The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-28
TALKS TO ALUMNI
Address Of President Roosevelt
at Cambridge, Mass.
Deals With Subjects Of Interest
to the College Man.
LUXURY AND SPORTS
Advocates Palmer Style of Liv-
ing for the Students.
Athletes Should Avoid Anything
Tending to Professionalism.

Cambridge June 28.=President ROOse-
welt this afternoon delivered an address
10 the graduates and alumni of Harvard
college. He said:
"a great university like this has two
especial functions The first is to pro-
duce small number Of scholars Of the
highest rank, a small number of men
who, in science and literature, or in art,
viii do productive work OF TIE first
class. The second is to send out into
the world a very large number of men
who never could achieve, and who
ought not to try to achieve, such
position in the field of scholarship, but
whose energies are to be felt in every
other form Of activity; and who should
90 out from our doors with the balanced
development of body, of mind, and
above all. OF character, which shall fit
them TO do work both honorable and
efficient.
Much of the effort to accomplish the
first function, that of developing men
capable of productive scholarship, as
distinguished from merely initiative, an
nOtative, or pedagOgic scholarship, must
come through the graduate school. The
law school and medical school do ad-
mirable work in fitting men for special
professions. but they in no shape or
way supply any shortcomings in the
graduate school any more than does the
college proper, the college OF the under
graduates The ideal for the graduate
school and for those undergraduates
VINO are TO go into it must be the ideal
of high scholarly production, which IS
TO be distinguished in the sharpest fash
ION from the mere transmittal Of ready
made knowledge without adding to it.
If America is to contribute its full
share. to the progress not alone OF
knowledge, but Of wisdom, then we
must put ever-increasing emphasis on
university work done along the lines Of
the graduate school We can best help
the growth of American scholarship by
seeing that as a career it is put more
on a level with the other careers open
to our young men. The general opinion
of the community is bound to have a
very great effect even upon its most
vigorous and independent minds If in
the public mind the career of the scholar
is regarded as of insignificant value
when compared with that of glOrified
pawnbroker. then it will with difficulty
be made attra ctive to the most vigorous
and gifted of our American young men,
Good teachers, excellent institutions, and
libraries are all demanded in a grad
uate school worthy of the name.
An Urgent Demand.
But there is an even more urgent de-
mand for the right sort of student No
f1rst-class science. no hrst-class Htera-
ture or art, can ever be built UP with
Gecond-class men. The scholarly career,
the career of the man of letters, the
man of arts, the man of science, must
and virile youths who now feel that
they can only turn to business. law, OF
politics. There is no one thing which
viii bring about this desired change.
but there is one thing which will ma
teriaIly help in bringing it about, and
that is to secure to scholars the chance
Of getting one of a few brilliant posi-
tions as prizes If they rise to the first
rank IN their chosen career. Every such
brilliant position should have as an &C
compartment an added salary, which
shall help indicate how high the position
really is: and it must be the efforts OF
the alumni which can alone secure such
salaries for such positions
AS a people I think we are waking
up to the fact that there must be better
pay for the average man and average
woman engaged in the work Of educa-
ton But I am not speaking of this
now; I am not speaking of the desira-
hiIity. great though that is, Of giving
better payment to the average educator,
am speaking of the deSirability OF
giving to the exceptional man the
chance of winning an exceptional prize,
Just as he has the chance to do in law
and business In business at the pres
ent day nothing could be more healthy
than an immense reduction in the mon
ey value of the exceptional prizes thus
TO be won; but in scholarship what is
needed is the reverse In this country
we rightly go upon the theory that it is
more important to care for the welfare
OF the average man than to put a
premium upon the exertions of the eX-
CeptionaI But We must not forget that
the esta blishment of such premium
FOR the exceptional. though of less i'm
portance, is nevertheless of very great
Importance. It is important even to the