New-York tribune., 1896-06-21
THE CITY COLLEGE GRADUATES.
PRESIDENT MACLAY SAYS THEY Sho"
THE LACK OF PHYSICAL TRAINING.


On the occasion Of the commencement exercises OF
the CITY College which took pace Thursday even
ing at Carnegie Hail. Robert Maclay the presiue".
of the Board OF Education hinted at some me Oh
reform in the curriculum Of that insutuuo" WIZ"
Will be Of interest 10 every person IN an! way
connected with the college, and 10 educate Peop'o
in general. When seen 10y Tribune reporter aI'er
the exercises were over Mr.. Maclay was asked 70
give fuller details of what he had hinted at ne
said: Il don't know but what You ma! nave "o
t!ced Il as did. but when saw the young men oi
that graduating class stand UP in line on 'he
platform before could not help being ihp'eSseN
with the startling defectiveress Of their physique
To me IT WAS painfully noticeable and 'ou'o not
help comparing them to the girl graduates from the
Normal College who, as a rule, are naen''ce"'
specimens OF physical developments
Nov what Is the cause OF this here are '"o
great institutions OF public earning each receiving
the same or about the same, amount or nhahCldi
support from the city's treasury; each cohduc'eu'
Dresumahlv on the same general hncs OF Pe"dtoNS'
each sending out bright and Intelligent gradua'e7'
yet the one having the great adaltohal "'N""'"71
of fine bodies for the students and the other not'e
ahlv defective in this respect. | do not say that
tho graduates Of the Normal College are superior
in intelligencs better prepared in menta' "a"nS
for the struggle Of life than the graduates OF "e
CITY College although there are some VINO i"'Se
that question seriously. but do say tha' 'he XIII
graduates besides possessing physique greatly SUI
narior 90 class are fully equal - the graduates
~ the City College IN mental training ana equip
ment
admitting that the quality OF mental training IN
ho,h colleges is the same, we find hat the pdahVe
IS turned heavily IN favor OF the Normal College ny
IT'S graduates possessing superior physical develop
mont This is not mere accident; It must he
defect in the system management OF the 'l'y
College and propose to give the matter my earnest
and immediate attention, and will take radical
measures to have Il rtghted just compare the
physical development Of the young graduates VINO
stood ND Thursday night with that Of the young
men Of other colleges. Take almost any co"'se you
choose. and you will find splendid specimens of
manly development in rearly every member
don't mean the graduating classes OF Harvard Naie.
Princeton or Columbia. where they carry dthetlca
further than could hope or desire 10 DO but take
any small college the same plane or pr'tenslons
as the city College and you Will find the same pain
ful contrast. The young men who stood UP last
Thursday night in Carnegie Hall. with a few con-
spicuous exceptions, were. narrow-chcstei, round
shoulicrcd stopped men, and in an exceedingly I'M
perfect condition physically Their programme
crelitable in every respect their orations were
excellent. their ideas good and wel-expresscd and
so far as intellectual traring IS concerned he Class
of &c. City College need not take back seat FOR
any institution of learning But how much more
impressive and enjoyable al this mental excellence
would have been If It had been backed mp by we'll
developed. manly bodies.
1t is matter OF serious moment 10 the taxpayers
OF New York that their hundreds of thousands OF
dollars expended every five years on these young
oaSt of the standard set by colleges that can IN
way pretend 70 The financial support OF the City
those students come from poor parents Who live
in cramped quarters. and In some cases. perhaps.
pnchei for food, bat this j. not true IN state
ment or in logical deduction. II s. not true tnat
good physical dgyelolnent canno' ne a,,"!hrn ID u
bred man can attain As good physique and perhaps
more symmetrical one. than his more favor 81
! n.