New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-01


OF a comprehensive history Of Columbia Uni
versity just now. not so much on account Of this
weeks sesouicentennial celebration as because
the close of the one hundred and dftieth year
of the life Of the institution affords oppor-
tunity to survey most effectively the story of
the growth of the college TO the full stature of
a university. Columbia will continue to grow
and TO develop. but It will grow and develop
along the lines which it is organized.
In the volume just prepared by the committee
Of The Columbia University Press, of which
Professor Brander Matthews. the Editor of The
Quarterly is chairman. each school of the
university is the subject of separate chapter,
all held together by an illuminative article by
Professor Munroe Smith on The Development
OF the University"
The history of Columbia is most interesting in
fits earliest and In its most recent days. It's
career, in fact, may be divided into four periods
Foundation. as Kings College. under the presi-
dency of Samuel Johnson; stagnation under his
SUCCESSORS; expansion, under President Frederick
A. P Barnard. and coordination, under the
nresidencies of Seth Low and Nicholas Murray
Butler The first two periods covered by
Dean Van Amrnge. who writes entertainingly
cf Kings College and Columbia College" AL
though the college opened with attendance
Of only eight students. who were taught in the
Hestry room of Trinity Church. and although
gated the following year took special cognizance
OF such offences as ''winking' at "publick wor-
ship or in the hail. the prospectus composed
by President Samuel Johnson was liberal in
spirit and comprehensive in scope. 1t included
not only the ordinary subjects of the contem-
porary English college course-Latin and Greek,
logic rhetoric and mathematics-but also:
Surveying and navigation geography y,,. and
ment, and 49,. the knowledge Of all nature
and OF everything useful for the comfort, con-
venience and elegance of life in the chief manu-
features.
This" as Professor Munroe Smith observes,
was to claim for the college the entire field
of the chronological and Of the non professional
graduate schools of the modern university"
Most OF this field left untitled for want of
means. although at various times efforts were
made to extend the scope Of the institution be-
yond that of merely undergraduate school
A notable instance was the starting in 1T6I
Of the medical department, which later vas alb
sorbed by the newly founded College Of Ply
sicians and Surgeons, in turn to be absorbed in
recent days a component part IF tie uni
versity. An attempt In 1884 10 make Columbia
the nucleus of a State university proved abor-
tive, but resulted in the organization Of the Re-
gents of the University of the State Of New
York" who. under their abbreviated title. still
exercise supervisory jurisdiction over the edu-
catonal interests of the State In 1880 the prop
osition TO establish another university in the
city aroused the trustees TO definite action IN the
direction of broadening the curriculum.
scientific and literary course added, pub
lie lectureships were established. a number of
free scholarships created and nautical school
projected.
None Of these features save the free scholar
ships seemed u meet an immediate want: the
course and the public lectureships died a
natural DEATH and the nautical school was never
born. Again, in 1851. the trustees resolved to
establish three graduate schools-of Letters. of
Science and of Jurisprudence. The actual out
come was the School of Law, which. under Pro-
fessor Theodore w. Dwight. became a largely
attended and successful avenue TO the bar" to
which students were admitted without exam
inaticn.
During this first hundred years or its history
the aims of Columbia were high, but its means
were limited its property unproductive. It was
era Of encouragement. The stagnation of
the college material. not spiritual. It re-
Quired the persistent loyal energy OF the strong
men who directed its destinies merely TO keep
IL alive. With the advent of President Barnard
and the Increase in income due 10 the enhance
Inent in the value OF its real estate holdings the
college began TO take on new life. The School
Of Mines was started. and an alliance was made
with the College Of Physicians and Surgeons by
which II became, nominally, at least, the Med-
cal School OF the college. Although during
she fifteen years from 1864 to 1879 no
new educational enterprises were attempted.
President Barnard kept constantly before the trus-
tees; The faculties and the public the ideal OF uni
taken during his presidency to widen the range OF
ooumbia's work was previously urged by him:
nearly every forward movement of the kind that
has since been initiated, is now contemplate
VII be found suggested in one or Other Of his
developments are foreshadowed thai can hardly be
SAID 70 be. as yet. in contemplation.
The arst effective move in the direction of real
untversity expansion was made in 1880 by the
establishment OF the School of Political Science
s-ith Professor Burgess dean. The founding
"a this school and its successful operation at
once gave new impulse TO the movement for
university organization, in which Professor
Burgess may be regarded the leading spirit
The chief points Of his programme were:
Maintenance of the disciplinary or gynnasIal
character OF the college 10 the close OF the junior
year; the shortening of the college course, not
senior year university year; provision for ad-
vanced instruction and for research In non-pro-
closely associated with the professional faculties
and the direction Of the educational policy OF the
university by academic senate composed of
representatives, OF the different university facul-
ties.
This programme went into operation during
lie early years OF President Lows admInistra-
ton, contemporaneously with the esta bshment
OF the School OF Philosophy. OF which Professor.
now President. Butler, the youngest member
Of the faculty, was made the dean. Then came
the actual incorporation Of the College OF Physi-
clans ard Surgeons medical department of
the college. now for the first time formally
known Columbia University the reorganlza-
tion Of the School Of Law. the founding of the
School of Pure Science. and the association with
nd