The Washington herald., 1907-06-22
Famous American Educators
By FREDERIC J. HASKTN
By FREDERIC j. HASKIN.

For centuries education remained in
the hands Of the ecclesiastical powers
They were the personihcation OF learn
ing, end rightly so, because In the early
ages it was accessible only to them
Through the monks and priests Of the
Dark Ages learning was preserved IN
The monastrvies. hidden from the van
dalism of invading armies. and later re-
stored to the world in the light Of the
Renaissance. This is a great debt to the
church that the world can ever repay
Yet to have kept education always un-
der the dominion Of the church would
have narrowed Il and destroyed much Of
its usefulness.
The colleges of the United States are
realizing this more than ever to-day
and instead of selecting their presi-
dents, as of old, from among the lead
ing clergy of this or that denomina
tion, are inclining more to the all
around men The modern college presi-
dent no longer has TO hold a chair all
day and labor late into the night with
his administrative work. College and
university life Is too complex now for
that. He must essentially be a scholar.
essentially a man Of broad religious
views and convictions for he has the
molding Of minds that will mold the
nation; but more essentially must he be
a man Of affairs He must be of the
world and know men and methods Of
business. and so be able to exercise
that tactful knowledge that will build
up his institution and keep 1t on the
high plane that is needed 20 insure its
permanenCy.
In 1910 the Rev. Henry Dunster was
elected president of Harvard. and for
a century only ministers held the presl-
Dental chair there. Then as interests
widened. as the curriculum grew. as
the sciences made progress, and other
professions came into prominence, the
minister had 20 take his chances with
men Of a dozen or so other professions.
So far the scholar still has precedence
over the business man. It is possible
that Seth Low is the only business man
that has had charge of the administra-
tive affairs Of a university. resigning
from Columbia to become mayor Of
New York
President Arthur Twining Hadley, Of
Yale. is usually considered the most typi-
cal modern educator being a man whose
many interests and wide education have
rounded him into a distinctive type. An
authority on political economy. the author
OF Railroad Transportation. Its History
and Laws" once commissioner Of labor
statistics for the State Of Connecticut.
and president Of the American Economic
Association. it is easy to see the greater
drift Of his talents. He has administer
ed the affairs Of Yale since 1880.
President Granville Stanley Hall, Of
Clark University, is psychologist of
note, a man Of exceptional distinction In
this line. He was graduated from VIII
uams College and studied at Berlin,
Bonn. Heidelberg. and Leipzig. returning
TO be professor at Antioch, and lecturer
at Harvard and Williams. He was then
placed on the staff Of instructors at Johns
Hopkins University, and IN 1856 was
chosen president of Clark. He is the best
modern authority on the new psychol-
ogy'
DIT. Nicholas Murray Butler, who was
chosen president Of Columbia in 1902, is
the author Of educational works OF ex-
ccptoual value and reliability. Under his
direction and edttorship a series Of mon
ographs on education IN the United States
was prepared Tor the Paris Exposition,
and again FOR the St Louis Exposition.
He IS the author of q number of books
on the same subject Educated at Colum-
bia with graduate work at Berlin and
Paris, he has always had the interests of
his alma mater at heart When he had
founded the New York College Of Teach
ers. he knew the good that would accrue
to it from affiliatiOn with Columbia, and
secured ITS Incorporation in the universi-
T.. His influence as an educator has
been wide. For IA time he was member
Of the New Jersey board OF education
and when the New York bill establishing
a minimum rate Of pay for teachers was
laid So Gov Roosevelt for his sigma
ture 1. was with Dr. Butler that the
States chief executive consulted before
signing.
President Charles William Eliot. OF
Harvard. is also one Of the nation
strongest influences for better and higher
education He was graduated from Har.
ward, returned there as tutor and teacher
and after two years Of study abroad
came back 10 become an instructor in the
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
Then in 1859 this modern authority or
chemistry. this clever man with The
ability 70 direct the trend of modern
thought in many new and Clearly-Cut
channels. was placed in the presidentia
chair at Hdryard-auother "man-o parts
in good old Dr. Dunster's and Increase
Mathers chair, TO typify the needed
changes Of the time.
Cornell University has one Of the lead.
ing modern philosophers in her presiden.
tial chair. This Is Jacob Gould Schur.
mann. a native Of Prince Edwards Island
and a graduate Of the provincial schools
of Canada the universities of London
Edinburgh, Heidelberg, and Gottingen
He taught IN Nova Scotia. but Cornell
reached out after him in 1856 and made
him professor of philosophy. and IN 1S9.
chose him as president lie is a skilled
and prolific writer on the subject which
ne so early mastered.
In President James BurriU Angel the
University Of Michigan secured an au
thority on international law az we'll as
q diplomatist Of reputation and rar,
ability. He was q Rhode Island man, &
graduate Of Brown University. and
teacher there for "a while Newspaperdou
then claimed him. and he became editai
OF the Providence Journal He was presi
dent of the University Of Vermont before
he went 70 Michigan. His catholcity o.
spirit brought him in touch with MANI
things that were not hedged in by th'
university campus. and in ls97-lS9s he wa,
Minister from the United States Z,
Turkey He was a member Of the Cana