Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-18
THE LATE DR.. M'cOSH.
Long and Useful Life of the Weii-Known
Educator.

Long and Useful Life OF the Weii'hho"h
Educator.
The late James McCosh was not only
one of the foremost and most Influential
educators OF his time In this country.
SAYS the Philadelphia Times, but his work
both in his adaptive and in his native
country. Scotland. entitled him to rank
with the leading metaphysicians OF the
century. His name has been so familiar
with us while the present generation was
growing I'D that 1t is with difficulty re-
membered that he was a man OF 81 when
he came to America-a man whose place
and achievements in life seemed already
fixed.
DIR. McCosh was born April 1. 1911. In
Carskeoch, Ayrshire. and was educated at
the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
At the latter institution he was pupil
OF the famous Or. Chalmers He chose
the church for his profession and was
ordained n minister of the Church or
Scotland at Arbroath In 1885, whence he
removed in 1899 TO Brechin. At that
time he took an active part In the or
ganIzation Of the Free Church OF Scot
land. His first work was published In
1913. and was entitled Method OF the
Divine Government, Physical and Moral
which discusses cause and effect In physi-
cal nature, and In the human mind, the
laws Of existence and phenomenon. SUBJ
sequently he continued the discussion IN
''rhe Supernatural in Relation to the
Natural"
The Method" attracted wide attention
both in Great Britain and the United
States. and Earl Clarendon. then Lord
Lieutenant Of Ireland. was so impressed
with II that he Immediately appointed
Mr.. McCosh professor of logic and meta
physics in Queens College Belfast. There
he remained sixteen years. and during
that time wrote his Intentions of the
Mind Inductlvely Investigated" He re-
oeived the degree OF LII. d. from Aber-
deem In 1850 and from Harvard in 1868,
while Queens University, Ireland. has
given him that of ID. Lit.
In 1868 he was called to the presidency
Of Princeton College. which position he
held for many years, until he was re-
tired as president emeritus, and succeeded
In the active duties by Rev. DR.. Francis
l.. Patton. DIR. McCosh's career as presi-
dent Of the College OF New Jersey was
marked with marvellous success. He ele-
waited the character OF the INSTITUTION,
and instilled his own enthusiasm into the
faculty and the pupils. His management
mpelled the respect Of the friends OF
the university, and during his presidency
nearly 100000 flowed 10 the treasury III
the form Of offerings and requests. lie
started the fund to aid needy students
and steadily the army Of pupils was aug
mented. until the accommodations OF the
old college were entirely inadequate
Then came the array of buildings which
sprang up during his time, among whlch
may be mentioned Halstead Observatory
1869; the gymnasium. 1869; Reunion Hail.
1870; the library, 1873: the School OF Science,
1873: University Hall, 1876; Witherspoon
Hall. 1871; Observatory of Instruction,
1873: Murray Hall, 1879; Marquand Chapel,
1881. and the Biological Laboratory. 1887.
During the administration Of DR.. Nc
Gosh the number giving instruction IN
the college was increased from ten pro-
fessors, four tutors, and two teachers 10
thrty-five professors. three tutors, ana
several assistants and lecturers-in all up
ward of forty. The increase In the num-
her OF students has been correspondlngiy
great. In 1867 the catalogue OF the college
estimated the number at 26i. In 1881, the
wear of DIR. McCoshs retirement, the
catalogue showed the number OF students
TO be co., Thus 1t will be seen mat the
numbers more than doubled in the period
of twenty years. During the same
period a great work was wrought IN
stamping out semi-barbarous college GUS
toms among the undergraduate body,
some of which had come down from
colonial times, and were copied from
England. DR.. McCosh always favored col
lege pastimes. and he was something OF
an athlete himself, having during the
great blizzard walked from the college
10 the post-office for his mail, when nearly
50 years of age.
Graduates and pupils We'd in their ex-
pressons OF love and reverence for DR..
McCosh, and on the occasion of the cele-
bration Of his eightieth birthday, April
1. 1891. they made an extraordinary display
In his honor.
DIR. McCosh, though not actively en-
gagged In giving instruction in the college,
labored for a long time with the same
assiduity on philosophy that he did In
earlier life. He has been the author OF
large number of philosophical works: Two
of his books are used as textbooks N the