Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-16
GRADUATE CLUB MEETS
DISCUSSES MATTERS IMPORTANT
TO NATIONAL FEDERATION.
Report Of Columbian Delegate to Ma
tional OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Need
ham Delivers an Address.

The Graduate Club Of the Columbian Uni
versity held a meeting Saturday evening
in the university building for the purpose
Of considering a problem regarded as i'm
portant to the National Federation Of Grad
uate Clubs Of the United States. This was
the first convention Of the club since the
sending of delegates to Columbia Univer-
sity, New York, to represent the Column
bian University at the National Federation.
To the local club, under the presidency Of
DR.. N. Monroe Hopkins, Is attributed the
credit for solving the problem Of publish
ing the transactions Of the National Fede-
ration. and much appreciation was shown
the Columbian delegates while they were
in New York. Representatives of the lead
ing universities and colleges throughout
the country were present. At the sugges-
ton OF Prof. Charles E. Munroe, dean Of
the Columbian School Of Graduate Studies,
w. T. Harris, United States commissioner
Of education, made the transactions of the
federation Of graduate clubs a part of his
national report and promised, in addition.
to prepare for special distribution among
supplied by the editor Of the federation.
DR.. Frank L. Day and DR.. William Ham
ilton were the Columbian delegates to the
New York national convention. DR.. Day
was present at the meeting Of the Column
bian Club Saturday night and gave an ac-
count of the national meeting. At the con-
clusion Of DR.. Days address the election
OF new members to the club was taken up
and other important business was trans
acted. Upon the completion of business
DR.. Charles w. Needham, president Of Co
lumbar University. addressed the club on
Research and Graduate Work"
Remarks by DR.. Needham.
He opened his address by referring to the
tendency Of the twentieth century to fed
erations. union and trusts, even in educa-
tional matters and stated that still more
marked tendency was toward specialization.
"A graduate club tends to make more
symmetrical the life Of the specialist by
contact with his fellow-man who Is en-
gagged in research work unalled with his
thereby strengthened and broadened. The
Graduate Club affords opportunity for the
chemist to meet and know the astronomer;
the biologist to meet and discuss with the
philosopher, the botanist with the physicist,
whereas with such body Of this charac-
ter in postgraduate work many would work
along their special lines without the broad
ening contact with their fellow-workers in
other fields"
In emphasizing the advance Of Specialize
ton DR.. Needham referred to the old-fash-
Toned matchmaker, who made the whole
watch. whereas today one man devotes his
time and skill to minute part of the
whole. thus developing a timepiece which is
marvel in its performance.
President Needham outlined the future
policy of the Columbian University. and
compared the projected plans with the new
plans Of other universities. Columbian, he
asserted. will require for a bachelors de-
gree in arts or science three years course
of sixty hours. whereas Harvard and sew
eral other Of the large universities will
require three years course Of but forty
eight hours. Columbian University under
the new plans, he declared, will be able
to offer more and be able not only to main
tain its standard, but to elevate it.