Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-10
[From q staff correspondent.l j


[From q Staff Correspondent1
PRINCETON, Feb. 1O.-The trustees
of Princeton University met today, and
in short session disposed of the
graduate college controversy without
calling forth any designations or
clashing.
The gist of the action taken was that
the board hoped that William Cooper
Proctor might renew the offer to give
the university $500,0OO which he with
drew this week and that the matter
could be settled satisfactorily to both.
1t made it very plain, however. that
the board had never committed itself
to any kind of a college and that Mr..
Proctor even In making the gift of
100000, could not impose upon the
board any definite policy. This portion
of the statement referred to the fact
that Mr. Proctor had stated that after
he made the gift he wrote to the board
saying that he understood that 1t was
committed formally to the ideas about
the development of the graduate col
lege as drawn up by Professor Andrew
Fleming West, its present DEAN
The report concludes with the fol-
lowing:
1--WE recommend, first. that the board
again express to Mr.. Proctor it's deep
appreciation OF his munificent offer
and put upon record its profound re-
gret that he has deemed 1t wise to
withdraw It, The board indulges the
hope that Mr.. Proctor may be moved
to reopen the question when 1t Is sat
isfactory to him and this board"
Mr. Proctor offered the university the
Gift in q letter to Dean West under
date of May s, 1909, under the condition
that the university raise an additional
$500. 1000 within year It was accept
ed professionally, pending a settlement
of the question of site and of the pol
icy of the college,
President Wilson Objects.
The Graduate School committee of
the hoard of trustees selected the golf
links as a good site for the college and
Mr.. Proctor acquiesced. Objection was
then raised by the president; long
controversy, extending from October to
the present date, was followed by the
withdrawal of the gift on Monday. MT.
Proctor, in taking this action, spoke OF
the reception his gift met with and the
action of the president upon 1t, with
some resentment, confirm ig the re-
ports that there had been breach be-
tween authorities high in the admins
tration OF the university
The point OF the controversy Is taken
TO be the question whether the college
shall be located upon the campus
proper or at distance, upon such a
site as the golf links. The presidents
idea In having IL upon the campus is TO
have the Graduate College exert some
influence upon undergraduate life. to
have graduate students and some or
the undergraduates live together. Dean
West contends that the two institu-
tions should be entirely separate. and
that there should be break In the
ac Ademic life of a man leaving the
courses leading to bachelors degree
to take up higher studies. He is unal-
terable In insisting upon this idea, as
is Professor West, and when the COM
n1ittee came to ask him to alter his
ideas he Withdrew the gift
Professor West is an educator of
high reputation, and is an authority
in the classics. He is the author of
several books and monographs upon
acadamic and pedagogic subjects. He
declined the offer of the presidency of
the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
and develop the Graduate College
There is a conviction here that If his
ideas upon the development of the
college in its most fundamental as
poets fail of approval by the trustees
today he will resign.
The Daily Princetonian, in an edi-
torial. gave a comprehensive resume of
the situation today. 1t is understood
that the text of the editorial met with
approval from President Wilson 1t
follows. in part.
Has Harmed University.
Failure of the board of trustees to
Issue an adequate statement OF the
facts. which, of course. they did not
have at the time. has opened the way
for uninformed persons to publish their
individual opinions, largely incorrect.
and has opened the administration to
many unwarranted attacks. The feel
ing so created has done the university
q world OF harm It's evil is beyond
calculation
Fourteen years ago the idea of
founding the graduate department of
the university was taken up. In 1902 the
committee of trustees on the graduate
school authorized Dean West to make
a study of European. and American
schools of that nature and draw up a
report That report. which has caused
SO much trouble, was made in 1903,
and published by the university in that
year. but was distributed only at the
discretion of Dean West. AS result,
few people have had the privilege of
examining 1t. Indeed, it was never
placed before the board of trustees until