The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-18
Yale's Aged
President.
NOTABLE CAREER.
Action Of Timothy Dwight
Comes as Great Surprise.

New Haven, Conn, Nov. 1T.-Th,
halls Of Yale University tonight ar,
filled with establishment at the porten
tous announcement which was mad,
public this evening at the conclusion o
a stated meeting of the university cor
poration, to the effect that Presiden
Timothy Dwight, for Il years the heaC
of the great institution Of learning, hao
presented today his resignation, to tax,
effect at the end of the present acad
emic year
The announcement came like a thun
derholt cut of a clear sky, and all other
topics have been relegated to the back.
ground Among the friends of this
great educator it has been no secret
for some time that the president con
templated his resignation before age
weighed too heavily upon him, but his
executive enthusiasm in the arrange
ment for the coming bi-centennial cele-
bration in 1901 had led to the belief
that he would not abandon his high
office until the great festival had beer
celebrated
S Accordingly the calm and dignified
announcement made by the president
today to the members of the corpora
ton took that body by surprise, and
their surprise was soon reinforced by
that of the whole campus and uniVer-
sity coterie.
Immediately upon the presentation OF
the resignation the corporation passed
the following minute:
THE announcement by the president
of his resignation of his office, to take
effect at the end of this university year
has come to the corporation as a great
surprise, and they would most pro-
foundry regret it if they believed it
was. necessary to accept this action as
final and conclusive.
while testifying their affectonate
admiration for him personally and
their qualification with his administra-
ton, the corporation most earnestly re-
quest and urge him to fix the date of
his retirement at the time of the BIZ
centennial celebration in 1901; there
fore,
Resolved. that the corporation earn
estly request of the president to delay
the date of his retirement until October,
1901"
President Dwight subsequently ex-
pressed his feeling that he must abide
Nv lHF QECtSlDI dtliiOQlf-Eh Ia MS hNtNSi
of resignation. and the letter was then
referred to a special committee to re-
port at a meeting of the corporation to
be held on Dec. 49,
Following is President Dwight's letter
of resignation:
ITO the corporation of the university
Gentlemen: ut has been my conviction
for many years that it is desirable
alike with reference to his own happi-
ness in the later, less active and more
restful period of life, and as related to
the highest interests Of the institution
that a person who is placed in the
chief administrative office in large
university like ours. should not con-
tinue in that position beyond the age of
seventy.
I'm accordance with this conviction,
have had the purpose ever since ] en-
tered upon the presidency to offer my
resignation at the time when l should
myself reach that age As that time
has Just now arrived. / make known tC
you my desire to withdraw from the
duties of my Office at the close of tbs
present academic year, and my wish
that at the regular meeting of youi
body which is to be held in May or al
the meeting which will take place II
June, you should elect a president OF
the university. who shall enter upor
the duties Of his position immediately
after the next annual commencement
"As | make this announcement of my
wishes and present to you this request
I trust that it may not seem inappro.
pirate for me to express the pleasure
which ! have In the thougntthat in my
official relations to the institutions,
have from the outset enjoyed the bless,
ing which comes from the existence OF
a generous sentiment on the part o.
the membership of the university, botI
in its older and it's younger sections
and also in the thought that there il
no one so far as [ know among the
company Of Yale graduates, whose res
idenoe and work are outside of the uni.
versity limits, or among the friends O
Yale. who has other than kindly feel
ings towards me personally at tht
present hour The friendship of tn,
Yale brotherhood, abiding with me a.
il has done in the past, and enduring
as it does even to the closing days i!
the best reward of my long continued
and happy life in the service and fell
lowship Of the university.
with sentiments of the highest es
tenn, and with grateful acknowledg
uent of your uniform kindness anC
etendly consideration 1 am gentle
Yfen, very sincerely and truly yours,
Timothy Dwight"
Timothy Dwight, 18th president ofYal,
university is the grandson Of Timothy
Dwight, who was president of YAH
from 1875 to 1917, The present Dwigh
was born in 1923. He graduated from
Yale in 1S49 and two years later served
as a tutor in the college. At the sam'
time he studied in the Yale theological
seminary, and concluded this work II
1888. In this year he went abroad an,
studied two years at the Universities o
Rom and Berlin, and upon returning
to America was ordained minister
In 1858 he was elected professor of sa
cred literature in the Yale seminary
filing that chair until he became presi
dent Of the university in 1856. the sue
cessor OF Noah Porter. 1t was imme
diately after President Dwight assum
ed his high executive position that tn
college took great strides in its scop
and popularity. and developed from
college into a university, and his ad
ninistration throughout has been oi
the broad lines originally laid down.