New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-09
NEW-YORK'S UNIVERSITIES.

II Is earnestly to be hoped that amid the
hurly-b,lrly Of domestic politics. and the echoes
Of foreign war, and the unceasing grind OF daily
money making, the thoughtful people OF New
York have not ignored two cognate pieces or
news which we presented on Tuesday morn
ing These were accounts of the meetings OF
the governing boards Of New-York's two great
universities, with synopses Of the annual re-
ports of the presiding officers. On the face OF 1t
such news may not appear TO appeal as directly
TO the popular craving for sensation as does the
latest bulletin by grapevine telegraph from I'm
znyatanc River or Isimbulwana HILL The tech
nicaltles of educational administration are apt
to be largely what Hamlet called "caviare TO
the general" And yet we venture to say that
oiservant perusnl Of what DR.. Low laid before
the trustees Of Columbia and Dr. MacCracken
before the Council Of NewYork University will
reveal something of more than passing interest
to any intelligent mind however imaginative or
however practical
1t Is for example. no slight thing that this
city is the seat Of two large and real universe
ties with numerous departments we'll equipped,
coming near TO the ideal Of giving instruction
on any topic to any person, and actually giving
expert instruction to some four thousand stu
much weight to the American mind. Well. then.
here is New-York ranking in point Of numbers
high up among the chief university cities Of the
world II does not equal Paris, of course, nor
Berlin. nor any of several other European cen
tres; but II does surpass Munich and Lelpsic. II
distances oxford and Cambridge. and 1t makes
the ancient universities of Edinburgh and Halle
and Bonn and Tubngen and G5ttngen look
f-( Av,1x -
numbers) There ls we repeat, much In that
one fact that four thousand young men and
women. from all the States Of this Union. and
from remote parts Of the globe come to New
York 10 obtain collegiate training and liberal
culture and professional equipment and all else
that is comprised in a true university cur
rculnm.
Nor is the story Of the growth Of these In
stitutons less impressive one Of them is nearly
a century and half old the other nearly half
that age Yet neither has been true univer-
sty for as much as Il dozen years. The great
development Of both has occurred not only
within the present generation, but within the
last decade. President Low reminded his trus-
tees that since 1850 90 the membership of Co
lumbia had Increased by 100 per cent Chan
cellor MacCrackcn reminded his councillors that
from three weakly connected Schools, with less
than three hundred students. to seven COM
pactly organized schools on a strict university
basis. with more than seventeen hundred full
matrlculants. Thus each has grown far more
RAPIDLY than the city itself. or the Nation.
Their growth Is drawn from all the land and
all the world. In the graduate school Of New
York University are students from forty-cight
different colleges in all parts Of the Union and
from seventeen gymnasia and universities in
foreign lands # the United States has become
World Power this city has become world
centre of education.
To what extent such growth can he continued
is an interesting question. largely to be
swered by the people of NewYork. From what
has been done by the present administrations Of
the universities 1t would be rash to say any
thing is too great TO be hereafter accomplished
by them. That Is. however. on one condition.
namely, that the material means shall be pro-
vided. Thus far means have been supplied
with no little generosity; and they have been
husbandcd and applied and administered with
singular wisdom and shrewdness. Columbia
has greatly increased Its always considerable
assets while NewYork University has improved
Its condition from n property of s630,OOO. sub
ject TO heavy encumbrances. fifteen years ago.
10 one Of S3,27s,sS7. above all encumbrances, to-
day. That Is a splendid achievement. Yet the
growth in wealth has not kept pace with the
growth In number Of students. II It had New
York University would be about half million
dollars better off than II is. Evidently. then
the men in charge Of these universities may
we'll be trusted to make good use of all the
resources placed at their command. and to keep
the scholastic and intellectual growth Of them
always n little in advance Of the material
growth.
The moral for the metropolis Is plain. 1t Is
that men OF wealth should see to II that these
noble institutions have the financial support
needed for their continued growth and develop
ment. II seems easy TO raise great funds here
for worthy purposes. Many memorial and deco
rntve works adorn the city and serve noble
purposes But nothing can ever more truly
adorn II and serve a nobler purpose than the
great institutions which crown MornngsIde
Heights and University Heights. President
Low wants for Columbia nj least one more
building. 10 cost S3Oo.OO0; and perhaps n second
one. Chancellor MacCracken reckons that
s1oooooo would he necessary to place New
York University upon the basis required for Its