Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-28
TO AID IN RESEARCH
Object of Johns Hopkins Uni
versity.
D R. GILMAN'S IDEA
GREAT INSTITUTION BUILT IN
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.
Famous Men Whose Work Has Stimu-
lated the Students-Proposed
Buildings.
BY VIM. E. CURTIS.

Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
BALTIMORE, Md, February "a, 1905.
When Daniel c. Gilman came to Balti-
more from the University of California in
1874 to confer with the trustees of the es-
tate of the late Johns Hopkins, he told
them frankly that If it was their intention
merely to start another college he was not
interested in the matter; but If they were
willing to make new departure he would
be glad to cooperate with them. The first
question was, What does America need
most in the way of educational facilities?"
and the answer was, AN opportunity for
original research" And that was the plan
in DIR. Gilmans mind. He explained 1T
briefly to the trustees. and the next day
they gave him their opinion in the form of
unanimous invitation to become president
of Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Gilman's idea has been developed in
remarkable manner, and Johns Hopkins Is
unique among the educational institutions
of the world The faculty were picked
from the scholars of every nation, not for
the purpose of inStructing students, but for
the purpose of guiding and directing scien-
tfic discovery and development, for the In
stituton has been run on that line. Stu
dents do not come to Baltimore SO much for
instruction as for investigation under the
guidance of specialists in the different
branches of science and learning Hence
class room work has been regarded as or
secondary Importance, and the work OF stu
dents has been done in the laboratory, the
library and their own rooms. Their ambi-
tion as well as that of the professors, is to
produce something original; not merely to
learn what has been known and done be-
fore; not SO much to acquire information as
to increase It,
Johns Hopkins Bequest.
The founder, Johns Hopkins was
Quaker merchant-banker Of Baltimore, who,
dying in 1873, placed about 81 600 IN the
hands of a few personal friends mostly
Quakers, but broadminded business men,
without conditions. The money was about
evenly divided between the university and
the hospital. Quietly and informally the
trustees conscious of their own l1mlta-
tons, conferred with President Eliot of
Harvard President White of Cornell and
President Angel of Michigan University
concerning their duty, and asked them to
recommend the proper man to prepare plans
for an institution and take charge or It's
organization. Unknown to each other, by
singular coincidence. these three gentlemen
recommended Daniel c. Gilman of the Uni
versity of California, who was invited TO
visit Baltimore and the conference l have
mentioned occurred. Gilman was inaugur-
ated in public hall in Baltimore on WASH
ingtons birthday, 1876.
The trustees gave DR.. Gilman full swing.
He created the university on his own plans;
he organized it, selected the faculty, de-
vised the plan of work and mad the
courage and the ability to adopt methods
which were then unusual, but which have
since been initiated by several other insti-
buttons. He had plenty of money; no new
institution. except stanford University, was
ever so well equipped from financial
standpoint, and DR.. Gilman offered the
largest salaries ever paid to educators
5000 year. Such munificence was UNI
heard of before that date. Learning had
very low financial value. College pro-
fessors were not paid much as cooks
and DR.. Gilman's liberality caused so much
agitation that there was a general increase
in the pay of faculties throughout the en-
tire country. The largest salaries are now
paid al Chicago and Columbia universities,
which is natural because of the expense of
living in Chicago and New York. Ten
thousand dollars a year Is the maximum
now, 5000 was twenty-five years ago
There has been no increase at Johns Hop
kns since the beginning.
In selecting his faculty the idea of origi-
nal research predominated with DIR. Gill
man. He sought the world over for the
best men he could find He brought Prof
Martin, Huxley's most famous pupil, to
direct work in biology; Prof. Sylvester
came from WoolWich Military Academy in
England to teach mathematics; Henry A
Rowland from Troy Polytechnic Institute
as professor in physics Prof. Ira Remsen
from Williams College to take the chair OF
chemistry, and Basil L. Gildersleeve from
the University of Virginia to teach Greek
Prof. Gildersleeve is the nestor of the
faculty. He is still in active service al
though seventy-four years of age, and 1t is
claimed that he has done more for philology
in the United States than any other man
He was born at Charleston, graduated at
Princeton and took his doctors degree at
Gottingen, Germany. His main work has
been done as editor of the American Jour
nal of Philology for more than thirty wears
He has published a long list of text books
wears degrees from almost every university
In this country and Europe; has been hon
ored by almost every learned society on
both continents and is always invited
abroad every year: no assemblage of schoI-
ars is complete without him.
UNIVERSITIES Most Ean,n,,c So;aa4..4