The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-20


Gilman, who for nearly twenty-five years
has been President of the Johns Hopkins
Unfversity-in fact, its first and only
president-has .signiied his intention OF
resigning that position and retiring to pri-
vate life
Last Saturday at the meeting of the
board of trustees letter was received
from Dr. Gilman informing the board of
MS purpose and explaining that his resig
nation would take effect at the close of
the present school year. which viii COM
pIete series OF just one-quarter of a cen
tury as head of the university. The fer
NAL resignation will be rendered in q. short
time, Dr. GiIman's pun pose in notifying
the board being to give it opportunity to
look over the field carefully in securing
his successor
The trustees regret the decision of Dr..
Gilman and have urged him to reconsider,
but the matter has been put in such way
as to convince the gentlemen composing
the board that It is final and will not be
reconsfdered. without exception the trus-
tees speak highly of the work done by Dr.
Gilman as president of the university
Three years ago the prospect Of Dr.. Gil
mans leaving the university 70 accept the
position Of Superintendent Of Schools OF
Greater New York drought forth protes-.
The alumni. a number Of business men,
and the board OF trustees jy1ning in the
effort to ret2in him Dr. Gilman then had
his name withdrawn from confederation
The reason now given for his resigna-
ton. according to member " the board,
is that contained in DR.. Gilman's letter
namely, that he is approaching seventy
years OF age and feds that II is time for
a younger man to tg.ke hold By this &C
ton il is said he is following the exam
ole of heads of other great educa-lonai
institutions and complying with a sort OF
unwrftten law that recognizes seventy
years as the age limit for university pres
idents.
The fact that the next few years are
likely to be critical ones in the history Of
tho university, 90 far as its finances are
concerned is regarded as being another
OF the reasons for his resignation
Friends of Or. Gilman say that he has
had in mind the giving up CT his work al
the university for year or so, and that,
realizing that in the nature OF Things ne
can remain at its head but few years
more he considers the rounding out OF
his twenty-ffth year as the most fitting
time to step down.
Members Of the board of trustees said
;
considered as the successor Of Dr.. Gil
man. but a weIl-defncr. rUmor was
abroad Yesterday that D. Ira RersSn,
head Professor of Chemis tTy, was likely
to be the choice of the board Dr. Rem
zen was acting president Of the unITer-
~ during the term of 1889 and 1890,
while DR.. Gilman was abroad He then
received the warm commentator OF the
board for his management CT affairs
There is a strong sentiment among the
alumni of the university in case Dr.. KEN
sen should not be selected, toward the
choosing of some prominent alumnus,
such as Dr. Woodrow Wilson. OF Prince
ten or Dr. Albert Shaw. editor OF the
Review of Reviews The plan of the
beard, as outlined by one OF the members,
VIII be to visit the different universities
and consult with the faculties before
making a decision
Though Dr. Gilman will leave the presi-
dents chair at the Hopkins. that does not
mean that he viii sever his connection with
the school, for he viii remain as one OF the
trustees. and as long as he lives the insti-
tuition may expect to be greatly benefited
by The wisdom of his counsels and expert
ence.
Daniel Colt Gilman was born in Norwich,
Conn. on July g. 1881. After the compile
sI0a of his earlier education he entered
Yale graduating in 1852 He continued his
studies in New Haven and later IN Berlin
-rheTe he followed the lectures OF Carl
Ritter and Adolph Trendelenburg- He
travelled extensively in Europe and studied
the social, political. and educational condi-
lions Of the countries that he visited and
also their physical structure On his re-
turn in 1855 he was invited TO become IL
brarian of Yale and subsequently to be Pre-
fessor OF physical and political geography
there and secretary of the governing board
of the Sheffield Scientific School He was
for a short time superintendent Of the pub
nd aft ard
secretary of the Connecticut State Board Of
Education From his post in Yale he was
invited in 1870. to become the first presi-
dent of the University of California and re-
NAMED at the head of the State University
until 1875
Al this time the Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity had Just been established and the COM
mittee appointed to select president. aft
ct visiting and consulting with the facuI-
ties of Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and other
big colleges chose Dr. Gilman as the first
president of the university. His work at
Hopkins has greatly enhanced his reputa-
ton When Dr. Gilman first took charge
CT the Johns Hopkins the institution was
absolutely unique in all Of its departments.
Yale. Harvard Princeton, and other SINH
lar institutions were at that time more
roIIegss than they wire universities Since
Then the Hopkins has lost much Of its
influences because of the duplication Of
DIR GiIman's work in colleges all over the
rcuntry but its prestige as one or the
greatest of the worlds universities has been
enlarged and spread
In the twenty-five years of his admins
tratfon DR.. Gilman has been almost con-
stantlv before the public aside from his
connection with the university. He was
one of the original trustees and for a
number of years president OF the John F
Slater fund for the education Of freedmen,
.nI is also trustee Of the Peabody Edu-
cafionaI Fund and also Of the Peabody IN
stitute. For a number of years he has
been corresponding member Of the Brit
ism Association for the Advancement Of
Science, and holds the position of Officer
of Public Instruction in France, an honor
conferred upon him within the last few
wears He IS aIs9 q vice president OF the
Archaeological Institute of America, and
for long time was president Of the Char
ity Organization Society of this city, and
from the start has been one OF its most
prominent and active workers.
In 1895 he was appointed by Mayor
Hooper president Of the School Board,
which was afterward ousted out Of Office
by the Court of Appeals, and in 1897 was
a member of the New Charter Commits
sion. taking an active part in drawing up
the charter under which the city Of Bal
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