The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-02-02
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE GROWTH.
From Small Institution to a Big
College.

Retiring from the presidency Of Dart
mouth college, William j. Tucker has
lately said, as quoted in these columns,
that, whatever the time Of life may
be- In administrative work, "the time
for retirement comes not when man
IA no longer able 10 execute plans, but
when, in justice to his successor, he
ought TO cease TO make plans" IL
il possible that this utterance possesses
a larger significance than those inter
ested in the college have attributed TO
IL. 1t is question whether if DIR.
Tucker were in stronger health than
No is and might easily serve several
years longer In his present position, he
might not consider just as strongly as
he does now that the time for him TO
retire was at hand. For he has been
and presumably is now believer in the
small college "a the preferable agency
for imparting general education; but
so extraordinarily successful has his
administration been in upbuilding this
old institution that Dartmouth must
very soon face the question whether it
is TO remain small college" or be-
come something else.
The Dartmouth catalog for the current
year shows no less than 1896 student
names enrolled in the college proper,
with about 200 more in attached special
let schools. Consider, however, the col
lcge itself The senior class numbers
205: juniors, 247; sophomores, 1921;
freshmen, 1874. And it is worth noting
by the way that Of the total of 1876
(including 20 graduate sttidents) nearly
one half come from Massachusetts,, while
New Hampshire, which before the time
Of DR. fuckers administration provided
more students than any other state, now
sends 1877. with New York instead of
Vermont third with 106 students. Yer
mont now comes fourth with re, flli-
nois rext with 80, Maine next with 35,
and 50 on down a long list Of states and
two or three foreign countries.
Isa college which has academic classes
averaging nearly 500 men, and rising to-
wtrl 400, any longer properly to be con-
sidered small coIlege!v That was the
designation used when the Dartmouth
classes averaged much less than 100
men, as was the case for practically all
The years Of its life prior t. the accession
OF Or. Tucker TO the presidency. 1t may
perhaps still be considered proper de.
signation, but obviously much further
expansion iii numerical sense win make
ridiculous any claim Of the kind, It will
rcnain ~fresh water college, but it
win not remain small college.
The advantage attaching to the small
college for the education of those who
IRE barely reaching their majority need
not here be considered. There are much
advantages and they are regarded az
weighty BY many educators, among
whom has been DR. Tucker; and
growth at Dartmouth so great as to
eztinguish them Ia not certainly mat
ter to win the unreserved approval OF
the friends and managers Of the insti.
tuition II may possibly be said that
Dr. Tusker, in giving an impetus to
expansion such as threat
ems to carry it beyond all acceptable
hounds for small college, has been
more successful than he really wanted |
to be and raised up new problem |
which man of his years and strength |
may fairly shrink from dealing with.
Springfield Republican