New-York tribune., 1910-03-22
ON TRIAL
so SAYS DIR. WILSON.
Explains Efforts To ECOlUC
COheaTc Institution.

President Woodrow Wilson. % Princeton
University. spoke last night at a meeting
of the Princeton Alumni. Association OF
Long Island held AZ the University Club
Brooklyn The meeting was the annual
smoker % the organization. The speakers
besides Or Wilson. were William w
Roper. director o. athletics st the uuiver-
sity; James W Alexander and Parker d.
Handy. In his address Presideu- Wilson
said.
The development Of American univer-
stiles for the last two generations has
been IN the highest degree inorganic. They
have grown Or a mere miscellaneous. TN
systematic addition 10 their courses OF
study and 20 their resources. attempting
instruction tn this, that and everything
as occasion permitted them 10 add chairs
20 their faculties and books snd la1ora-
tories 70 their equipment Moreover. they
have felt ver- strongly the influence OF
German unive-sities wFose functions and
objects are entirely different II is almost
the exclusive function OF German univer-
sitie5 70 supply technical and profess
sional instruction. They have no under
graduates. no college. no body OF students
who are going through the early stages Of
drill and initiation into the great subjects
OF study.
American universities have almost
without exception grown up around col
leges, and really organic DEVELOPMENT on
their part IS impossible unless college and
university be integrated in some vvav that
viii make them parts or an organic whole
The example OF German universities
therefore. while extremely stimulating as
an example OF intelligent instruction and
thorough processes OF work. has been very
misleading indeed 70 US in America IN re-
spect Of general institutional growth and
coordination
Fortunately, continued President Will
son, az Princeton there was less various
and confusing miscellany Of pieces 10 be
put together into single whole than az
many other universities. Education Is a
process. he said-a process Of life. Of de-
yelopment under score Of Influences.
chiefly personal He then said.
"It was with this same idea. that -duca-
tion Is not process OF instruction. but
comes by the intimate daily contacts OF
immature minds with minds more mature
and experienced. that / proposed 20 the
trustees OF the university reorganization
q the social life % the undergraduates
which should draw them together into LITTLE.
associated IN some natural and intimate
way not only with each other but with th.
older men who are the guides or the uni
versity. This proposal the trustees did uor
feel they could act upon. and IL has never
been revived"
President Wilson said that men taught as
Princeton was seeking 10 teach her under
graduates would in many cases wish 20
take their studies further into the fields OF
research Working toward The same end
were new processes of instruction. which
brought the teacher and pupil into closer
relations. and the Increase in the Princeton
faculty by the addition OF very noticeable
scholars. President Wilson said what he
was trying % point out was simply this
That we have been trying 10 put to-
Eether the scattered pieces Of college ana
university life. which had been allowed 20
grow up as they would. without anv intf-
mate connection or system. 10 their very
great detriment and loss OF power