The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-14

| Of that fact alone.
Young Men as College Presidents.
Like not a few other commanding fig
ures in American education, DR.. Alder
man has been elected to position Of
weighty administrative responsibility at
an age comparatively young. He is
rot yet past his foTty-third year. In
selecting him TO be the head Of an in
stitution that is concededly the intel
| lectual glory Of the South Atlantic
States, the board Of visitors of the Uni
versity OF Virginia freshly illustrates
that the greater universities demand, as
their administrative heads. men who
though not inexperienced. are yet in the
early prime of life. and ready to dedi-
cate to the work given them to do the
most effective possible administrative
capacity.
DR.. Eliot, Of Harvard, was elected
president at the age of thirty-fve; Dr.
| Hadley, of Yale at forty-three; DR.. But
Ter. OF Columbia, at forty; DR.. Wilson,
Of Princeton. at fOrty-six; DR.. Hall, Of
Clark, at forty-three; DR.. Harper. of
Chicago, at thirty-f1ve; DR.. Remsen, Of
Johns Hopkins. at ffty-fve; DR.. Harri-
son, Of Pennsylvania. at ffty-one; DR..
| Schurman. OF Cornell at thirty-eight
and DR.. Wheeler, OF California, at forty
five
The average age Of these eleven men
when they were elected to be heads
respectively Of these universities is
lforty-three years-the exact age OF
Theodore Roosevelt when he acceded to
the Presidency in 1901. The average age
Of these eleven university presidents at
this time is fifty-two years-the exact
age of Alton B. Parker, when he was
nominated for President by the St. Louis
convention.
Il Political dialecticians may fnd'in these
figures a subject for interesting, II not
fruitful. discussion. Discriminating
critics, however, will discern in them
merely the fact that boards Of trustees
of American universities nowadays are
inclined 10 select as university presi-
dents not men whose regulations have
been long made. but rather men whose
physical and mental vigor promises the
Largest usefulness and whose reputa-
tons as successful administrator,
: though not obscure, are yet in the max
ing.
Sketch Of His Career.
/, This is perhaps one reason why DR..
Alderman has been intrusted with the
. Eeadship Of the University Of Virginia
\ He was born forty-two years ago in
Wilmington, y. c. He IS a little more
than half as old as Thomas Jefferson
was when the sage Of Monticello at
tended the opening Of the University OF
Virginia at Charlottesville in 1928.
| Comparatively young though he is
Dr. Alderman's life has not been an in
cidentlsss one. In Il, to be sure, may be
found no san Juan hills, yet it is. never
theIess, not wanting in crowded, even
II quiet hours. He was prepared for
COLLEGE at the Bethel Military Academy
IN the State Of Virginia. and was gradu-
! ated from the University OF North Caro-
llina-"Chapel HHT'-in the class Of 1882
2 IN the same year DR.. Butler was gradu.
1 ated from Columbia College-now Co.
d lumbia University.
As a student. Dr. Alderman was q
leader IN many phases Of undergraduate
life He won distinction IN the depart,
o ments Of history, English, literature
economies, philosophy, and public speak
ing. Members Of the faculty at the Uni
versity recognized in him a young mar
, Of purpose and persistence. and one
b TOO. who was likely to keep faith will
ID his ideals.
. A Diligent Student.
Il
y hardly what might be called a "dlg
He sympathized keenly with the human
things of life. and thoroughly enJoye,
his college course He had been rearet
d in the aealthful. II somewhat severe. at
nosphere Of Calvinism. yet he was in n
D sense either a prude or a prig.
He saw at close range, the social sid
9 OF college Hfe-was in IL. which wa
- well enough in its way. and what Wa
70 a great deal better, was OF it-heaitil
g and thoroughly.
= Chooses His Life Work.
For more than a hundred years pre-
g cedlnR Dr. Alderman's graduation, Wit
- the exception only Of the four year
q from 1861 to 1865. Chapel Hin" ha
n been the nursery Of not a few men q
n light and leading IN Southern life Grad
l. yates OF the university had especlau
taken high rank in the professions q
@ law and politics.
9 Around the hreside IN that frontie
? world" DIR. Alderman says IN one q
l. his recent addresses, touching SOuther
IS life under the old regime. the tai
L did not fan so much upon the kin
~ Of man who forms the syndicate or col
a neTs the stock market, or who wage
g the warfare Of trade around the work