New-York tribune., 1902-12-29
N. Y. L. MEN DENY PIQUE.
Fight OUer Universities Dinner
Explained.
UNIVERSITY" MAY BE DEFINED.


versities by the local alumni Of the fourteen
! universities that compose the association lies
] the story of New-York Universfty's unsuccess-
full attempt to obtain membership In the assoc1-
alton and the whole question of just Wnat
/ university is One of the delegates to the con-
ference says that the trouble is that the faculty
of New-York University is piqued because their
! institution did not obtain the recognition asked
| for Chancellor MacCracken and the professors.
I however, deny this. and say that they object 10
| any small group Of universities assuming the
title of Association of American universities
without giving the conditions upon which mem
| bership is based.
One of the questions to be discussed at the
fourth annual conference of the association is
to be the report of the executive committee on
membership, and professors of New-f fork UNI
versity say that the only rule that would eX-
clude them without affecting institutions no"
members would be:
No university shall become member I Of 1.-THE the aS i
sociation which is WITHIN ten miles Vi an oiue III
/ stitutiOn.
! From this it would seem that the feeling at
/ New-York University is that Columbia's IN
! fuence has been unfavorable But, according 10
/ Clarence D. Ashley dean of the Schooi or Law
of New York University, President Hadley OF
! Yale and others have written favorably of New
| York University's application for membership
| and this conference or tne dSSOCidlIoH may sc
some action taken upon the mild protest of the
| local professors.
| Three years ago delegates from Harvard fale
! Chicago Columbia and California met in Chi
cago and formed the association, with the under
/. standing that nine more universities be ADDED
THE Catholic University of America, clark UNI
I versity Cornell. Johns Hopkins. the Leland
/ Stanford ir. the University OF Michigan
/ Princeton, the University of Wisconsin and Yale
| completed the number.
! To New-York Universitys request for admis-
sion. sent in January. 1901, the answer was re-
| turned that admission was by invitation. and
! that a committee would consider the subject OF
! what constituted an American university This
! answer seemed far from satisfactory to the local
i institution, as It felt that such an associa-
! ton should have some definite standard of re-
/ quirernent for membership.
! One Of the delegates to the conference SAID
! yesterday:
! THE professors of New-York University. who
as alumni of the institutions of our association
were invited to attend Tuesday nights banquet.
/ and who refused were actuated by pique at the
/ failure of their university to obtain membership
I I'm the association. We are formed of those
universities who working toward the end
| of placing their educational schools on the basis
of higher education. requiring the degree of
| A. B. from students who desire TO pursue uni
| versity courses.
AT this conference we shall consider whether
! we are to go on club for mutual improve
/ rf..at<and enjoyment, without the necessity of
! telling other universities why exclude them.
! OF whether we shall formulate some definite
| basis upon which to judge applicants
! The University of Pennsylvania, the Leland
! Stanford. Jr.. University, and one other of our
! members desire the latter system of increased
membership. The University Of Pennsylvania
| has in fact submitted scheme, to be acted on
| at the conference admitting members State
| universities and other universities that main
! tain under one control advanced instruction in
three of the five subjects of pure science. applied
! science medicine law and theology"
Chancellor MacCracken of NewYork Univer-
| sity said yesterday in reply to the charge that
| his professors had been influenced by pique be-
| cause their institution had been excluded from
! the association:
| Il consider 1t discourteous and in the highest
degree censurable to attribute to the gentlemen
| in question any motive other than the one they
themselves give. 1 heartily in sympathy
with their position that body which arrogates
| to itself the name of the Association of Amer
! lean Universities should have definite con-
! ditions of membership and some stated reasons
WHY certain universities are admitted ana
| others excluded.
while think that any definite statement of
what in the judgment of the association, con-
stitutes a university is to be desired, have al
/ ready put myself on record as opposed 10 re-
ouiring the A. B. degree for admission to all
professional schools. In my opinion 1t would
! tend to cheaper that degree; and in Scotland
/ and in Germany the equivalent of the A b. is
! not required by the universities.
/ The professors who declined TO attend trle uIil-
| ner are: Clarence D. Ashley, Dean or the ScnooI
| of Law: Edward G. Janeway, Dean OF the UNI
! I-ersitv and Bellevue Hospital Medical College;
| Herring Dean of the GRADUATE ScHoclJ
| Isaac F. Russell, Robert w. Hall. Morris Loep'
! ernest G. Sihler Charles L. Bristol, Thomas W.
| Edmondson Austin Flint jr, Henry c Coe,
| Collins P Bliss, Charles Gray shaw Josepn
! French Johnson John Van Der Poel William
| E. Waters, Robert MacDougall. James T.
| Iough Lawrence A. McLouth, Francke II DOS,
| worth, John +. weeks, Wliileii H. rain aiN
| George P. Biggs.
ton of American Universities Will ne consloered
| in q report presented by the executive commit
| fee at the third session of the conference. held
| tomorrow in the library of Columbia Un1Ver-
| sity A luncheon given by Columpla ChiVersIy
| OF I o'cIock this afternoon opens the conference.
| The first session, at 80 p m, will consider
! ."The Certificate Method of Admission to Col
| 1eges and Universities" Tomorrow morning
leseH i az lii take ND THE Requirements for Ad-
| mission to Professional Schools, and the closing
/ session Wednesday morning, VIII be given up 10
! a discussion of uniformity of University
At the dinner at Sherry's, Fifth-ave and and
| Forty -fourth-st., tomorrow evening at .'oo
,oioo,, president Butler of Columbia will act as
tt1as+er unless kept away by the illness of
his wife The following speeches will be made:
.rrha American Universities by President
III NJ - vale. 1.-THE Universities and Modern
P'stnsss" bv James w. Alexander. Princeton,
! go. ..The Universities and Public Affairs, by
| Wavne MacVeagh, Yale, o5, formerly Attorney
! Nsre1 " of the United States and The Uni
rersities and the Learned Professions, by
President Eliot of Harvard
EARTHQUAKES IN RUSSIA.
J arthn Ike