Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-17

cent election OF Mr.. Woodrow
Wilson to the presidency Of
Princeton university. the news
papers have printed good
deal of careless writing about what
they call "a growing tendency In the
United States to put Iaymen instead OF
clergymen In charge OF the colleges ana
universities of the country.
1t may we'll be doubted II there IS any
such tendency. College trustees nave
no particular preference as TO whether
they elect laymen or preachers; they
simply try to get the best man aValla-
BILE. Laymen have often been prest-
dents OF leading colleges In America,
and the proportion Of them now IN
such positions is, perhaps, little, II
any. greater than II has been for, the
last Is years. Prior TO that time the
per centage of preachers was probably
a little greater than now. About then
college salaries in the north began to
be much larger than formerly, ana
more laymen began to seek them, and
some succeeded In getting few posi-
lions that had generally been occupied
by preachers. But there has been no
great change since. At any rate, u
still remains true that over half OF the
have ministers at their head. A list OF
4l4 lies before me now, and the forego-
ing statement is verified by actual
count.
Among the institutions the presidents
OF which are preachers may be mem
toned Bowdoin, in Maine, the alma
mater of Longfellow; Brown universe
ty. In Rhode Island; Dartmouth coll
lege, in New Hampshire, at which Dan
tel Webster was educated; Union col
lege, at Schenectady, N. Y, from which
General Robert Toombs received his
degree; Boston university. columbian
university, at Washington. ID. CT De-
Pauw university, Marietta college.
OberlIn college, New York university.
Vassar, probably the foremost college
for women in the world, and the West
ern Reserve university, presided over
by that prince of educators, Rev. Dh,
Charles +. living.
The Universities of Ohio. Nevada,
New York and Vermont, although I'M
UNCONVENTIONAL institutions, all nave
ministers for presidents.
There has been suggested by various
writers, who have undertaken TO treat
this subject that the demand now 10
for college presidents OF great business
capacity and that for this reason
preachers are being discarded. The
suggestion seems to carry with II the
insinuation that ministers are deficient
In ability to deal with financial prob
lens. Herein is a great mistake and
an unjust reflection upon the self
sacrificing and skillful men who have
done the most that has been done 70
build up the colleges of our country.
The very history of the colleges which
now have laymen as their heads con-
r.lN tou
forward to the effect that clerical pres
tAents were inefficient as financial
managers of those institutions. The
fact is, preachers know how to make
money SO further than anybody.
In the days when those colleges
were struggling for their very exist
ence when the most heroic and wise
efforts were required 10 keep them
alive, they had preachers in charge
Of them and for the best of reasons,
Wig: laymen with culture enough to
be presidents of colleges would not
serve for the small salaries then Of
fered But after ministerial prest-
dents pulled them out of the mire and
solved their most perplexing financial
problems, and after the salaries offer
ed became lucrative, there were found
Iaymen willing to take charge of them.
Moreover, I dare say that IL reverses
should overtake them and the days Of
short salaries should return they
would have to call upon the preachers
again to come to their rescue The
great colleges of America were first
endowed by the martyrdom Of minis
tiers and later by the money Of mil
lionaires. For one I am not willing
that we shall pay the debt we owe
to these men of God for all their sac
49, ~ho innOTT=
pentency in the face of the marvellous
results which they have achieved.
Republics are proverbially migrate
full, but the proverb is generally sup
posed TO be applicable to the political
organizations that are called republics.
The republic of letters ought to be
more intelligent and decent. It's
founders should not receive ingrati-
tude and injustice as the reward OF
their toll.
Moreover. It should not be forgotten
that colleges can not live by bread
alone. They require something more
than money and financial management
in order to fulfill their mission. An In
spfrfng atmosphere and lofty Ideals
are more important than heavy endow-
ments and splendid buildings. THIS IS
what General Garfield meant when he
said Mark Hopkins on one end of log
and he on another was good enough
university for him. The president OF a
college more than all others connected
with it gives to 1t its tone. 1t VIII be a
bad thing therefore, If the presidents
begin to be radiators of commercial
ism. Then truly our civilization will
begin to die at the top.
There are some tokens that bust
ness methods" are a trifie too preva-
lent and potent in some institutions of
learning. For example, the lay head OF
one of the great universities in New
England. which counts its endowment
by the millions. is on record against
the modern athletic craze, but he does
nothing to put 1t down lest the effort
should decrease the number OF stu