The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-11
DR.. HALLS REVIEW.
A Complete Historical Address Dellyere d
on Clark University.

DR.. G. Stanley Hall then delivered an
historical address on the university,
and spoke as follows in part:
1t is said that decades are the best
periods for studying historic tenden-
cies, because they are long enough to
contain a rich array of facts and
events, and short enough to be grasped
by a single mind in the stage of it's
prime. The 10 years since Clark Uni
Vers1ty was opened constitute distinct
~ the most important decade in the
educational history of this country.
The mere index of a few of the well
known and accomplished facts of these
years has an eloquence beyond all
words. They have witnessed the es-
adjustment of the Catholic university
at Washington, the only university in
the land besides Clark devoted solely
TO graduate work, an institution re-
lated to us not only by strong tie of
sympathy in the struggle and sacrifice
Tor Ideals and high standards, but nv
own long and personal friendship with
the first rector, and by the fact that its
present head was our Worcester neigh
Dor and kindly friend. The Leland
stanford University, perhaps now the
richest in the world was planned and
endowed by a longtime friend of our
founder, and the wife of that founder
lately told me that she still counts
ours among her wisest and most
trusted advisers. The University of
Cnlcago mas leaped into existence with
M1nerva-like completeness. owing in no
small part its first impulse to higher
creative work in science to the sa-
gacity of the chief trustee of its Og-
den fund, our fellowtownsman. An
drew H. Green, and which is still more
closely affiliated to us by the fact that
SO many of the leading members of its
Faculty honored us by doing three
years of their best work here, and for
winch we still cherish little of the
feeling of a poor but proud and noble
mother for her great son. The new
methodist University at Washington
has begun the embodiment of large and
well -matured plans. The millions all
ready provided and about to be expend-
ed at the State University of Califor-
MA, the magnificent new architectural
installation at Columbia, and the fed
GRAFTON OF SO many other affiliated in
stitutions about the steady Develop
ment whether for good or for ill. of
the plan of great national university,
are sure of eventual fulfilment
such are some of the events which
nave seemed to many to threaten the
academic pre-eminence of New England
and even of the east in the future, that
nave stirred to their very foundations
the older and more conservative insti-
tutlons and caused transformations not
all apparent from the outside but which
| involve hardly less than an ultimate
revolution of academic sentiments
methods and ideals 1t is no wonder
that many old academic problems have
oaeomc obsolete and new ones have
arisen, and that present demands in
men, methods and instruments have
| changed from those Of 10 years ago.
| Again within this time a wave of
doubt and opposition to the public sun
port Of intermediate education passed
over the country, but the reaction
against that tendency has made the
| last few years pre-eminently the age of
| high schools. Secondary education, the
last stage to be reached by reforms. has
here been stirred and quickened as new
er before
| II we extend our view to lower grades
we find all plastic and changing. This
stronghold of conservatism is Invaded
| by the spirit of reform. often revolu-
ton, and sometimes even of rather wild
experimentation. New journals, peda-
goglcal chairs, new methods the new
schooi hygiene, broader views that re-
! late teaching to all the great prob
lens of science, statescraft and religion
nave arisen which have brought the
university and kindergarten and all be-
tween them into an organic unity, yet
fitting all features of the system to the
vast variety of individual differences of
character, temperament and ability. In
this field, think the closing decade has
witnessed change greater than the
preceding quarter Of a century.
NO time in the history of the country
could have been more favorable than
the beginning Of this period for a great
and new university foundation. The
epoch-m making work Of the Johns Hop
kins university, which for the proceed