The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-16
TA1E,s ENGLISH DEPARTMENT..
1t Has a Head Though Those Professionalism
Are Still Untitled.

NEW HAVEN, Conn.,. Oct. 15.-"When are you
going to fill those three vacant professorships
in English and give q head to the depart
ment?" asked q Yale alumnus who has won
distinction in the New York banking world OF
the dean Of one Of the departments OF the
university q few days ago.
See here" said the dean tartly. starting uu
as II q wasp were after him. you young alum
nj seem to think that the English department
OF Yale is a huge joke. The widest things
have been printed about it during the past six
months that 1 ever read of. anything except
the sea serpent. The other day. for instance,
1 overheard a tutor in the mathematical de-
partment say to another instructors:
" I see that the corporation has just pro-
NOTED DR.. Charles Sears Baldwin and Charl-
ton NJ. Lewis to be assistant professors in
English 1t seems to me that the English de-
partment at Yale is a good deal like the Span
ish Navy
'How's that2' asked the other instructor.
It's all Commodores and no seamen.' was
the response.
"All jokes aside. / want to assure you"
went on the dean. that the English depart
ment OF Yale is being recruited from the ranks
of the brightest young scholars we can find to
make our younger instructors. and, as for the
vacant professorshlps. we are waiting for Just
the men we want before we I'LL them. That one
OF them has been offered to two distinguished
scholars Is not denied. but because these gen.
tlemen were not in a position tn accept them
we shall not by any means rush around and
place them at the disposal of any other per-
sons than the men we are looking for.
In the meantime we are proud OF the work
our English instructors are doing. Prof.
Beers hus, q national authority as an author.
writer and instructor. and his appreciation Cf
Literary merit Is the keenest | have. ever, seen
utation as an authority In old English. and DR..
Cross. DIR. Phelps and the other younger in
struet2rs, are all doing original work, aside
And l want to take up. that statement that
the, English department Of Yale has no head
look in the graduate department catalogue you
will find that Prof. Thomas II. Lounsbury is
named at the head Of the English depart
In the university. as well as the head of the
scientilc department, and he Is the head Of the
have, a head to any department., We believe
in allowing every professor freedom In his de-
pertinent c5sDsa 70 II this wy si all the the insittrSct 2E. have e
structors at Yale. II Is .remarkahle, though.
that Of all the critics OF Yale's English depart.
ment. none seems TO know that we have a head
to the department nor who he is. Depend on
l.. sir the English department Of Yale is do
equal to that Of any university In the country.
the denertment have y NOT eeased tbeir nnm ~
ments on the failure OF the Yale corporation TO
fill the professorships. which have been vacant
In one case for four and in another for two
years, The movement begun last year to In
duce the corporation TO I'LL the Emily Sanford
and the Lampson proiessorships and to sys;
under way and said to be gathering strength.
A member OF the English faculty at Yale was
asked the other day what new thing had been
done by tina English Instructors Of the uni
vergity the past three years. He said:
We've compelled them to put spelling on the
list OF subjects required for entrance o Yale."