The sun., 1899-12-08
SMALL coLLBas AND UNIVERSITY.
Tn. Former Finds . Radical and Vigorous
Defender.


Epenino Post IN its issue OF last Saturday con-
tained very readable and suggestive editorial
article upon the future OF the small college
which cannot fail 10 attract attention and
cause discussion among those interested in
educational matters. The Rist OF the article
10 In this paragraph:
The university 1, undenisbiy the great force to-
day In educational councils, and quite the most
conspicuous ngure In the public eye. Its superior
wealth enables IL TO ons. facilities for Instruction
with which no college can compete. II Is steadily
attracting to it service the ablest men in all de.
partmens. until no college can now hope to retain
long professor who makes a name for himself.
There can be little doubt but that undergraduate In
hruoton In the university instruction which
comes directly into competition with the college
OF superior sort better In quality and Greater In
variety and amount than any college can oncr.
There 10 more eager and enthusiastic intellectual
life, clearer view OF the worth Of sound loarnnt.
closer contact with scholarly instructors. and
richer and healthier social a,mos sphere.
That much Of this ls true goes without say
ing. No one believes that very small and
poorly endowed educational institution. can be
compared with large and wel-epUippcd
college. Neither do the so-called am all colleges
attempt to give university. as distinRuis ished
from academic. instruction. and the various
professional schools attached to the academic
department OF tho great universities are really
80 attached only In name. They are filled for
the most part with graduates from other col
leees who have nothing whatever TO do with
the undergraduates OF the university. 30. too.
the university is undou btedly more ''conspic-
uous" than the small college. and it's wealth
does give II power 10 draw to IL professors who
have attained fame-usualiy. however. those
who have won this from literary rather than
pedagoaio Efforts and who desire the larger
pecunlary rewnrd and greater freedom from
classroom toll which the university can give.
But Ia the undergraduate instruction in the
universities superior TO that OF the small col
lcge2 Is there In the university nm higher
intellectual life and healthier social atmo-
sphere2 deny II absolutely and believe that
all those who are truly conyersant with the
facts OF American college and university life
will deny 1t likewise. maintain. on the con-
trary. that for every high and sincere purpose
OF social. moral AMI intellectual development
the small colleges-meaninR such institutions
as Amherst Williams and Dartmouth-are In
nearly In every particular 10 he preferred to the
university and, believe. are daily accom- plish-
ing results OF mole lasting benefit to our
country.
In the first place. the small colleges. while
BY no means given TO Spartan rIgor and
OF life, are yet places OF comparatively simple
and cconomical liv inH. And since when has
economy ceased 70 be an Amer can virtue or
Its practice undesirable among those learning
the FIRST lessons OF llfe2 There IL sxtrayugance
and it's kindred ills in sufficient quantity
but the great objection of course OF iour
years at great university Ia to-day. more
aud its tenn ptations TO luxury and dissipation.
1t 10 Idle 70 deny that distinctions between
rich and poor at these places are not tightly
drawn and ar" becoming more So At more
than. one OF our universlties the tendency OF
the social atmosphere In toward that OF a
furnished apsrtments miscaled "dormitories,"
whose fathers. possessed With the idea that
that they themseives % did not have. are doing
their best TO spoil them by giving them thou
sands OF dollars year 10 spend uron college
education. sufficient commentary upon IL
all was the half-sad. half humorous com pnrison
made bya Yale sumnus at a recent gathering
NoahPorter with patO's Dialogues in his hand
when callor entered. with President Dwight
in tn sam. situation. discovered reading the
80 far a. the quality OF the instruction in the
small college Is concerned. u ths Testimony OF
writer is acquainted can be trusted. II Is supe-
rior In closeness. yigor md general power TO
prolcssors at tho big universities are those OF
men who do little classroom WORK and usually
s,tutons is m ostly done Hy %H tuors. Will While in in
the small colleges i IL the. work Of the profess
sors themseiycs. 4 teachers strength. be he
tutor or professor. lies in his ability to inspire
his pupils; and this is a quality that is not
locked IN In the universities OF the and. No
julius ii. seeiye. Whe In in the % ,inve N rstv there
are hundrei is OF students who never exchange
a word with some Of the professors there. in
the small colleges ench student knows every
professor as an acquuntaucc or friend. so in
a class Of several hundred or Ia a college body
70 know the rest How different is il in asmaI
college where eaeh nemter OF the class 10 near
leg. face Ia familiar and remem bcred forever.
IL is only IN the small college that the
lie are known IN Their perfection What an
Incompatible superiority. too. the small col
iege usually has over the university IN its loca-
tion? II the former the college bov is not
simply freed from the distractions and njuries
TO n students life OF large city. hut he is sur
Natures never ending and ever changing
ana = sfysrt sd tendsf rns
student OF Williams OF, Amherst has no, mem. IN.
ories OF summer mornings and autumn alter
noe Moons. 81 Greyocs nnd the Cnnnccticpt Valley.
that viii be visions o! beauty before his eyes
and fountain OF poetry In his heart as long as
Moreover IT must be remembered that tho
great universities are not what they were in the
past. or even fifteen years ago. 1t might "a
wS be sTa n. without TnSs %ers TINT
them the historic and yenerab cluster OF coli
leg ieges under the Cam bridge shave; during
nifty and lofty iieals OF former days. sought for
mere wealth and size and nu pbers 10y means
have sold their noble birthrirht Tor the pottagr
Of athletics. Some Of these institutions have
foatered this craze to the uttermost encourage
ing students TO spend time and money in It
that they could I'll afford. winking at the i'm
por,ntiop OF professional baseball and football
players, keeping ignoramuses on tho roll be-
cause they were athletes Of prowess, thanking
God and preaching sermons aud holding PRAYER
meetings over ath etc triumphs all brcauso
It swrlled the catalogue aud "buiIt up" the
university. This has produced the Natural re-
suit that now at many of these institutions
athletics and tho excitement over them are
more the omen and ayowed purpose Of student
life than are studies themselves. Whatever tho
pretcnce may he, tho actual honors at these
places arc no longer awarded to schOlarship TO
skill In debate or to literary excellence but to
physical endurance, aud achievement. And
heaven foriend the day. which seems. alas, to
be near at hand. when the ivy crown o' univer-
sity distinction WI be taken from the football
kicker and placed upon the proud brow or that
particular her OF the college tam ly who il
hand est with his dukes"
There is no doubt tina, this Ia the eager and
enthusinstic lie" that the average healthy boy
will. II he can, attend the college Of this de-
scriptlon, whore there Is unQuestion ionably a
richer promise o good tlme.h But parcnts
and sober people are beginning TO hesitate
about sending their boys to an athletic" uni
versity. md by reason OF the proved uselcss-
ness and harmiulness Of these schools. thcro is