New-York tribune., 1909-01-14
pRESJDFyT OF HARVARD.

The choice hv the Harvard Corporation OF
Professor Abbott Lawrence Lowell as PresldenC
EIiots successor must be ratified by the Oodru
of oyerseers before it becomes effective. but there
is every reason to believe that the board or over
seers will cordially sanction selection which
meets with marked approval both lnslue anu
outside the university Professor Lowell has
given ample evidence that he possesses the tai
ents energy and bent of mind essential to quail
ifv him for the great Office which President Eliot
laws down. He is eminent as scholar, teachef
and publicist and his intellectual SNmpathles
and inclination will doubtless prompt h1m TO
pursue the liberal and progressive policy IN edu-
cation of which DR.. Eliot has been so conSpicu-
Gus champion
1t is no easy task TO take up and carry on
President Eliot's work He was. in a sense. a,
| pioneer in the field of higher education in the
| United States. 1t was his problem 70 bring the
| oldest and perhaps the most influential of our
! church founded and fostered institutions OF
| learning into harmony with the new system or
purely secular instruction which had begun TO
| develop in the state universities Were the
newer institutions supported by the states and
| freed from trammes of clerical tradition and
| domination, 10 be allowed to take the lead III
| shaping our educational progress, while their
! older rivals stood still and gradually surren-
| derei the primacy? 1t was President Eliots
! great service to Harvard and to other institu-
| tions of the type which Harvard represented
that he led the way 10 a liberalization in method
and nolicy which enabled them To retain their
! old leadership and greatly to broaden their con-
! tributions to progress and culture. Harvard
Yale and Princeton. all originally institutions or
/ the denominations type. have gradually ac-
/ cepted the newer democratic ideal of freedom IN
education from the restrictions of creed and ira
| dtion and thereby the better equipped them
! selves 70 deal with the future In this trans
| forma ton President Eliot had a leading role
! He was the man of the hour He found Har-
ward still half Colonial He leaves it thoroughly
| Americanized and modern.
Professor Lowell as president will certainly
hold fast to this policy of adaptation president
| Eliot's long term built up university spirit
| which will survive him. His idea of a university
| training was not so much that 1t should AFFORD
poIite acquantanceship with the thoughts of the
! past and incuIcate profound respect Tor the
conventions and formula Of other generations dS
that il should make students see that the past Is
not necessarily infalbe. weigh It's merits ana
defects and not fear 10 express independents
| Judgment The tendency of his regime was 10
indnce teachers and students to think for them
/ selves and not to be Overawed by authority
That is the true spirit of true democracy which
seeks only to establish what is just fair and
| reasonable In combating the old ideals Of con-
servatism in education President Eliot was there
| fora advancing the cause Of modern democracy
and fitting the educated man to discharge 10
better advantage his functions in a democratic
society The new head of Harvard cannot better
|. commend himself to the regard of the nation
! than bv maintaining President Eliots policy OF
| encouraging the development of q sense or lndl-
viduaI inGependence and responsibility