New-York tribune., 1912-02-24
CHEERS GREET H|BBEN
1000 Princeton Alumni Hear
New President at Dinner.
S6 A WEEK IS EXPLAINED
college Mans First Earnings
Less Important than Rate of
Progress He Can Sustain"

Nearly a thousand of the Princeton
alumni greeted John Grier Hlbben, the
new president Of the university, at din
ner given last night at the Waldorf by
the graduate council Of the alumni Repre-
sentatives of every class from 1852 down
to 1912 were present.
Seated at the guests table were Mahlon
Pitney, '7s, recently named for the United
States Supreme Court bench; ex-President
Francis l. Patton Of Princeton: Job E.
Hedges and John II. Finley, president OF
the City College. The POSTMASTER was
Charles Scrbner. president of the Prince
| ton Club. OF this city.
President Hibben was loudly cheered as
he arose to speak. Reverting to his recent
| remarks about the average worth OF coll
lege man about TO enter business, he said
The most pressing educational problem
OF to-day, which every college and every
university in our land must face is this:
Does the product justify the plant?" The
Princeton plant represents very large in
| vestment. and IL Is q very pertinent uues-
uon as TO whether this investment juStifes
itself
have been quoted as saying that A
Princeton man Is worth S. a week imme-
diately after his graduation. | made the
statement originally concerning college
graduates In general not concerning Prin- e.
ton men in particular. This opinion was
not given as result Of any statistics. but
merely as expressing my general impress
sion. and / still believe r., that a college
man, unaided and without influence Of
any kind. presenting himself to any bust
ness house In great CITY could command
about IS week.
The main point Of the, statement has.
however, never been quoted In the press,
and II Is this, that II is not the amount Of
NJ nF Ip a
week that college man commands which
is 10 be taken AZ the value OF n college
course. II is not what the college man
II capable OF earning the first week he
leaves college, but It is the rate OF prog
ress that he is capable Of sustaining.
II IL not his power, measured at any
one phase of the early years after leaving
his alma mater but II Is the rate Of ac-
celeration by which he springs forward TO
seize every opportunity and realize every
possiOiiity. II college education Is 10
Justify itself in the eyes OF the world, j.
must put the young man into the full pos
session Of his powers.
So far as the college education enables
It's students to set their minds IN order, So
far IL has prepared them for the various
particular tasks Il life as they may rise.
The man with the trained mind can turn
himself 70 the specific work that is his.
and II he goes TO that work with trained
powers he is bound to succeed.
But, as a college. we have the responSi-
bilities, not merely for increasing the efii-
cheney OF our graduates, but also the rcI
Sponsibility Of lifting somewhat the level
OF their intellectual life. I crave for Prince
ton In years to come an enhanced sense
OF the value OF scholarly attainment.
! would that Princeton man might ne
recognized everywhere hv The distinguished
mark OF his Intellectual grasp and intel
lectual resource.
The Rev Or = l.. Patton, formerly
president Of Princeton was heartily well
coined by the ?rincetonians. and. like
other speakers. developed gentle vain of
humor in his appreciation OF Or Hibben.
lie gave. for example. the following pIct-
ure Of the modern college president apart
from his responsibilities as an executive:
Well. | call him the great allround man.
IIe is essentially a man oi aCademlr ne
lie knows the ins and outs Of his own uni
versity He knows the personnel ana pom
cieS OF the sister universities OF the lann.
He lives IL is true, Il clustered Ire, nut ne
has travelled FAR and has had An insight
into ;he world of business and religion OF
sport and OF art. lie Is a good teacher.
He knows what professors ought w 90
! who are serving under him, but the Norh
Of Standardization Is carried on throus
! other means than by the hands OF CLOCK
lie has his own department, In when ne
! Is specially interested, and 10 when ne
| has made noteworthy contribution, but "
| has not contracted his vision or narrowed
I:c secs abundant usn for hypothetical
millions in the ever-growing demands or
| his university, but he has learned, II rom
no other source at least from Kant =
| "Critiaue Of Pura Reason" that II Is very
! hard 10 pay objective debts with subjective
dollars
He is firm. prudential a man Of deep CON
yirtions but free from conceit Unlike
some who are greedy Of praise and grudg-
ing OF compliment. he IL generous in ms
appreciatiGn of others. and does not think
of himself more highly than he ought 10
think. lie is possessed Of great tact and
ne is considerats OF others. He has a re-
fined sagacity that leads him easily 10 dis
uitbort sounding a trumpet before him.
lie Is a leader who wears no plume, a
man whom others follow without asking
whv The forces OF his nature work silent
Iv like tho dew. and his influence, neither
feeble nor spasmodic, is regular and resist