Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-14
DR.. Benton Declares They Are
Helpful Allies to Education.
ONCE WAS AGAINST THEM
Miami University President Tells
Delegates of Changed Opinion.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION MEETS
Forty-Two State Universities Repre-
scented in Convention Opened
This Morning.

Declaring that college fraternities are
strong allies in maintaining ideals OF
educational institutions in scholarship
and character, DR.. Guy Potter Benton,
president of Miami (Fla) University,
thereby greatly interested the fifteenth
annual meeting OF the National AS
sociation of State Universities. in the
Shoreham Hotel About fifty delegates,
most of them university presidents and
officers, representing forty-two state
universities, opened the three-day con-
vention this morning.
DIR. Benton's outspoken support of the
college fraternity came as a greater
surprise to many of the assembled edu-
Gators. because of his equally outspoken
antagonism when the agitation against
Greek letter societies first began to
gather force. Since that time, however,
Dr. Benton explained, he had studied
the question carefully. In opening his
address ON ''Fraternities and Sorentties
in state Universities, DR.. Benton
quoted himself as former leader in
the opposition to secret societies In
educational institutions.
Changed His Views.
..Since then" he continued, ''by using
the scholars method, l have reached q
somewhat different conclusion, and de-
sire now to offer it as my testimony
that the college fraternity has been to
me "A strong arm of power. a fOrceful
ally i'm maintaining institutional ideals. y
After admitting there were features or
life at a fraternity house less healthful
than the home life of the average young
man, and that often ii was made diff
ficult for a fraternity brother to study,
Dr. Benton continued:
But there is nobody in the world so
easily controlled as company of col
-s~txe 11.Al
The upper classmen among undergradu-
ates, when APPEALED to by those In au-
thority to see to ito that the men in en-
tering classes take high rank in scholar
ship and maintain character which
shall command respect, will make answer
to that appeal in labors of most effective
compulsion among their younger broth
ers.
There Is no man so gracious and
courteous as a fraternity upperclaSSman
during the rushing season; there is no
superior hard q subaltern as the
same upper classman when he seeks to
impress upon the neophyte that he has
united with an organization that expects
Ereat-things of him.
The upper classman can crack the
whip over the willing slave below with
more effectiveness than could the most
courteous as a fraternity upper classman
professors of the olden time
President Ayres' Address.
The meeting was called to order by the
president of the association. DIR. Brown
Ayres, president of the University of
Tennessee. DIR. Ayres, after speaking of
the wide difference in the incomes of the
various institutions represented, incomes
that ranged from that of the University
OF Illinois. 81. 900, to the University of
New Mexico, S21,944. discussed. as a rep
resentative of smaller institution. some
of the problems of the small university.
DR.. Ayres said every state university,
the leader of its own commonwealth of
whatever funds it commanded in way
to benefit the largest number of state
residents.
\ number of papers were read at the
morning session. In the course of a
Of Residential Halls for Women in Co.
Ross Hill OF Missouri State University
advocated that form of housing women
students. providing a certain number of
cultivated and mature women lived in the
halls with the younger members of their
sex.
The officers of the association are:
President. DR.. Brown Ayres, University
of Tennessee: vice president. NJ. II. Buck
ham, University of Vermont: secretary
and treasurer, DIR. George j.. Fellows,
University of Maine: executive committee.
officers and Edmund j. James, University
of Illinois. and +. b. Gault, University Of
South Dakota.