The Washington herald., 1909-06-13
Educational

Not in many a year have the American
educational circles been so deeply stirred
as at present by the radical utterances
II President Woodrow Wilson, Of Prince
ton. in criticism OF existing college
methods and by the reply OF President
Schurman OF Cornell. in defense OF those
methods. DR.. Wilson's first utterance
occurred in an address az a luncheon at
the closing day exercises OF S. Paurs
School. Concord, y. H He declared that
schools ike that and universities ike
they adapt themselves 20 modern condi-
tions." He continued: "A danger sur
rounding our modern education is the
danger OF wealth I am sorry for the
lad who Is going 10 inherit money. I fear
that the kind OF men who are going 20
share IN shaping The future are not
largely exemplified in our schools and
colleges. So Ear as the colleges go the
sideshows have swallowed up the circus
and we in the main tent do not know
what IS going on. And I do not know
that I want 10 continue under those con
ditiOns as ringmaster. There are more
honest occupations than teaching II you
cannot teach" He explained In a later
interview that the evils 10 which he re-
ferred were as follows: The complete
dissertation OF the life OF the student
when beyond the class room doors from
the work done within them. the absence
Of serious purpose on the part OF a ma
jority OF the students the indifference OF
parents whether their sons acquire an
education or the mere surface polish and
other outward evidences by which a "cOl-
lege bred man is 10 be distinguished
from his less fortunate fellows" DR..
Wilson insists that the university must
connect the life OF the student with the
class room.
On the sth In his farewell address 70
the Cornell seniors. before sailing for Eu-
rope, President Schurman made answer
TO the aspersions Of DR.. Wilson against
American colleges While ne could not
speak with authority OF the condition OF
the older Eastern universities he said
that the views OF Wilson and other East
ern educators 10 the effect that inteIlec-
tual life in the universities is decayine
totally. nisrepresented the conditions
IN the new or peoples universities Ike
Cornell and other Institutions founded or
the Morrill, land grant and in American
colleges in general In the newer uni
versities DR.. Schurman said that the plan
OF offering practical and technical
courses had attracted from the first stu
dents with a serious purpose and that
the atmosphere was therefore healthier
The young men and women from al
ranks Of life made up the student body
At Chicago, on his return trip from
Bryn Mawr, where President Jordan, OF
Stanford. was challenged by the French
made that France had become decadent
few words of explanation were given tc
the press. DR.. Jordan said that the oc
currence was unfortunate, unexpected
and unjustifed. He thought that hi.
general terms had been misunderstood
he had not meant that France IS deca
/ dent in the sense OF degeneracy. He haC
/ been advocating universal peace and wa!
| trying to show that the wars of the Ok
World had left their mark on the nations
concerned. Because OF the civil war TIT
United states could be said 10 be a de
cadent nation. In France the creates
men and women had lived and still di,
/ there, but in the opinion OF Jordan TIT
average stature and energy OF the mas
Of the people had been Injured by war
fact often asserted by French writer
themselves.
The Rev. DR.. Charles A. Richmond wa
inaugurated as president OF Union Col
lege, at Schenectady, y. Y, on Monday
Gov Hughes. OF New York, MAXIM
an address Of congratulation.
/ Prof. Ernest F. Nichols. formerly heat
OF the department OF physics at Dart
mouth College, has been elected TO sue
coed DR.. Tucker as president OF that col
lege. President Nichols viii be inaugu-
rated in October