New-York tribune., 1906-06-13
"SMALL COLLEGES BEST"
Charles T.. adams Criticises UNI
Uersity System of Education.

The American system of education. particularly
that In force at Harvard University, strongly
criticised yesterday by Charles Francis Adams.
who delivered the Phi Beta Kappa address at CO.
Iumba University. Mr.. Adams. who is a member
OF the Harvard Board OF Overseers. proposed to
tear down completely the large university as 1T is
at present conceived and to substitute for it
ber of small colleges with master with full au-
thority at the head of each
Mr. Adams complains that colleges at
present made up there is little close personal
contact between student and professor He points
the time. fifty years ago. when Harvard had
only 800 students He says that then under
graduate, he into personal contact with
professor only once. This experience he believed
typical of the students of his time and pointed TO
the fact that now that Harvard numbers more
than two thousand students the possibility of per-
sonal contact much less. AS an illustration OF
the value of personal contact he pointed to the
of the younger Richard Henry Dana. who
considered the most valuable part of his college
life the year that he rusticated from Harvard
and thrown under the guidance of the Rev Leon
ard Woods. Mr.. Adams said that even those col
leges known to-day the smaller ones did not
provide adequate fellowship between student and
instructor
Defining the college that he would have replace
the present system Mr.. Adams said:
In the case of Harvard, none the less, | would
it in my ~ | emu
Harvard College, in name ana continuity
should % S eegs ali Ii Rdee
of each of which should be mastei-lf T you IKE "a a
Size that individuality would be not only possible
but necessary part of the system. Inc master
should know every student; instructors and stu
several roofs and with common grounds-lndepen-
dence and individuality, under suitable resrlctlons
should be the UNDERLYING motive. ,,. -
The university, with its elaborate machinery OF
instruction. would then come into play to sup
plement college instruction. The university pro
fessors would teach: and the students OF each col
lege, under the supervision and by the advice of
the master OF the college. would select their
courses The system of general university electives
in each individual college. Inc master woull give
tone and character to his college and to each in
dividual student in it. The hnal degree. bearing
as the result of examinations in common, all the
colleges competing.
In regard to the elective system in force in most
colleges. Mr. Adams said
1 have come to regard the elective system In Its
present form OF development as an educational
rad and a very mischevous one.
He believes that the average college student is
not sufficiently matured select intelligenty the
studies which will benefit him most He defines
the educated man lone in whom the imaginative
faculties the reasoning faculties and the observ-
ing faculties have all been properly and adequately
developed
To develop such this he says that the
student must not be permitted to follow the line
of least resistance in selecting his work. but
should select those studies which have the effect
of most fully developing the faculties in which he
is deficient.
He decries especially the fact that in the present
college curriculum there is little or no provision
for the training OF the faculty of observation in
which he believes many students are wofuy de-
ton OF every course in natural science