Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-09-23
MlODlEBURY COLLEGE.
Opening of111th Year with Address
by President Thomas.

At the exercises opening the one
hundred and eleventh ,,year of Middle
bury College, held in the Congregational
church, Thursday morning, President
Thomas spoke on 1.-THE Influence of Col
lege upon Character He said in part
/ trust the time may never come when
the authorities of Middlebury College
shall hold it none of their concern what
stand its students take on questions of
every day conduct, nor when professors
shall assume that their duty is merely
to impart instruction to those who are
serious enough to desire it, without re-
gard to the manner of manhood that is
developing in those whom they instruct.
Of course college should treat young
men as young men, and not presume to
dictate to them in a dogmatic manner
just what they shall think on all manner
of subjects, nor prescribe to them just
how they shall conduct themselves at
all hours of the day and in relation to
every question of conduct. But GER
tainly means may be found to influence
character without babying, and with
perfect respect to the spirit of inde-
pendence that ought to prevail among
those of college age.
In the first place the daily exercises
in classroom and study ought not to be
without moral influence. In the ma
turer studies one finds himself chal
lenged to arrive at his own conclusions
and draw his own observations. He is
asked to prove all things, to test every
statement, to know not only what is
maintained on a certain topic but why
such conclusion has been reached. He
finds himself in the atmosphere of in
quiry and learns that every statement
must be scrutenized for error, with
utmost reverence for fact and careful
attention to eXactitude in the minutest
detail.
A sympathetic mind under such daily
influence can scarcely fail to develop a
thoughtful reasonableness, or at least a
tendency in that direction. He comes
to feel that it is his privilege and his
duty as man to prove all things, to
probe to fact in all departments of
i knowledge, and to accept as true only
that which is reasonable and worthy.
Such an attitude is all on the side of
good morals. In the Old Testament
scriptures folly and wickedness are
synonymous, as are wisdom and right
eousness. The insight is true. Intelli-
gence is the ally of virtue, and reason
ableness is the enemy of vice. 1t is always
people that doth not know, a nation
that will not consider, that lapses into
moral decay. | do not forget that many
brilliant men have fallen into gross evil,
nor that some of the chief sinners in
every generation are from the best in
formed and most highly cultivated, but
that does not disprove the contention
that any man is safer for virtuous life
, who has developed the habit of dealing
with things as they are, of looking facts
in the face, of inquiring into the conse-
quences of actions, and estimating the
= essential quality of course of conduct.
Impetus to worthy character should
, also result from the nature of the sub.
jects which the student in college is
required to investigate. In a broad way
it is the idea of greatness that has gov
, erned in the choice of academic studies
The college man is brought steadily into
contact with the struggles and attain
ments of great minds and great spirits
2 Great ideas are brought continually be-
y fore him, thoughts that have revolu
tionized the world. If he is sensitive
to his opportunities, he lives in the pres
ence of great deeds, for every law anC
r every fact on the dullest page of the
f textbook is the great deed of some
pioneer of discovery.
The result is enlargement of person
ality, a certain expansion of mind anc
spirit. The youth has taken on some
thing of the measure of the object:
which have occupied his mind. Mora
growth, strengthening of moral convic-
ton, quickening of the moral Sense, i:
the natural accompaniment of such ex
pansion of personality. The senior
would not think of doing some things ht
thought allowable as freshman. The
reason is not merely that it is not gooC
/ form for senior to do them. but tina
/ he is so changed that he does not wan
to do them. 1t is, well nigh impossible
: for man to do good college work an(
, not leave college better and stronge
d man than when he entered.
S A new spirit is coming over all ou
= colleges, in the east as well as in tn