Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-01-23
CHAPTER TX,
The Graduate COLLEGE Contest


IN HE story now becomes com.
plicated through the injec-
SE3 y ton of another issue-that,
namely, of the graduate col
lege. Some time before the election
Of Professor Wilson to the presidency
Professor Andrew f. West. a brilliant
and persuasive member Of the faculty.
with ambitions. had been given the
title Of dean of the graduate school,
together with an appropriation Of ST.
500 to be used in studying graduate
systems Of obstruction in various uni
versities. Dean West went to Europe
for a year. returned and published 4
sumptuous little volume containing an
elaborate and highly illustrated scheme
for a graduate college. 1t was never
seen by tho faculty. The book was
sent by Dean West to likely contrib.
utors among the alumni.
In December Of 1906 Mrs. J. A.
Thompson Swami, dying. left $3.50. 900
for the beginning of graduate college.
Among the conditions of the gift was
the provision that the new college
should be located upon grounds of the
university.
In the spring Of 1909, through the in.
duence Of Dean West. Mr.. William o.
Proctor Of Cincinnati offered $4,000
for the graduate college on condition
that another half million dollars be
raised. Mr.. Proctor's letter seemed to
imply that the money must be used In
carrying out the scheme formulated by
Dean West. It also condemned the site
chosen for the graduate college by the
trustees. In his second letter address
ed to President Wilson Mr.. Proctor
named two locations which alone would
be acceptable to him.
So long as Dean Vests scheme for
q graduate school was a paper plan
only, It had received no special exami-
nation. But when these two requests
made its realization possible the plan
was given scrutiny. 1t was apparent
to many Of the trustees and faculty
that Dean Vests elaborate plan was
not one to which they were prepared
to commit themselves definitely. A
special committee Of FIVE. appointed by
the president Of the board Of trustees,
reported against the unconditional &C.
ceptance Of Mr.. Proctor's gift.
Mr.. Proctor's answer was a with.
drawal Of his offer.
The withdrawal naturally caused a
sensation and brought down upon the
head Of President Wilson all the walls
Of wrath that had not been already
emptied upon him. 1t was inconceiv-
able to some in the board Of trustees,
to large number Of the alumni and to
a portion Of the faculty that gift Of
$4,000 carrying With it indeed the
prospect Of another 100000, for this
had already been nearly subscrbed|
could be rejected on any consideration
whatsoever But in view Of the per.
fectly clear position taken by Presi-
dent Wilson. backed at that time by
the majority Of the trustees, the pas.
sionate outcry against them shown by
some Princetonians of general repute
for intelligence and conscience does
seem inexplicable. 1t was a perfectly
clear case. President Wilson and the
trustees were no doubt infinitely oblig-
ed to Mr.. Proctor; they were eager to
accept his gift, but they simply could
not abrogate the duties of their Office
they simply could not surrender to
any donor the right to determine the
university's policy in so grave a matter
as that Of its graduate school. It was
they who were charged with the duty
Of administering the university, not
Mr.. Proctor.
Furthermore. the particular plan
which unconditional acceptance Of Mr.
Proctor's gift would have forced on
Princeton was one utterly opposed to
the principles in devotion to which
the university under its presidents
guidance was now so happily advanc.
ing.
To President Wilson its details were
altogether obnoxious. Since the sub
ject Of graduate study had been taken
up the dean and the president had
moved in opposite directions, one to-
ward segregation and exclusiveness.
sAC OtACh tOVuA0 0u OA6dhiS W uOiCs W
operative, shot through with com.
mon motive and spirit and stimulated
by common life of give and take
President Wilson had his own plan for
a graduate school-a plan that sprang
naturally out Of the new system Of
studies and the preceptorial organiza.
tiOn-but 1t was a plan that contem-
plated q corps of highly competent
graduate instructors. proper labOrato-
ries. an adequate library and the prac-
tical essentials of study rather than
the embroidery Of fine buildings and
secluslon. "A university does not con-
sist Of buildings or Of apparatus" he
said. "A university consists Of stu
dents and teachers"
The fact of the matter Is he didn't
want hundred nice young gentlemen
to come to Princeton and live apart
pursuing the higher cr'"re. The no.
ton violated the idea # democracy,
deliberately set about to create schol-
arly aristocracy, introduced further
element Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. what
Princeton needed was indignation. His
own thought was aflame with the pic
ture of a great democratic society Of
students in which undorrra dus taa and