New-York tribune., 1908-12-20
HARVARD'S GROWTH
Students Hare Increased Largely
Under Eliot.

---=-- ne forty Years administration OF Presi-
6z-- charles X Eliot. now drawing 10 a close
Hz----z college has grown from q student enrol
-rs-- a Ee-v hundred % about four thousand
= has become the foremost OF universities IN
p1z----zz-a-a work and fn the Politcai-pedagogtc
s-=- ~ --r-e--z-tC-aI exchange Of lecturers with
GERMANY France and England Few traces Te-
r- NJ che snug New England college. with IT'S
s--..=- culture. which nevertheless turned out
-rs a--ses VINO were Presidents, Bancroft and
l1z=-. Holmes and Sumner Emerson and Motley.
V-z---- -lz modern loss q personal contact be
---ez- Tea ard students and The fostering or
extreme liberty and ird.vidualIs1n among young
men scarcely capable OF plotting their own course
--- De- a disadvantage IS both affirmed and de-
re-
The s=-eso7r-e-c % Harvard College into a uni
re-~z-- SAYS Van WICK Brooks n The Contern-
---s-- Review ls The work Of President Eliot
Ear H---rbines the practical efficiency and the
somewhat harsh --a1e-lzIs-r OF the Roosevelt type
rs policy has been 70 cut away the ties OF sent
-~e-- -s-r old New England. Ink Harvard with
as many phases Of American life and as many
sections n -he eCurtr- possible. and In general
Do Eaz-.Eee culture ro efficiency The WORK
q President Eliot so admirable from the point OF
za-r Of r-a--icaI efficiency tends 10 withdraw the
s-z-e-ee Ct Harvard the personal relations OF
-l-e students 70 withdraw any guidance whatever
ex-e-t e. purely Intellectual guidance The result
IS --a- see Ha-vz-d--lstIEcr rom rae pro-
fsezsrra- schools most Of whose students are
--l---e men z-o require for the most part none
bu- purely intellectual rrsi1ing in some special de-
pa---.=r---ae anomaly OF college Of younger men
---z 5e--- above -zvc thousand and e1deaVorlI5
n -zz.- The -7-f-- Of z college OF three or four
hu-5-=5- Furthermore the elective system now
u -ug1e. bv which a student Is required for his
cee-=e ONLY pass "a certain NUMBER OF COURSES
z--l- which Ie IS allowed 20 choose entirely at MS
cz-- discretion has forced Undergraduate social
LIE 20 Euc -lp into purely arbitrary groups, based
s--s~z-- an personal tastes o. The effect Is 7
tuE.-1-zsul more marked AT Harvard than al any
C-z=- American university in al those tendencies
economies. upon cooperation
Nowhere for instance, are literary students SO
exclusively literary. for the Harvard man IS left
himself and IS given every opportunity and
even every en-ouraEez1eut 10 develop personality
-a-sh-v individual. Sympathy and cooperation,
-a--Hual spirit so-calied college spirit are too
-s-=u sef-eUuscios. and every peculiarly OF tenn
-z---1er- l5--a. clan native section, bad as wei
as good IS intensified Excellent IN some ways
---l-.--z IN other ways. this state OF affairs
ra- Dr. II is Influenced for the worse speaking
aeer-- e--- bv the Fact that Boston society. the
most 1-.Ea--licaI America. has the controlling
r9re lr Harvard Undergraduate society and stu
E-.-s ---r are rot 10 some extent known and ap
1-s-=E z1 Boston have some initial difficulty in
uazr- themselves known ard approved IL cam
TIE intercourse between students and pro
zess--- IS again an arbitrary one. based on per
s0-a s--u1ath5es unrelated 70 courses and studies
& student has freedom Of choice among all the
Professors usually choosing those VINO harmonize
w--1 hts orr point OF view, and 100 often those
wIo serve 70 intensity his own narroV-ness and 10
enco1r1Ez tu him The line q least resistance
Tbs line Of least resistance is the greatest
ess4-- Ct Ire elective system VISITORS
u Harvard are often struck BY the study
schedule OF the typical athlete, who is sup
posed 10 5e q KIND Of duI-ard IN mental matters.
5-r whose work -or the year sometimes consists
ot lle esC-e--c combination Of Slavic literature
a1-lr5pclCgy- The history Of Renaissance sculpt-
ure and social ethics This IS the unhappiest Illus
tariaa ot The elective system. Tor IL simply
tar these studies the easiest available for
H-ho wishes 20 do the minimum amount Of
stlcr- II produces subsequently among Harvard
grscuares q very large class OF men whose educa-
eon consists almost wholly Of a pseudo-cuIture- g
fo1cl-alc- 70 familiarity with the surface OF his
tory, letters. philosophy and art The rela~
t1cls between the faculty and students OF Harvard
College inst IL the graduate schools OF law.
medicine ard theology, have been Germanized and
oeTers0uaIzed into a pure intelectuaiisrn- There
IS n0 r1Ie laid down by tne faculty except that
Students SHAH keep their university appointments.
o. IN CJuer words cut only limited number Of
lectures and pass their examiIa lions. The author
t-ies seek no other hold over undergraduates ex-
cflt -u the arbitrary moral supervision q the
E--sI9rs who. under the direction OF the regent.
prevent loud noise and music after certain hours
and Keep undesirable visitors out Of the college
corzLstorles
cub lie at Harvard Is controlled by q com
---zi1%iZ ANAL group Of This tends rathor