The times., 1900-12-30
GREAT SEATOF LEARNING
Washington Destined to Become a
City of Universities.
George wnsh1ngton's idea of the Ma
tionaI Capital ms nm Educational
Centre Bidding Fair to Be Realized.
All Denominations Seeking to Es-
tab1ish Institutions in This City.

| washington is destined to De the Uni
| versity City, par excellence of the world.
The prediction is made that before anoth-
| er quarter of a century will have passed
| this city will harbor within Its limits a
| university for every religious denomina-
! tion and creed, Christian as well as jew
| ish. Washington will then not only be the
"city of homes,'' ''the city of legislators .
| 'the city of boarding houses, dentists. and
modistes," but it will be pre-eminently a
university town. 1t seems as IL it were
| the intention of every religious denomina-
tion to be represented at the Capital Of
| the Nation by university.
The establishment of National Univer-
sity In this city was the hope of George
Washington, and the work is being agi
tated by the George Washington Memorial
Association.
Ever since the time of Washington our
1awgiyers have contemplated building
university at the Nations Capital" said
David Starr Jordan. They have planned
university that shall be national and
American, as the Universities of Berlin
and Leipsic are national and German;
university that shall be the elimination
of our public school system, and that by
its vivifying influence shall quicken the
pulse of every part of that system. For
more than a century, however, the ex!-
gencies of politics. or the Indifference o.
political managers have caused postpone
ment of it's final consideration. All that
the National Capital needs to make
great university Of 1t is that body Of
real scholars should be maintained to
train other men in the work now SO
worthily carried on. To do this would be
to bring to America. in large degree. all
that american scholars now seek in the
University of Berlin Students will come
wherever opportunities for Investigations
are given. No standards Of work can be
made too high; for the severest standards
attract rather than repel men who are
worth educating
"a university, we may remember, is
not a school for boys and girls, where the
elements of a liberal education are
taught to those who have yet to enter
upon the serious work OF life. A uni
versity is not school maintained for
the glory or the extension OF any de-
nominational body. In Its very deini
ton a university must be above ami
beyend all sectarianisrn. Truth IL as
broad as the universe, and we can search
for ii between any artificial boundaries.
AS we'll ask for Presbyterian sunshine
or a Baptist June as to speak OF de-
nominational university.
.'It is not the needs of the District OF
10
versity Of the United States. The local
needs are well supplied already. 1t IL
the need of the nation. And not of the
nation alone but OF the world. great
university at the Capital of the Repub-
lie would attract the free minded Of all
the earth. 1t would draw men OF all
lands to the study of democracy.
1.-The scholars and Investigators now
maintained at Washington exert an iniu
for pf official o.
sition. II the Harvard faculty and its
graduate students met on the Capitol
HILL if their influence were in the de-
partmentaI work. and their presence in
social life. Washington would become
changed city"
OF other universities which are COM
pleted or in course of completion, the
following should be noted:
The American University: The gather
ing of funds for the erection OF more
buildings and the endowment Of profess
sorships has assumed the aspect of a
movement by States. Friends in Vest Vir
ginia and in Missouri have pledged and
begun to pay money for professorshipS
to bear the names Of these States, re-
spectively Ohio frinds have made a
handsome beginning toward a fund for
the College of Government. and SINH
lar movement has been launched in
Pennsylvania for the Hall of Adlninistra-
tion. Illinois is taking hold of the Col
lege of Languages, and Maryland OF the
College of Law. From several other
States subscriptions and gifts have come
for similar purposes, thus identifying
the names of respective States with the
common broader. and national object en-
bodied in the institutions whole The
total amount of money thus far received
is about $500 900. and the present value of
its buildings, including endowments, site.
and other lands. buildings. and equip
ments, is about 81. $50 900. The American
University is under the aegis of the
Methodist Church.
The Catholic University OF America has
q board OF trustees. consisting OF seven
teen members, archb;shops. bishops, and
prominent Catholic laymen from all parts
of the United States. There are at the
university five administrative officers who
are not included among the trustees or
teachers. The corps OF instruction con-
tains fifteen full professors. seventeen as
sociate professors, two assistant profess
ors, six instructors, one lecturer and three
fellows total of thirty-four. TIE num-
ber of students at present registered Is
about 2Go. The endowments include ff-
teen chairs OF $4,000 each, in various de-
partments of theology. philosophy, letters.
sciences, and law: two feliowships. Of $1o,-
coo each: sixteen scholarships. Of 5000
each. and one scholarship toward which
81, 600 has been contributed The profess
ors and instructors are grouped In four
faculties. namely, theology. philosophy.
law and technology.
The chief aim Of the university Is to