The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-17
: PROFESSIONAL" DEGADENGE

Professor G. T. Ladd of Yale contributes
a doleful article to the: current Forum
on 1.-The Degradation OF the PROFESSIONAL
Ofice.' He regretfully concludes that
neither professors nor their offices care
what they were in2the good, old days; that
the professor has not the position In so
ciety that he once had; that his influence
has declined, : and that as men the pro-
fessors of to-day are inferior to those of
yesterday, even if they are more thor
eughly trained for the teachingE of. some
branch of human knowledge: -, '.;. .
What the world expects Of its colleges
is men, gentlemen, and in the process Of
education, making due allowance for the
quality Of the MATERIAL it IS the person
atty of the professor that counts for more
than aught else. It is. better that the
professor should be lacking in his spe-.
cialty than that he should be lacking in.
character and impressive strength. And
it is here that Professor Ladd thinks our
professors are more and more lacking. The
cause of this PROFESSIONAL decadence> he
finds to lie in the decadence Of the times
Spirituality, he seems to think, is giving
place to materialism. :,. -
That there has been loss in authority
of the PROFESSIONAL Office there can be mo
doubt. The professor and the teacher
have not the commanding places, they once
had in the community. But perhaps this
is because of changes that have brought
thousands more nearly to the SOCIAL level
Of the professor, instead Of pulling him
down. In a community where there is
little book learning but an intense desire
and respect for it, which was the con-
dition of large part of the United States
before the civil war, there: IS, naturally,
profound respect for the teacher or pro-
fessor who can impart the longed- for
learning, who has an education so much
beyond what even the most important
men in the community have. But with the
diffusion of education, the growth of Gull
ture and the increase Of wealth, the pro-
fessor no longer stands on a pedestal
apart.
There is doubtless an element Of truth
in Professor Ladd's contention that the
greater store now set on wealth and the
inevitable great Importance Ia a CONNER
cial community OF men of wealth may
have had something of a Oppressive effect
on the position of the professor<and the
teacher, who are underpafd and find the
greatest difficulty in living as they are
expected to, even with the severest
economy. :.
|, Millions, are spent in improving the ma
| terial plants Of our, universities, but
comparatively little is appropriated to i'm
prove the personnel of the faculty If It
IS true that the great good Of a college
education, is the development that comes
from the example and precept of strong
teachers, from ennobling association. with
good and sincere men and gentlemen, then
the universities of our time are largely
on the wrong tack in spending millions
for buildings and equipment. but not a
cent more for men. & The salaries Of col
lege teachers are all too low. An instruc-
tor gets little more than a day laborer,
the professor little more than a plumber,
and there are many more demands on the
teacher than on the laborer. He must
have a library, he must travel, he must
live with some comfort, he must entertain
little. $500
That American life is not wholly given
up to materialism is shown by the large
numbers of young men who are willing
to take the PROFESSIONAL career, but be-
cause many are seeking it is not rea-
son why the salaries should he small. Be.
cause there are a. hundred good mensin