New-York tribune., 1905-04-17
VIRGINIA'S UNIVERSITY.
Developments and TradifjOns-Dr
4AIdermau's Problems.
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Charlottesville. Va April 13-Writine IA n.
PriestIey. in 1900. Jefferson outlined plans :,
make university not the home Of cultivates
aristOcracy. but the crown Of a comprshsnaiv,
system Of popular education He said;
About twenty years ago drew a bin for ON
legislature which proposed to Law ar e,,e
county into hundreds or townships OF five -
six miles square. In the centre Of each OF Their,
was TO be a free English school The whole State
further laid of into ten districts. in each os
which was to be a college for teaching the IAN
guages, geography. surveying and other useful
things Of that grade. and then a single unive--
sity for the sciences.
1t was nearly twenty years thereafter tbat
despite local rivalry and denOminationaI fsal-
Ousy, he secured a charter and located the Ual-
versity Of Virginia on these red Piedmont hHs
In sight Of Monticello. II opened It's doors N
1925 has sent forth long line OF able ana
useful men. and is to-day the most Influential
educational institution in the South; but e
never until now has given promise Of fulfilling
JeffersOn's ideal OF a university forming part
OF scheme OF universal public education. J.s-
fersOn's principles have borne fruit all through
the West but for nearly a century in the South
education was aristocratic. and only recently has
there been a great movement among South
ern teachers to give every child an ads-
quate primary education and Tor
him. as he shows the capacity. equality OF Op-
portunfty and an unimpeded path TO the highest
learning It is because the inauguration of Or.
Alderman az first president OF the University of
Virginia Is a significant incident IN this demo
cratIzation Of education. and Is something more
than an interesting academic function. that
college presidents from New-HaTnpshire TO 1Lis-
souri, and leaders IN the work Of civilization from
every part OF the country have gathered here
to-day. For Virginia turns % take her rishtful
place. where her founder meant her to be
This progressive democratic spirit has per-
vaded all the days doings. Governor 1Ioutagus.
IN his admirable speech OF scarcely more than
three minutes. set the note with unnistakabls
directness. and Senator Martins attention was
given to showing that the new order did not con-
hict with Jeffersonian teaching. notwithstanding
JeRerson's opposition to a president when In
1926 the place was offered TO William Writ
President AIdermal's own inaugural address
was an eloquent presentation OF the ideal of
democratic social service and educational CO.
operation as was 10 be expected from one who
almost from his college days IN North Carolina
has been champiOning the liberal support Of
common schools for all children by the stats.
And at the banquet tonight gift of 100000
was announced from Mr. Rockefeller toward
the endowment OF school OF education which
VIII In an immediate and practical sense Ink
the university with the masses and give to them
trained teachers. This fund is appropriately
named in memory Of Dr. J. l. " Curry. the
Confederate soldier and statesman. for many
years the agent OF the Slater and Peabody funds
and the untirfng worker for the education of
both whites and blacks. Participation OF the
university IN all the progressive life Of the state
and nation in a larger sense than ever before
iJ what the new movement eliminating IN Or.
Alderman's installation means and what the au-
thorities have evidently intended it to mean
Visitors, faculty and Virginia society seem TO
be in full sympathy with the presidents catholic
policy and fully committed to that long obscursd
Jeffersonian doctrine OF safeguarding the state
by securing intelligence and freedom OF oDpOr-
tunity to all it's people. 1t was not without
sienihcance that one OF the honOred guests OF
the day was the principal Of Hampton Institute.
The University Of Virginia was the first home
OF the honor system and it was the pioneer OF
the elective system. So far as resources per-
mitted and the caI for instruction warranted.
Jefferson gave the student perfect freedom 10
choose courses He had vision OF the trus
university far in advance OF his countrymeu'
but Of course. he could not conceive the multi
pIication Of studies and the growth Of great M
stitutIons. which could only do their work sue
cessfulIy with coordination and with the cen
traIized direction which he thought unnecessary.
q
and foresight and the coming transformation Is
after all. not the abandonment but the evolution
Of his idea President Alderman sketches plans
OF development on a vast scale. The creation
Of a school OF authorship, where great writer's as
IN an academy. will cOngregate and Work TO-
gether and stimulate one another, may seem
triae visionary-at least. for CharlottesVihe.
which. with all its charm, Is a little provincial
town. aside from the main current OF the na-
tion's and even Virginia's. life. That eccen-
tricity OF situation must put dificulties IN the
way Of even his essential aims There Is here
a medical school and the necessary hospital but
1t is dificult to see how it would be filled were
1t not for two railroads. with equipments far
from adequate to their traffic and consequent
high casualty rate. The university is likewise
away from the great industrial plants 50 Vaiu-
able as ad1uncts 70 higher technical training.
and from the business OF the courts; and il iS
away too. from the local centre OF wealth and
source Of support. for the force of integration Is
operative in Virginia It Is no longer the land
Of Washingtons. JerersOns. MadisOns and Ran
dOlphs, ruling the State from rural isolation. OF
Of great lawyers riding circuits.
For the university OF JefleTsOn's day the sits
was admirable AMI the plan both OF plant and
curriculum far in advance OF the time. The
country is beautiful. with it's broad outlook and
not far distant mountains. aIbei; the almost
blood red earth in vivid contrast to the verdure.
suggests a raw and bleeding landscape to one
accustomed to New-YOrk and Nsw-ERgland
scenery, where gray rocks and brown soils blend
bare spots and ploughed fields quietly into the
view These buildings are a monument 70 Jef-
ferson's taste and versatility and a standing re-
prOach 70 the Northern college builders who