Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-11
WITHOUT PRESIDENT OR FAcuL
The Boston Fenway Group Of Eduea-
tionaI Institutions Bids Fair to Be-
come the Largest in the World.


5estowing on Chicago University will
make the lakeside institution the larg-
est ever created. Meanwhile however,
for at time at least, it is likely that the
leading place i'm point of members will
be held by Il university that nobody
has ever heard of-that has no legal
existence and yet which is as real n
university in most essential respects as
any other.
The constituent members of the I'M
named university of the Fenway in this
city already have attendance lists eX-
ceeding six thousand students-more
than any other in the lanG-and by the
time occupation is practically complete
say five years hence--it may be eX-
pected that there will he in the newer
district Of the Back Bay an aggrega-
ton of at least dozen important higher
schools with student population of
ten or twelve thousand. This univer-
Sity should normally at that time be
the largest in the United States, per-
haps the largest in the world. Several
of its schools are already in operation
in, the Fenway neighborhood, viz, th.
New England Conservatory of Music,
j
Medical School, and Simmons College
for women. Others are 10 follow. This
September witnesses the opening of tho
Fenway studios, building for paint
ers and sculptors, many of whom have
private classes, and ground will be
shortly broken for the new structure OF
the Museum Of Fine Arts, which
maintains one of the most important Of
American art academies. The Harvard
Medical School, heavily endowed by j
p. Morgan, j. ID. Rockefeller and othera
will shortly be completed, and the Har-
ward Dental School hopes presently to
he situated nearby. Right in the dis
trict also will be the Boston Normal
college and training school for teachers
and the Girls Latin school. Several
Ctner Institutions are planning to come
in later.
The components of this university
will unless some educational promoter
disturbs their relationships, have the
advantage Of growing up independent
ly, each in its own way, and yet, nee
essarily. more or less Influenced by the
| ideas prevailing throughout the group.
Just as friendships among neighbors
in the same street are based on affinity
50 among these educational neighbors.
alliances that are really helpful are
easily made. For example, Il natural
connection exists between the teaching
Of the arts of music and of speech.
Hence there has lately been formed
an utilization between the New England
Conservatory of Music and the Emer-
son College Of Oratory by virtue of
which the students in the one inStitu-
ton may have educational advantages
i'm the other. besides sharing dormitory
privileges. Again Simmons College de-
voted to the domestic arts, has been
giving popular lecture courses in con-
nection with the school of the Museum
of Fine Arts. ''' '''
AT any rate here We get on and near
the FenWay 4 lot of contiguous schools,
with no common president or faculty..
yet allied as emphatically IS if the va
rious components We're merged in the
way SO many schools of Illinois are
affiliated under the leadership of the
University of Chicago. Some of the
schools it is true. owe other allegiance,
are parts OF Harvard with headquart-
crs in Cambridge. or of Tufts in Med
ford. but they all conform to a certain
FCnway type.
Above oil, though some of them ar,
by no means young institutions, they
are now starting to grow up together.
That Is what counts. That is what will
pun them in The same general direction.
Putting dozen or Il score of schools
into the same neighbO:hOod is not at
al unlike bringing Up lot of young
people in close association. They draw
together and get the strength that
comes from being members of n group
as well as from their own Self-devcIop-
ment. And time and surroundings so
every educator knows, are as import
ant in the making OF Z school as in the
training of 4 man or woman. You cam
not create a great educational inStitu-
ton in a year by spending half a mil
lion dollars or a million or ten millions
on it any more than you can educate Il
youth in five weeks by examining the
knowledge of the ages down his throat
It's in accordance with the modern
style that the largest-lni one Of the
tirst-of the schools Of the president
less university Of the Eeaway to get
fairly started in its new location on 4
permanent basis is tho New England
Conservatory of Music. now about TO
begin the SD year Of its existence and
its third year in the now building on
Huntington avenue Inl dormitories on
Hemenway street. Music is in many
ways the characteristic nne ar; of this
age, and its progress in America has
certainly been as rapid as that of any
ut. Consequently the oldest of Amer;-
can music schools is not unnaturaIly
one of the most active and vigorous
members Of the university group. Its
management some years ago forecast
ed the drift Of Boston schools to the
Fenway and arranged to give up thu
structure in Franklin square which it
mad occupied since 1882.
A mark of the schools Of the Fenway
group. if one may judge from what has
already been accomplished, is the at
tentiOn that is given to educational
equipment, 10 physical comfort, and the
decencits of appearances. Rightly or
wrongly the old idea of submitting
young people, or leaving them to sub
nit themselves to hardships and un-
plcasantnesses during their educational
CO,rSa hnc yonp orr of this cOllntry.