Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-04-22
PROF. c. B. WRIGHT.
Is About to Complete rs Years of
Service for Middlebury
CoIleoe

CoIle9e.
The April number of the Middlebury
Campus, issued by the students of the
College, has just been printed at the
Register office, and is a notable number
in that it is practically given up to
letters from former students in which
are voiced the respect and esteem in
which Prof C. B. Wright is held by
them. Professor Wright will, with the
end of the present term, complete
twenty-five years of continuous service
for the College, a record equaled by
few.
Perhaps the most notable among the
articles is written by the Dean of the
faculty, Professor Howard, who has
been his intimate friend for many
years, and this article we are pleased to
print in full, as echoing the sentiment
of the whole community of Middlebury
which has known and esteemed Profess
sor Wight during all these years. The
article follows:
Professor Wright and l have been
colleagues and friends for more than
twenty years. Although | am his SEN
Tor in years, he is my senior in service
here. When returned to Middlebury
as an instructor in January, 1889, Pro-
fessor Wright had preceded me three
years and one term. In a college like
this, and especially when the number of
teachers was smaller than now, where
daily and intimate association is newt
able, one comes to know his faculty as
socates pretty we'll. Professor Wright
at that time was about thirty years of
age and of skipping spirit. Time has
laid his hand rather heavily upon him
since then, as he has on all of US, but
the years have not dulled the fine tenn
per of his humor nor nicked the keen
edge of his wit. Others will speak of Pro-
fessor Wright as teacher | will try
to tell how he has impressed me, at the
end of this long period, as a man, as
a colleague, and as a friend.
Professor Wright came here fresh
from Johns Hopkins University after
several years of special preparation for
his profession, but during all his time
among us he has been diligent student
and has become a ripper scholar. He
combines, as it seems to me, two quail
ties essential to the successful admins
tration of the English Department. He
is keenly critical and at the same time
sympathetically appreciative, both of
the masters he studies and of the stu
dents he teaches. For fine analysis and
critical judgment of men and books,
Professor Wright stands in the first
rank. 1t is sometimes assumed, | speak
as fool, that instructors in small col
leges, especially those that have attain
ed middle age, are necessarily and in
evitably an inferior product of Ameri
can education as compared with the
shining lights in larger institutions.
But venture to say with reference to
Professor Wright, that few better
scholars or clearer thinkers or more in
college or university. Whether a man
be in Middlebury or Harvard depends
largely upon circumstances, upon OPP
portunity, upon push "a vile phrase.
Certainly push is a vile phrase when
applied to scholarship, position or office.
! doubt if Professor Wright ever gave a
serious thought to forswcaring his allie
glance to Middlebury and naturalzing
himself in any other institution, and
now that he is reaping such a golden
harvest of affection and respect after
his twenty-five years Of service, am
sure he is well content.
AS writer, Professor Wright can eX-
press his thought when he needs to and
cares to) in as strong, vigorous and
virile prose as any man | know And
though the oratorical is not his field, he
speaks, when occasion demands, with
great clearness and force. He is, how
ever, naturally an essayist. His critical
faculty compelS him to write slowly and
with great care, but | know that he
could if he would, publish volume of
essays that, for scholarly judgment,
keen analysis and elegant diction, would
challenge the admiration of those most
competent to Judge. And he could, if
he would, and | wish he would, publish
volume of verse, poetic in conception,
exquisite, metrical, charming. One
might inquire then, why doesn he do
it?" There are two answers. He is
too critical of himself, and he is too
modest. OF making many books there
is no end, and in his opinion the burden
of proof is upon the author. Besides,
the man who eXhausts his nervous ener-
gy in the classroom and wearies himself
with the correction of undergraduate
papers in the drudgery of his work "a
day-life is in quite different position,
as regards the making of books, from
the professor in a university who does
his three hours week and has ample
leisure for study and plenty of time for
philosophic calm.
AS a colleague, Professor Wright has
always been sympathetic and apprecia
tive, helpful, always willing to do more
than his share. Many times he has
used all his strength in doing the things
that were no more for him to do than
for others. His house has been the
heart of hospitality and in this connec-
ton Mrs. Wright should not be forgot
ten as a bountiful hostess and a copar-
cener in all the tributes to the hospit-
atty of that delightful home. In the
administration of the College for these
twenty-five years, Professor Wright's
judgment, GOODNESS and courage have
been of the greatest service Maturity
of judgment, of course, has come with
the years and know that the present
executive values the experience and re-
lies upon the judgment. of the senior