The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-01-27

resignation has been accepted. His sue
cessor is not to be elected until next
May, and may not be elected then. In
the meantime the only existing active
power is the Corporation. The Corpor-
alton has an opportunity of distinguish
ing itself as has not occurred before in
its modern history, certainly not since
1871 when elected graduates were ad-
mitted to membership. Now is the
time, if ever, for it to shake off it's sup
posed lethargy; to prove itself an ac-
tive, and not merely a registering, body,
and to show forth to the world at large
that it is a power and not reflection.
Now, too if ever, must the elected
members justify their selection and also
the changes in the charter which made
their selection possible. President
Dwight may not have interposed an in
terregnum between his resignation and
the election of his successor without
forethought. He may desire and hope
that the pathway Of his successor will
be better defined, and it be made more
pleasant and easy to walk therein. The
charter gives members abundant power
to meet when they choose. IF they do
not get together andat least srapple with
the problems which are of Importance to
Yale and of interest to the whole coun-
try they may miss their expected halos
and may even be accused OF LACK of
pluck and brains to meat the 70 tunate
occasion. The MOST important ric
question is whatii Is an American univer-
sity. What is the difference between an
American university and an American
college? Is there any difference? Is
there difference requiring legislative
distinction? Will q charter to college
do as az charter to university? Can
college turn itself into a university at
VIII and without legislative permission?
Is university merely colleg Of
larger growth? Has a college the right
to extend its particular private and de-
nomination laws ov5r a university with
out public legislative sanction? On the
generic question and on its sub-divi-
si0ns not only Yale men, but all men in
terested in educational problems would
like to hear from a body esteemed so
highly as the Corporation of Yae. Yale
is still looked up to after a fashion by
other United States colleges and uni,
versties for example and gu dance
Besides, the Connecticut legis ature
is Just now fortunately in session ana
would undoubtedly contribute laws to
pivo 1aua1itu tp ha Inc ~,
Etymo osically and historically the
term University" and college" diff
fer University implies aunversality
a stretching over and uniting of, sepa-
rate bodies; College" a collection,
drawing together for specific and limi-
ted purposes. f'Universitas Civium"
meant the whole body of Roman citi-
zens within town, a city, or even a
province. "Collegium Partific orum" ex-
plains the antlthesis. During the mid
die ages "Unversitas" reappears to de-
signate not only large bodies assem-
bled to teach and to be taught, but the
places where they assembled, where
they We're independent of outside jurs-
diction, holding their privileges directly
from the sovereign.
To-day in Europe the distinction
seems to be that to the university alone
belongs the power to confer degrees.
Colleges must send up their students for
University examination and reward. In
the United States. on the contrary there
Is as yet very little, If any, distinction
drawn between the meaning and the i'm
port of the two terms The opinion Is
apparently held that a college can as
sumo the name and the powers of I'M
iversity when and as it pleases, and
that the laws framed for the govern
ment of a college suffice for the govern
ment of university. From the Yale
point of view the two words are inter
changeable If not syn nymous. SO far
legislators have regarded the matter
with indifference and have permitted
institutions of learning to do about as
they pleased The only legislation that
Yale deemed necessary appears in the
act Of 1887. This act permits Yale col
lege to use the name Yale university in
its business transactions The act does
not create university, but permits a
college to use the name university for
limited purposes Yale did not desire a
rev order of university government but
did desire the right to spread it's college |
in New Haven which had grown out of |
it, or under it's protection. In fact the |
spreading had already been done. In !
1887 the term Yale University m axes |
its first appearance on the catalogue, |
but for years the name of the president !
of the college had appeared in cata-
logues as the president of the schools of |
Law, Medicine Science Art, &c. AS |
stated in a pamphlet published years
ago, Yale presents the extraordinary
spectacle of schools of Art Science, Law
and Medicine having at their head
Congregational clergyman, not chosen
on account of fitness, but imposed be-
cause elected to the presidency OF Yale
college. Nor is this headship merely
It is positive and can be eXer-
cised with as much severity as over tn
college proper If the Corporation had
placed a lawyer at the head OF the
department; an M. ID. at the
head of the Law school, or ID. d. at
the head of the Scientific school, the IN
might be more striking, put
would be no more. iludicrous The fact