: kind OF
paternal attitude of the faculty toward tho
studentR: and. finally. tho maintenance OF an
essentially religious character in the college.
improvement In detail he Welcomed. He
heartily favored the teaching OF the
classics In a moro literary spirit and the
bestowal OF moro attention on French and
German. But for the traditional system in its
essentials he spoke out in ringing tones.
Energetic against the so-called reformers.
sarcastic toward the New Education" he
was positively scornful when he faced the solf-
constituted Judges OF the academic OLYMPUS
the popular newspapers aud the so-called
practical" mon who sct themselves to
controyert tho wisdom of the ages. Toward
tho public" that was criticising the COLLEGES
he eyinced not an atom OF the Difference to
which Demos is accustomed. Nevertheless
the spirit OF innovation was abroad, and even
the younger graduates OF Yale were begin
ming to be infected with It. Such bugle note
OF defiance as pealed forth from the !Ne,r Eng
lander might have shaken the popularity OF
any other Professor with a part of the alumni
even though the authorities had stood by him.
But DR.. Porter held in the hearts OF all Yale
men , place from which he could not La dis
lodged By any differences OF opinion.
1t was in 1871, at the age of 80. that DR..
Porter entered upon the presidency OF his
college. His time had hitherto been devoted
to the work OF n teacher and A thinker rather
than to administrative service. and he was
now called upon TO encounter a spirit of inno
walton to which his convictions we're opnosod.
but which was to strenrthen every year. How
no met the ordeal ia recounted Inv president
Franklin Carter in this memorial.
Let us look first at the recent and wnen we
think of it, curious method of estimating the
standing OF a collage nv tho number Of ito nro-
fessors and students md its resources in
money and books md cabinets and buildjnos
Tried by such a test, what would be tn, place
of Ealliol among tho colleges of Oxford. or
of st. Johns among the colleges Of the Eng.
lish Uniyersity of Cambridge. althouph both
of these colleges have long furnished a greatly
dlsproportionate number Of the men who have
obtained high honors. Accounting. however ,or
the moment a materialistic standard for n
seat NJ fntoIlsctual training ve no,o chat NJ
the tir,o Of president porter,a ;nauonr.t;or
tbe productive fnnds of the ncodcmicoI do.
hartmann OF Yale CoIIeps le,cInding funda
nfterward treated as universitv fnnds
and moneys alreodv given for sno-
cial buildinpa NOT vet sract.,) ia VT
an,ount to $500 O0O onJ +ba totnI ,,,i,o, ior
elusive Of nnnrodnctiva raaI .atata, holoncin,
IN al, den,rtmant, combined did not oyoaaS |
81 300 600 The nnmher NJ studerts rse,o-
=, ,o,o -,
acadamicoI danartment 200 .nd IN n. rho,e
collage 755 In comnarisor with Tho vront raD
sources nj csrtajn institntions and On. a. tr,o |
nj than not verv did Yals Collage wa. mso,
gralv andowso Several a, tham bad ,ona.. !;
i;sts n, studants va turn thar 70 tba st.t. |
y, ,b,nga at IN. o,osa q, hie nras,d.nou 80
n,,sine th.t aIthongh wh.n n-ofss.ou ~. o.
tar va .ottva In soIio,tinn $500. ~. 49,
n.nsion n, tho coIIoga ba saom. 80 han.
dsamed n undi,,iead Z, not nnsaa,,iw r1hi,,
be was tho hoad y, Tho in.titn,ion statis