The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-30

Cambridge, Mass, June 2S.-Al
though nominally celebrating with lis
classmates the twenty-fifth anniver-
sary of the class OF 80, from Harvard
University, President Roosevelt was
today the honored guest of America s
most ancient seat of learning. No de-
grees Of honor were conferred upon
him as he already holds the highest
degree the university is empowered to
bestow, but the welcome accorded him
by Cambridge citizens, alumni and col
lege officials was most cordial.
The President entered heartily into
played Il leading part in all the func-
tons incident to the occasion. It was
scarcely . o'clock this morning when
the Lieutenant Governor, representing
the commonwealth, called at the home
of Bishop William Lawrence, where
the President spent the night, to escort
him to the Harvard yard, where the
academic procession was to form for
the march to Saunders theatre, the
scene of the commencement exercises.
Following the commencement exercises
the President made three public adj
dresses, one at the Harvard Union, a
second and the principal one of his
tour, ut the annual alumni dinner in
Memorial hall, and a third from the
steps of Memorial hall to the members
of the alumni, who could not gain al
mittance to the Memorial hall eXer-
ciSes.
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
\ great university like this has two
especial functions. The first is to pro-
duce Il small number of scholars of the
highest rank, small number of men
who, in science and lierature or in art,
Will do productive work of the first
class. The second is to send out into
the world Il very large number of men
who never could achieve, and who
ought not to try to achieve, such Il
position in the field of scholarship, but
whose energies are to be felt in every
other form of activity; and who should
go out from our doors with the bal
dnced 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,
annotative, or peda gogic scholarship,
must come through the graduate
school. The law school and medical
school do admirable work in fitting
men for special professions, but they
in no shape or way supply any short
cOmings in the graduate school any
more than does the college proper, the
college of the undergraduates. The
ideal for the graduate school and for
those undergraduates who are to go
into it must be the ideal of high schol-
arly production, which is to be diStln-
suished in the Sharpest fashion from
the mere transmittal of ready-made
knowledge without adding to it. Ii
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 grad
uate school. We can best help the
growth of American scholarship by
seeing that as a career it is put more
or level with the other careers open
10 our young men. The general Opin-
ion of the community is bound TO have
a very great effect even upon it's most
vigorous and independent minds. If
III the public mind the career of the
scholar is regarded as of insignificant
value when compared with that of a
filorified pawnbroker, then it will
with difficulty be made attrac-
tive to the most vigorous and
Good teachers. excellent inStitu'
tons, and libraries are alf demande
in a graduate school worthy of the
name. But there is an even more ur-
gent demand for the right sort of stu
dent. No first-class science, no first
class literature or art, can ever be
built up with second-class men. The
scholarly career, the career of the man