Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-05
NOT SEEKING THE PLACE
His Friends Say That No Honor
Would Be More Pleasing.
REFUSES TO DISCUSS MATTER
Pays High Tribute to Dr.. Eliot.
Proposed to Appoint Minister
Egan Successor to Putnam.

Heroert Putnam librarian of Congress.
1t was said today, may be the successor
| of President Eliot of Harvard University.
whose resignation to take effect in May
has just been announced. Mr.. Putnam Is
| a Harvard graduate of the class of 1883
| He was an overseer of the university for
! four years beginning in 1902.
The report is that If Mr.. Putnam be-
| comes president of Harvard he will be
! succeeded as librarian of Congress by DR..
Maurice Francis Egan, now minister to
Denmark DR.. Egan. who stands high
in the literary world. is a friend of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. 1t is asserted that moth
! ing would please the President more than
| to appoint Dr. Egan head of the big ma
tional library.
! It is likely that the Harvard corporation
will name President Eliot's successor be-
| fore next May. when his resignation is to
| take effect. If Librarian Putnam should
| be chosen before March 4, 1909. President
Roosevelt would have an opportunity to
| honor DR.. Egan as he desires. The Pres:-
| dent. it is said. hopes that Things WIZ
| come about in this way. 1t is expected
| that no matter who is chosen as the next
| president of Harvard. he will become
President Eliot's understudy for severai
months or weeks prior to the latter's re-
| tirement. The rumored intention OF the
| university authorities to make this sort
of an arrangement fits the report that Mr..
Putnam will be named In time to per-
| NIT President Roosevelt to appoint Or.
Egan as librarian of Congress before
| March next.
Librarian Putnam's Comment.
Librarian Putnam made the following
comment upon the rumor that he will
succeed President Eliot. when his atten-
ton was called to it by Star reporter
at the Library Of Congress this morning:
"In connection with such a position
there are always baseless rumors. This
appears to be one OF them.
Further than that he did not care 10
discuss the subject.
Friends of Mr.. Putnam say that al
though he is not seeking the position.
nothing would please him more than to
have the honor of succeeding Dr. Eliot
They say also that he would accept the
proffer That he is eminently fitted to
take up the great work Of even 50 sue
cessful a man as President Eliot his
friends say is admitted everywhere
The denial from the White House that
wards next president has been received
with exceptional interest in this city.
where great number of educational men,
prominent Harvard alumni, live. That
Mr.. Putnam's name will be presented to
the Harvard corporation and his selection
gone conclusion.
Tribute to DR.. Eliot.
Librarian Putnam spoke in high terms
of President Eliot, and also OF Prof A.
Lawrence Lowell, trustee of Lowell lnsti-
tute. who has also been suggested as the
next president of Harvard.
OF the resignation of President Eliot he
said:
1T Is not a surprise, for it has been
known--or at least surmised-to be i'm
pending It u.s. however. scarcely the less
shock, and no whit the less a regret.
To those who see DR.. Eliot as he still Is
in full vigor Of mind and body-it seems
premature. This very vigor. however, as
sures to his successor the beneft In coun-
sci (Which a later successor might not
have of his unimpaired judgment as well
as of his ripe experience.
HE has been the most potent influence
in education that this country has felt
during the past quarter century. and the
most potent influence for freedom-not
merely academic freedom, but civic free
dom. He is likely to continue so for years
to come. His letter of resignation Is as
perfectly phrased to its purpose as his
whole life has BEEN"
ID AS to the suggestion Of Prof. A. Law
renee Lowell as President Eliot's sue
cessor Mr.. Putnam remarked: MIR Low
ell is not merely student and scholar
but man of culture. with much initia-
tive. a notably active and enterprising
mind. keen intelligence, and buoyant.
afrable and engaging personality: of dis
tinguished stock also and finest breeding.
He Is both sound and broad. And he
knows Harvard intimately. not merely as
an institution. but it's men, its forces. its
problems. An admirable choice, If in
tended