New-York tribune., 1908-09-25
a UNIVERSITY TRUST
M M4CCR4CKEN,S IDEA.
Tells Of Struggle Neao York Uni
neratu Has Had to Make.

.he country. managed. perhaps unwittingly
- ire lines Of commercial monopoies was
- BY Chancellor MacCracken of New York
.rss;ty in a speech delivered last night at the
0-r Of the School of Commerce. Accounts and
-.,re in the University Building. Washington
..-e East. In dwelling upon the opposition Of
- sr-,ist'' members TO his own institution and the
80 Of their psrtisans TO persuade wealthy per-
- not to give money New York University
y NacCrackea exclaimed that ''unconsciously the
=, and strong neighhors Of New York University
..ve treated her If she ought TO be hanged or
.s,t 10 the stake
n speaking Of the growth OF this feeling, he said
- sru,ut twenty years ago the president of a
riohbo-fng university had said there not room
= +,is civ for two universities. Although DR. Mac
~-cker did not mention any names many in the
-s,.-oa recalled that this remark made by
g Low when he was president of Columbia
p NscCracken also said that nothing worse
,-75 bsppeu three universities within one hun
- niles of New York than make a trust out
- -hera After his speech, te said in reply TO
,.,ss,;on thst he had in mind Columbia, Yale and
Princeton
l-Ss,+ Of the School Of Commerce. Accounts and
rr-.nce which will number this year between
.h,rssnd and twelve hundred The students were
s1sded into TWO meetings. filing two large halls,
D- MscCracken, after pointing out the difficulties
nth which the New York University has contend
- sid he hoped for brighter future. To that
- he asked his hearers whether they would vote
= authorize him to subscribe the entire student
hosy to a letter 10 Governor Hughes and 10 Lieu
+srszt Governor Chanler, asking each TO reply
vbsther i elected Governor. he would recommend
n the Legislature the three following acts:
,oere e 1sAf he odest 6y far in the Tnited states
V-bjch was defeated three years ago;
which they may find expedent, our School Of Com
lavrce. Accounts and Finance: -. - -
study instead Of two as at present as the guam
fca7icn for admission to the bar
The Chancellor explained that for three years
there has been in the Legislature bill 20 provide
for establishing q state veterinary college at the
university and that il had been defeated by the
uustste element Nevertheless, the legislators
have supported "a veterinary school in g far dis
rsnt village a cost Of SIS 600 from the state rev
enves he said The votes for placing the student
tso6v On record as favoring the measures were
unanimous in each case
In opening his speech Dr. MacCracken observed
with 2 smile that imitation was the sincerest
commitment and remarked that the newspapers
had inst announced that Boston was TO have
school Of the precise title Of the New York Uni
versftv School Of Commerce. Accounts and Finance,
and tha- New Yorker was to contribute $oeoen
- il Harvard he said, had established a school
q Business Administration" He regretted that
Harvard had not copied the title as well as the
curriculum OF his school. for he observed, they
are the only kind of compliments that are ever
given our university by its older and richer uni
versity neighbors- No less than three Of our fac
uIties are pioneers in their class in the United
States but I have never heard Of q word of
acknowledgement from any university that has copied
them"
This success Of New York University both in
achievement and IN attracting students, he said,
gave rise a question TO how il has been
neglected in comparison with its neighbors by
those who give ought 20 give 10 higher educa-
ton" and how II is that the university has been
obliged 10 depend the sacrifice Of professors and
the collection Of small subscriptions for its current
support. he then said:
offer this evening for the first time my solu-
Jion The anomaly arises from the adoption and
and prornulgation. by our older and richer neigh
bors IN the university business OF the monoPons-
for second university. This was announced
axiom. by the president Of neighbor university
I regarded II then as a whimsical utterance OF
ca az 5asr snS richest fIT7iyerxtv neghbors They
have been so enveloped by business corporations
that they have unwfttingly classified themselves
with owners Of railways or with producers Of
stead Of classifying themselves with charitable
sne religious bodies where they really belong
The result is the existence in this region Of Amer
lea OF virtual university trust. They forget the
essentlsl difference between corporations Whlch Ged
Il things and corporations like universities and
human brains and hearts and wills They forget
that q church trust in the latter commodities was
discarded al the Reformation once and forever. On
this rejection Of trust in the shaping OF souls We
have been building for four hundred years
Yet 11nconsciousiv the rich and strong neighbors
Of View York University have treated her as If she
ought % Re hanged or sent to the stake Every
one has heard of the narro|ness and nt9Ierance OF
ecclesiastical HaEhstes but the very coolest recep-
.on ever ssw given oy gronp OF ehITSaGs aod 70
was ar erectlonate embrace compared WITH me
reception that has been given New York University
yss-s hs 6as seiaon taken the shape Of formal
action. They hardly conscious Of how they
ana - act n support Of the platform There is
-ac1 in the American metropolis for only one uni
~e-sitv"
vs-e-rhe1ess. he said New York University re-
cefved last year more in tuition than paid 20
s-v except I've other universities the continent
As -urton cannot support a university. the result
has been that the two hundred teachers and in
strcrors receive from 81 000 280e less for sal
ares sne eouirnent than are paid in the older in
st:t1rions Regarding the question Of gifts he said
have hss direct testimony from benefaetors Of
olr university that partisans OF one or other o.
or older and richer neighbors have argued Win
then upon the nwisdom Of their helping younger
happen at various churches than to re-estabish
the church trust Il five hundred years since Moth
II 55re6 Sulg 3iiee e this eity than to make such
virtual trust II them as 70 forbid fourth uni
would simply create q reaction that would lead 70
tha 5iree1jon and the control Of the state or the
city want our neiEnbor universities. 20 whom
Us Godspeed
Despite this he said that during the last fiscal /
year TIE income. including "a few subscriptions.
only ef which reached s5.eo," had been SUI f.
hcieur n meet all current expenses 1t is a (
sober fact he said. that except for the help Of
& few noble ladies who are immune against the /
contszicn Of the doctrine Of the university trust
New York University would have been obliged 10 |
smut most Of its doors"
Other speakers were the Rev. DR. George Alex
snder acting president Of Union College; H R 4
Tovne president of the Merchants Association. /
and Dr. Joseph French Johnson. dean Of the School !
Of Commerce. Accounts and Finance