Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-12

jurisdiction. the university is authorized to
affiliate with itself institutions OF learning
outside the District which may desire to
have the benefit Of university afhliation.
Not Sectarian Institution.
ats Non-sectarian Character: The pro-
vision of the original charter of 1921 upon
this subject was subsequently repealed, and
a denominationaI provision was inserted.
BY act of Congress of January %. 1904, the
UNCONVENTIONAL requirement was repealed,
and the language of the original charter re-
enacted. The provision reads as follows:
Persons of every religious denomination
shall be capable of being elected trustees
nor shall any person, either as presldent,
professor, tutor or pupil, be refused admit
lance into the university or be denied any
of the privileges, immunities or ADVANTAGES
thereof, for or on account OF MS sentiments
in matter of religion.
'Immedia tely after this last legislation
the board of trustees was -reorganlzed 10
conform strictly with this provision OF the
charter. and no denomination has. OF can
have. a control in the board. This inter-
probation of the language of the charter Is
in accordance with the views of the trainers
of the Constitution of the United states.
In the constitutional convention James
Madison and Charles Pinckney introduced,
and James Wilson seconded. resolution
authorizing Congress to establish natlQnal
university, in which no preferences or dls.
tinctions should be allowed on account o.
religion Washington, in his WILL declared
that he wished to see national university
established in the District of Columbia on
a liberal scale. President Monroe, IN aP.
proving the original charter. said that II
was we'll digested, and that 1t looks 10 the
proper objects and grants the powers well
ada pied to their attainment. Any attempt
to make a sectarian institution or the uni
versity can be corrected by the Congress
under it's reserved power to alter or amend
the charter
1.-The charter authorizes the establish
ment of board of visitors. which may De
representative of the political and educa-
tional interests of the country, and Wn1cn
will assure the observance of every proVis-
ion of the charter.
University's Subdivisions.
'Its Colleges and Departments: The uni
versity has in its various faculties over
one hundred and sixty professors and
teachers. 1t has thirteen hundred and fifty
eight students 1t gives full day instruction
in all it's colleges and departments. Its
undergraduate work in the arts and
sciences is done by the Columbian College,
which. though bearing the name OF the
original institution from which the uni
versity sprung, Is nevertheless corpora
ton recently organized under the provisions
of the charter of the university. Besides
this college there are two other undef-
graduate colleges, organized under the pro-
visions OF the university CiidfteF-d CoiteSC
of engineering and college of pharmacy.
The possibility of giving undergraduate m
struction through subordinate colleges on
the broadcast as well as on Tie most spec INC
and practical lines is thus illustrated. Inc
graduate work of the university Is done
through a graduate department of the arts
and sciences. department of medicine. a
department of law and department of
politics and diplomacy.
THE department of politics and diplo-
macy is being organized as college of the
political sciences. carrying on undergradu-
ate graduate and professional instruction
in American history, politics economies,
finance international law and diplomacy.
Matter of Finances.
'Its financial condition.: The university
owns real estate. securities and equipment
estimated at one million five hundred thou
sand dollars against which there Is an in
debtedness of about five hundred thousand
dollars The clear assets of the university.
therefore. amount to approximately one mil
lion dollars. of which two hundred thousand
dollars belong to Columbian College.
The university derives its income at pres
ent almost wholly from tuition charges.
Therefore. the running expenses, including
the interest charges, necessarily exceed the
income. 1t is remarkable fact that, while
In other institutions of like character the
tuition fees pay on an average only fifty
per cent of the running expenses, in this
management and the self-sacrificing spirit
of the professors and teachers. these fees
pay seventy-five per cent of these expenses
the institution at the same time maintain
ing as high a standard as any in the coun-
try. and doing work which receives full
credit in the educational world.
Reasons and Objects.
General statement of the reasons and OBJ
jects of the George Washington University
movement:
"OrganiZed on these liberal and generous
lines. situated at the National Capital, es-
tablished for eighty-four years on a lesser
scale. and for the last two years on the
boadest basis conceivable, the George
Washington University has already begun
to attract the attention of the country. The
wealth of material for the use of students
which already exists in Washington is in
creilsing daily at a marvellous rate, and
graduate students are more and more find
ing themselves compelled to do great part
of their work in this city. A great univer-
sity, free from all sectarian or political con-
troll, led by men Of wide experience and cul-
ture. will formulate this mass Of material
and by systematizing 1t and assisting stu
dents to work upon 1t, will enable the in
finite matters of public interest which have
been and will be considered and decided in
the various administrative and scientific de-
partments of the government to be known
and dispassionately weighed and discussed
a very useful fundamentally for dissem-
mating useful and practical knowledge of
all kinds, especially concerning the science
of politics and government, for harmonizing
and unifying scattered educational move
ments by its persuasive action and for sup
plementng local educational action. The UNI
dergraduate colleges will provide for the
local needs, and will be sought by that
great body of young men which more and
more is being attracted to the national cap
ital in order to receive here, at as early an
age as possible. the broadening influence of
this great political and educational center
President Washington's idea.
George Washington and hLs associa ties
in the constitutional convention realized
that a great university, exercising impor-
tant functions in the life of the people of
the whole country, organized under the
power of Congress as the legislature of the
District of Columbia was a necessary and
inevitable part Of the national capital
When Madison and Pinckney introduced in
the convention the resolution to authorize
the national government to establish a
university at the capital as an institution
of the national government the convention
in its wisdom, adopted the view expressed
by Gouverneur Morrfs-that the university
to be established at the capital should be
organized by Congress as a corporation of
the District of Columbia. under it's powers
as the legislature of the District and not