The sun., 1898-02-27
DISCONTENT AT COLUMBIA.
COMPLAINTS THAT THE COLLEGE
PROPER rs NEGLECTED.

Heen Advanced at tho Expense or tho
CoIicEe--son,e Expresstons or Sentiments.
Despite the magnihconco Of its new home on
Morningside Heights, there is growing feeling
in Columbia University that something is vitally
wrong in its makeup. Tho faculties, very
largely. and the student body generally. are not
satisfied with the present position OF Columbia
College in its relation to tho university. As
matters now stand, these critics say. the univer-
sity is seemingly every thng-the college scarcely
anything. Tho graduate schools OF law political
science. pure science, applied science, pedn-
gogy, philosophy and engineering. are splenddly
housed. Every attention is paid to the comfort
and the welfare OF their students. Each de-
partment Of each school has its own private
library where students may investigate at will
Each is superbly equipped. But the college
the foundation OF Columbia-is tucked away in
Macy Villa, a three-story, old red brick build
ing. with small. badly arranged rooms situated
at the southeast corner of the university
grounds. There the departments of Greek,
Latin. and mathematics carry on their
courses. The dean also has his offices in
this building. The departments OF rhetoric.
German. and French, English litera.
ture, and history are scattered through
the other buildings. The students have
no place to congregate-no smoking room. for
instance, as have the Law School men. The i'm
portance Of the college. in n word. is minimized.
the critics say. Professors In interviews and in
speeches have protested and are protesting
against this state OF affairs The sentiment Of
IN, alumri ma exnressed nj tb.;r n,,o,;,es ;s
opposed to it. The students, in editorials in tho
college papers and in speeches at meetings Of
literary and other societies. are expressing their
opposition to this state Of things.
Dean Van Amringe of the college. Prof. Mich
olns Murray Butler, dean OF the School OF Phi
losophy. the alumni, and the students urge tho
immediate reparation OF tho seeming slight to
the college by the erection OF suitable college
nan. lhey GO not say mat PRESIDENT Low and
, the au,hor''es nave intentionally oe'l,led the
o". 'H.' Wv 'n"' , w 40
Inaoe us soon as possible 10 provide nome nt
Ear,v In January prof 7 IJoy,rd Van Au.
rin@o m ,,nmnms 90 ,ba oo,,aoo ana nn,r n ,l a..
dean. wrote to the Columbia Spectator. the uni
versity newspaper in part as follows:
Fine buildings do not make fine college,
is n current expression. and 1t is true. 1t goes
"''"o" ''' '"s '""' - 'e"' "'u anu s'ihpsthetic
teaching corps, large or small. that can attract
youth, inspire them with a love OF learning and
yrtue lead them to tho sour rces OF knowledge
and induce them to drink deep OF the pierian
Spring cultivate in them n sensitive and i'm
tates constitS,te. with or without fine buildings.
n college of the higher sort. ,..,
- IL is equally true that n line ecclesiastical
structure does not make a church. A roadside
hut, where wayfaring men gather. with the
spirit OF God in it to show them the way 20
right cousness and prevail on them to walk
therein is essentially n church. while a superb
minister in which the service is perfunctorily
rendered or " hich is dominated by the spirit of
this world mag be but n whited sepulchrc or a
temple OF Mammon. " "
should not he be titiy housed d'IS or that hat College
ought not to have fine buildings.
y,fn NJ be hn, IN,
Columbia College, as distinguished from the
University. finds itself at the present time
The site on Morningsde Heights is the most
beautiful on tho island OF Manhattan: it is
adorned with SPLENDID buildings, devoted to
kindred scientific departments. with an un.
rivallcd cditicc fer the university library. ap.
entrance court. and yet College Hall is an old
| and small brick dwelling house conspicuous BY
its insignifCance ana suggestive OF indifference
or disdain. This is not diVnted. IL is not worthy
! OF the college, its history, it's reputation. its
present high state OF efficiency. 1t is a rcproach
| that should be speedily removed"
Prof. Van Amringe then goes on to say that
| since the university authorities 90 not seem at
| fU'nr. The alumni or a generous friend could
| very nicely give suitable COLLEGE hall. He
hs 1a statue to make him m 'n
| meeting Of the alumni short time ago he Dean
| spoke even more strongly OF the apparent neg.
! lect of the college.
prof Nichols Murray Butler Dean of tho
| Faculty OF Philosophy. and one of the most
| pressed his views on this point. Tney are in
| the main identical with those of Dean Nnn Am.
| ringe. He also looks at the matter more from a
| pedagogical point of view. A Sun reporter
! asked him this question:
"Do YOU think that without a strong and
suitable college any university in America can
| succeed T.
The college is distinctly and typically an
| American Institution" he replied. The uni
| vcrsity is its outgrowth Cut Off the root and
| the plant will die. That answers she question,
but history strengthens this answer. Johns
Hopkins University OF Baltimore started with
out a college. 1t was soon forced TO avoid fail
ure. to establish college in order to relate its
| work to the community in which it was locaL.
ed. Clarke University of Worcester, Mass.
| has not been able to grow, nor is il
| likely to grow, because II has no basic
source OF supply An American university
without "A college has no parallel in the world.
! II could not make a place for Itself. Students
| go TO the universities in France England, and
Germany two or three years earlier than they do
| here Now, this is not because our colleges ire
| slow; it is on the contrary because the Ameri-
can college is broader. more efficient. and more
| liberal than the secondary European institu-
| tipus upon which the university rests Here we
| begin iIniyersity work always In the iunior