The sun., 1909-06-17
The New President of Dartm outh

Inc New President or dartmouth
With the choice OF Professor ERNEST
Fox NICHOLS as president Dartmouth
College has Joined the rapidly increas-
ing list of institutions which, founded
largely by clergymen and in their early
days devoted for the most part to train
ing men for the ministry. have now
turned to the laity for their executive
officers.
At Harvard the lay president is no
novelty, but at Yale ARTHUR HADLEY,
trained as teacher of economics and
with experience in public life, sits in the
chair OF the DwIGHrs, WooLsEY and
PORTER; Princeton has it's first nom
clerical president in WOODROW WILSON,
successor to FRANCIS L. PATTON and
JAMES McCosH; Williams, the college
Of MARK HOPKINS, whose early educa-
ton included medicine and theology,
has chosen it's new head from the public
service.
Professor NICHOLS will not be the
first president Of Dartmouth College
to lack the degree of doctor Of divinity
JOHN WHEELocK, second president and
son of the founder, was not ordained,
but even he was qualified to teach
ecclesiastical history. With that ex-
ception Dartmouth's presidents have
known something Of clerical work
WILLIAM JEwETT TUCKER. whose re-
tirement brings sorrow to the student
body and to graduates Of the last fifteen
years, wes the successful pastor of the
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church
before Dr. PARKHuRsT. DR.. TUcKER's
predecessor, SAMUEL CoLCoRD BART
LETT, had held the pulpit of large
church in Chicago.
When the search for a new presi-
dent began the first man asked to take
the Office was a clergyman, FRANCIS
BROWN Of Union Theological Semi
nary. He declined because he felt it
his duty to fight heterodoxy in the
seminary. The next was Congressman
MCCALL, and, curiously, one point dis
cussed by older graduates was his
belief. He was suspected Of being a
Unitarian. He declined, and that ques-
tion was avoided.
The choice of Professor NICHOLS is a
departure in another way. Dartmouth
has held faithfully to many now old
fashioned ideas in education. 1t has
been loyal to the classics as part Of the
arts course; it resisted the elective sys-
TEN longer than most colleges Of its
clase. Now it has selected a head
whose degrees, won by work, were
successively bachelor, master and doc
tor of science, and whose fame is largely
as an experimental physicist, along
such lines Of effort as measuring the
pressure Of beam Of light.
The character OF DR.. Nicholas
training apparently was considered by
the trustees; in their announcement
of their choice they say:
Professor NIcRolsA record Is one Of high
cf,ciency in his chosen beld that of science but
his election to the presidency Of Dartmouth Col
iese has peculiar fitness because of his sympathy
with and appreciation Of classical learning More
over he knows intimately the time honored ira.
ditlons Of Dartmouth In Its rea tionshlp to class
cal education. and this department, OF the cur
riculun will preserve under his administration the
same Importance that has always been so marked
In the New England colleges"
In these days of difficulty in selecting
an executive head of college Professor
NICHOLS has one admirable quality.
He is but forty years old.