, 1898-08-03
UNIVERSITY NOTES.
HIGH PRAISE FOR THE AMERI-
CAN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
FROM A LONDON PAPER.
Advocates the Adoption OF the Ameri-
can Plan for England-Notes Of a
Week Concerning Plans and PeO-
pie Connected With the States Lead
ing Educational Institution.

calls attention t. an article which ap-
Peared in the London Spectator of Feb
ruary in which the writer points out
that there are five distinct types Of uni
veIsities-the French, the German, the
English, the Scotch, and the American
and that no one definition will by
any possibility cover them all. The
writer having in view the needs Of Lon
don shows without difficulty that the
French type will not fulfill such, and
furthermore that the traditional uni
versity organizations of Oxford and
Cambridge could not be reproduced in
London, and would be of no service
there if their reproduction were pos
sible. The teaching in the Scottish
universities is far too elementary for
the purposes of a modern university.
The German universities, with all their
excellence, are too peculiarly German
to stand being transplanted to British
soil. There remains the American
type, and the best examples of it are
said to come nearer to the ideal Of a
true university than n of the other
types" London is advised, therefore,
to make a university of it's own by TAX
ing Sin some measure the Harvard and
Columbia models, and combining them,
say on a Berlin superstructure."
This conclusion is not only a crafty
ing acknowledgment of the success of
the efforts Of the last quarter Of a CEN
fury to develop universities in Ameri-
ca: but it accords with what We believe
to b. the fact, namely. that the best
American universities are today the
most effective educational institutions
in the world Both the Scottish and
the English universities con1ine them
selves to work that, in this county, is
divided between the secondary schools
and the colleges. The German univer-
stiles are lamentably defective in teach
ing power, largely because of excessive
devotion to the lecture system. The
best French universities are now more
| Nolluy cuuCdllOudl llSII ulLltIlS IldL
all but the best Of those in Germany.
The great advantage OF the American
university lies in the fact that it rests
upon the American college, the inlu-
ence Of which in developing power.
broadening interest and stimulating
thought is even now persistently under
rated. No gymnasium or lycee or Eng
lish public school can compare with
it for a moment in these respects. Eu-
rope today is sadly in need OF, the coun-
terpart of the American college, and in
one a or another it is striving to de-
velop something corresponding to the
college College-trained men make the
most effective university students
wherever they &C. The transition from
one type Of work to the other has been
for them a gradual one, and their in
tellectual growtht and expansion have
been normal and unbroken.
We need not boast, but Americans
may be excused for being proud Of the
fact that they are called upon to pro-
vide a model organization for a great
teaching university for London.
Q @
Prot. Ridgaway expects to make a
trip to Chimney rock today on his
wheel. He will take his camera with
him and expects to obtain some good
views of the scenery around Chimney
rock.
The library is being re-arranged this
summer and room is being made for the
new books which will be put in, in the
fall.
One hundred volumes OF bulletins
have been bound for the use of the pro-
fessors directing the work of the ex-
pertinent station, and Of others inter-
ested In this work.
Q Oo
Miss Harriet Knight and Miss Harriet
Fox. in company with a party of
friends, left Saturday morning on a
trip to the Yellowstone park, where
they will spend a couple Of weeks view
ing the glories of our national park.