, 1905-01-19
pRtSlDfNT nSDfL'S
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
,Continued from page ~

and at the same time insists upon
certain amount of intensive and care
ful scholarship. To keep abreast o
this progressive movement som,
changes may be desirable in the cours,
of study at the University of Wyoming
Another progressive movement il
the tendency of colleges of liberal art.
to CHER more extended courses in polit
ical science and sociology. The prob
lens of public finance, the relations Of
labor and capital, the intricacies Of
our highly complex industrial life
commercial. constitutional, and inter
national laval are taking an impor
tant place in the curriculum of the
state Universities; and rightly so, TO,
the state is vitality concerned in the
development of intelligent practical cit
izenship. For a number of years the
head Of this department at the Univer.
sity OF Wyoming has been the presi.
dent of the institution, and the pres
sure of the administrative duties of
his office has made it impossible for
him to develop the department of DO
htical economy in a way to keep pace
with other schools.
The problem of a summer term is
also pressing and this is especially
true in the normal school.
Many teachers throughout the state
who have not received collegiate or
normal training and who are o able
to attend the regular sessions of the
university, are eager to receive the ad-
vantage of university training. Some
who AVE already received their de.
gree are applying to the university to
devise means by which they can con-
tinue their work for the masters de.
glee. A few of our teachers succeed
in getting away into other state for
summer study. But only a compare,
lively small number are able to take
advantage of distant schools, and ev-
en- for these the expense of tuition and
railway transportation is excessive and
the heat of summer in the lower alti.
tudes makes systematic and concen-
trated mental work exceedingly diff
cult.
A summer term at the university
would do away with man. of these
difficulties. 1t would place the advan-
tages of collegiate and normal train
ing within the reach of a very large
number of our teachers, for tie ex-
pense of tuition would be practically
eliminated and the expense of railroad
fare very much reduced for most.
Moreover, the heat of summer in Lar
'amie is never oppressive. No other
school in America has a location bet
ter adapted to concentrated mental
work during the summer months.
Furthermore, it would be a great
advantage to Others who are not teach
ers. Our young men and women are
eager to get at their life work early.
They do not feel they can spend the
time necessarily to get the best edu'
cation. They therefore content them
selves with short and inadequate
courses. Summer work at the univer-
sity, however. would make it possible
for our boys and girls to finish their
study in shorter time and SO get at
their life work either earlier or better
prepared.
In the departments of applied sci
ence we are face to face with the prob
lem Of inadequate preparation for high
grade technical work. At the Univer'
sity of Wyoming and other schools in
the west students have been admitted
to the courses in agriculture and en-
cheering two years before they could
be admitted to the college Of liberal
arts, and consequently receive their
degree two years sooner. Young men
have thus been allowed to undertake
highly specialized technical studies
without sufficient training or matur-
ity Of mind to make these technical
st.dles mcst valuable. Our technical
teachers are generally agreed that 1t
is intellectually impossible for a boy
to become q capable professional en-
gineer in Ave years after he has COM
pleted the eighth grade of u public
school. Moreover, all bachelors de-
grees granted by any university should
be as nearly equivalent as possible.
The degree in applied science should
not be cheaper than the degree I n pure
science OF in arts: To be sure all the
studies in the university should be op-
en- and are open to anyone who has
the training or maturity Of mind to
pursue them; and persons of mature
years, whose early education has been
neglected. should be allowed to enter
the university and take whatever stud
les they desire and are able to pursue.
without q rigid insistence on all the
requirements for admission; but how
ever long these special students re
main at the university they should not
expect a degree unless they can meet
the full requirements Of we'll rounded
scholarship. The requirements for
graduation need not be cheapened to
meet these special A good
school Is quite as much to be desired
as a large school. Every sane mar
In he state of Wyoming, who Is able