New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-14
ATHLETICISM in COLLEGES
pprsrprNr sCHURMANs WARNING
WORDS
,,xcrssrs THAT MAY INJURE THE HIGHEsr
SCHOOLS OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES THE


SCHOOLS OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. THE
WEAR AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
r,baca n Y. Nov 10 (specIaD.-Tne third annual
report of President schurman was presenter 70 'he
Roard Of Trustees tonight. ferhaps tne must iih'
nortant change that has taken pace uu'"'s 'he
vssr ia in the Board Of Trustees. The new and IN
creased Board Of Trustees. provided Dy Jaw, az
curved Office during the year. and now consists OK
~. Governor and LIeuenant-Governoro OF the state
tho Sneaker of the Assembly ana disuhsu'9Heu C'D'
zens 10 the number OF forty, including women "o"
ali parts of the country. The system OF aiio"'ne
Tho alumni TO elect half Of the Board mas worked
admirably OF the trustees thus eiec'e" three were
old students and two Of them graduate
u "a announced that there VIII be no more ap-
o,n,ments 20 the grade Of associate professor
The rank Is in itself an anomaly ana j" is con-
sequences a source OF perpexity. Inc so'ye0' VI
the retirement Of professors Is discussed al iehsth
Tho need of establishing a general system ol so-
peranuatng professors Is clearly SHOWN As tne
university has at present no endowment a'aiHDie
for a pension fund, the president recommends me
use of the bequest Of the late Dahei ID ra's'-
wea Their crowded this money comes INTO 'he pos
session of the university for the endo"me" Of
such a fund tentative pension schene Is sug
eested the maximum pension being p'ace' az s-"
End the age limit of active service at sixty-hvs
years oo, - 49,,
IN requirements for admission went INTO eHees
which practically involved years extra prepsra'
tion on the part of threefourths or the pup''s en-
terIng the university 1t was expected that IN con-
oouerco there would be a considerable decline In
rrnbers. nut this was not SO great as might nave
been looked for In the three courses "o9' d.
fected-mechanical engineering eiectFieai e's'"ee'
ing and architecture-there was tolai usS''Ne 0'
only ninety-one The reduction was partaiy oAse'
nv gains in other courses that the total number
d,afa
in the preceding j03, against l5h IN ls"-A
The total number Of persons who received lhsruc-
ton at the university during lsei-s5 was -'VS"
In his remarks on athletics President schurmon.
after referring to the spirited discussion on ne SUD
,ect Of intercollegiate football which took place In
the meetings OF the faculty during the ran ana earS
winter. proceeds to discuss the place occupied by
athletics at Cornell On the football question ne says:
II the game cannot be redeemed from PFalaAty
and trlckery, from mean, insinua,oh anu ,s s5
as vast public spectacle and commerce. speeua-
ton i has been the occasion rt, u To pige M
But at present the faculty refuses TO believe tnat
and universities cannot under proper Tegqiat,oas
come together like gentlemen ana pay ioq5os. ~
the test of experience on that point IL may I2r tns
rest be confidently asserted tina, aihiete5 az Corne
have not been dihlcuIt ID regulate anu nave n''
usurped bad eminenee
The faint Of athlecism, the president thinks, mas
not yet infected the spirit Of the university. On
this subject he says:
II would be unpardonabe if the institution founded
by Ezra Cornell and endowed by benefactors IKE
Henry w. Sage-men born poor VINO gave tne,r
hardearned savings that the children OF the people
might be Blessed with the highest ducaton-shoul
degenerate into school OF sports 4DT the a1iet~,
Raiter nc intercollegiate games "A thousand times
better than the slightest infusion OF athe'lcsTn
into the spirit the fantest blending or atneticsm
with the aims. the mdest incopp1rat9n OF S'n'f
this continue to be place Were brave anu t',sa ,
young men and women, most or whom woth Nnat
haVa yyh
stout hearts and aspiring sou 70 ch,o ,ne
Of knoyedse to gain eusasom a,n eaacaton
In the country at large athletic excesses are mis-
interpreting to the public the vocation aha ussS o
little danger that the very ideal Of the college may
be temporarily eclipsed So far athletics have no.,
her founders. And athletics must In the future De
SO regulated that they snail not hinder co ,,h
realizing the true object of university. The Iipc
organ OF liberal culture and professional education
university has great and solemn responsibility !"
| the public.
Speaking of the increase in the number OF As-
sembly districts in the State from l2s TO 5e. and Of
the consequent liability of the university to awari
eighty Eight additional free scholarships an t
| this obligation can be met without financial en-
barrassment to the university and suggests com
| tiona! instruction which the university VIII DC
obliged to give from the establishment OF these
eighty Eight scholarships the state shsH es'aO''n
! at Cornell a State Pedagogical College
| President Schurman views the financial condition
| OF the university WIFI SOlIe dIpithchs'ch 'i0
! exhibits the effects OF the law Of diminishing re-
| turns by comparing the incomes OF the OXFORD CO..
leges ten years ago with their present income Inc
| effects of this upon CornelIs income nave
| hitherto been concealed by number of circun'
| stances-among which the most potent is the enor.
| nous increase in the endowment funds consequent
upon the sale OF the university lands and timber
| but these effects now becoming visible since
| lSS4-S5 the income-earnng capacity OF the endow-
| ment fund had decreased IS per cent, and 1t is
likely to continue to decrease rapidly There Is only
| one way by which the university can meet this
| namely by adding to the endowment; and 10 accom-.
| psh this result is at the present time the most
| urgent problem confronting the trustees.