Evening star., 1909-06-11
PENSION AID IS WITHDRAWN
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIvER-
SITY PROFESSORS AFFECTED.
Carnegie Foundation Not to Assist
Instructors of the Local Institu-
tion-Dr. Needham's Comment.

In connection with the action of the au-
thorities of George Washington Univer-
sity in retiring Professors Sterrett and
Gore on the Carnegie pension fund and
making them professors emeritus of the
university, representations have been
made to the Carnegie Foundation in New
York which have caused 1t to remove the
university from the list of institutions
whose professors will be entitled hereafter
to these pensions on reaching the required
age or years of teaching. The newspaper
attacks recently made upon the univer-
sity as we'll as hostile communications
made directly to the Carnegie Foundation
have. it is said. resulted in action which
the university authorities deplore as hasty
and unjust.
The net result of the action of the
foundation, it is explained. is that the
emeritus professors for whom the uni
versity asked these pensions have re-
ceived them as individuals, while the
other professors of the university will be
excluded from these pensions until such
time as the foundation shall reconsider
its action. The Carnegie pensions are
granted to professors Of accredited In
stitutions who reach sixtyfive years OF
age or have served twenty-five years as
college teachers. The conditions under
Which institutions are placed upon the
accredited list require a certain amount
Of productive assets and certain educa-
tional standards.
President Needham's Comment.
Commenting upon this action of the
Carnegie Foundation. President Needham
OF the university said today:
Il received the communication from the
Carnegie Foundation and on the same day
laid 1t before the board Of trustees. 1t
a ronf tn oil rxvn Hn lat
that the action had been taken hastily
and as the direct result OF the contro-
versieS which have arisen through the
working out Of necessary economies in
upon the foundation after careful exam
ination and report. and it's work today
is better than it was at the time it was
admitted. Like all other institutions, 1t
has it's special problems growing out OF
the peculiarities OF some part of the stu
dents come uo from the south. where
there are few high schools. and the deans
In enforcing entrance requirements have
to take into consideration the work Of
than the high schools in the District of
Columbia. Their aim has been always
through examinations to do justice to the
applicant and at the same time maintain
the standards of admission.
Every one who knows the work of the
university and gives It fair and just con-
sideration will say unhesitatingly that the
standards OF admission have been ad-
vanced and are honestly upheld and ad-
ministered. The total assets of the uni
versity are greater today than they were
in 1900. as shown by the treasurer's re-
port, and the administration Of these
funds has been carefully supervised. No
other institution Of the country is doing
work of the extent and kind that is done
here upon so small an expense per stu
dent Shnwin0 6
students fees pay about 63 per cent of
the cost of his education. while in no
other institution. SO far as 1 know. is
that percentage larger than 30 per cent.
1.-The Carnegie Foundation does not and
cannot justly claim that there has been
any retrogression in the educational
standards or work since it placed the
university on its list. There has been,
as is known to every dean administering
the educational work, an honest effort
to uphold good standards and to do good
work.
Examination Of the Records
referring to the examination which
the foundation say that they made. they
sent a young man here as representa-
tive last Wednesday morning. He was
given every opportunity to examine the
.records of every dean in the university.
He remained until Thursday night. and
in his conversations with the deans
gave no intimation that the standards
of admission or work had been lowered.
but. on the contrary, stated that the
problems had been met with intelli-
gence and honesty of purpose. 1 am
told by the deans that comparatively
few cases were brought to their at
tention by this agent in which he made
any criticism. He had no extended con-
versation with me about it. He came
to my Office at the end Of his work and
thanked me very earnestly for the great
courtesy that had been shown him by
the authorities. and stated that every
opportunity had been given him to make
the examination. He gave no intima-
tion whatever of an adverse report. He
was in my Office about o'clock Thurs
day afternoon. The letter of the foun-
dation was written the next day-Fri-
day-and received Saturday.
ITO every fair-minded man 1 am sure
1T will be apparent that to discontinue
this important relation without giving
the university any hearing whatever
was hasty and prejudiced and unjust