The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-24
Wilson At Virginia.

Each successive president, SO long as he
struts and frets his hour upon the stage" Is
held up by a large number of his countrymen'
In season and out, to the admiration and emu
lation OF their sons. Thus the rising genera
ton has a special interest in the career Of
each incoming president. If the new chief ex-
ecutive should happen to have been in his
youth a grind and a prig, so much the worse
for the young men to whom he Is continually
recommended as the pink and pattern OF per-
lection. Fortunately 1t appears that Wood
row Wilson, the collegian, was neither a grad
grind nor a little Lord Faunueroy. Toward
him, therefore, a warm and deep gratitude
should be felt by those young Americans whose
college careers commence during the next four
years-or eight.
Pleasing and needed reinsurance as to the
normally and humanness Of Wilson as a stu
dent is given in an article regarding the ca
reer Of the president-elect at the University
Of Virginia, which IL contributd by D. H.. RAM
sey to the New York Times. One deduces from
the particulars furnished by Mr.. Ramsey that
the young Wilson held the rational Spencerlan
view OF the function which education has to
discharge, believing this function to be prep
aration for complete living; and he seems also
to have eoncurIsd in I'll the spenes1ia nno dsnm'ti Eaf
how to live), which comprehends every special
problem. is-the right ruling Of conduct IN
In what way to treat the body; In what
way to treat the mind; in what way to manage
our affairs; in what way to bring up a ram
ily: in what way to behave as a citizen; IN
what way to utilize all those sources OF nap
piness which nature supplies; how to use all
our faculties to the greatest advantage TO our
selves and others; how to live completely"
So Wilson the student was less concerned
with outstripping all his fellows in scholarship.
oratory, athletics. college politics or college So
cial honors than in acquitting himself credit
ably in all these fields OF student activity. He
did not devote himself to one or several OF
these. to the exclusion Of others, though doubt
less by So doing he might have a more bril-
liant record in these special fields. 1t was his
constant purpose to utilize all these various
sources Of happiness" that his environment
! Ell rplfed. RI uza all hir faculties-NOt merely
one or two-to the greatest advantags to him.
self and others; to live completely" at col
be pleasant and profitable IN itself. and that
by it he might be equipped. when he left the
precincts Of the campus. to live completely
in hts broader, later life In the workaday
| world.
Wilson came to Charlottesville we'll prepared
to derive the utmost Of good that might be had
| from life as a student in the University OF Vir-
ginia. Well grounded in the rudiments OF the
classics and mathematics at high schools In
Columbia, Augusta and Wilmington, he had
been an undergraduate at Davidson college IN
| North Carolina, and had taken his bachelors
degree at Princeton. In all these schools ne
had been a fair though by no means a. orh-
! liant student. had been prominent though not
pre-eminent In athletics. and had shared &C
lively in social life without aspiring to lead
ership. AT Virginia" says MT. Ramsey, ne was
a grind nor a loafer, a millionaire nor a pau
per-" He knew the true values OF college ex-
periences'; was interested in all university &C
| llNitlt -
| lowshtp." He did not distinguish himself In
his studies. He stood among the very best,
| but was not a prize student. He took
| an active part in forensic work and was early
regarded as one OF the best speakers In the
I (Jeferson) society. In the contest Tor
medals offered by the society. Wilson won sec
ond place. Wilson contributed two artl-
cies to the University Magazine during his stu
dent days. They won the author favor
able mention. . Wilson was a member OF
the University Glee club. During WIZ
sons student days at Princeton, fraternites
were taecoed by the authorities. Soon after
his ARRIVAL ct the University OF Virginia he was
initiated into the Phi Kappa Psi. Wilson's
college friends remember him more as a FUN
loving. rollocking student than as a promis.
ing genius. He loved a prank and was lond OF
telling negro Jokes. He was universally re-
spected for his talents. but loved for his good
healthy nature
Mr.. Ramsey's portrait Of Wilson as q stu
dent would serve admirably as q portrait OF
the ideal student. 1t is the young man OF this
type who benefits most from a college course
and from whom his college and his fellow
students benefit most.-columbia State.