Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-01-09
PEN|NG ADDRESS
Delivered al the Opening Of the win.
ter Term Of Alma College
BY PROF. GEORGE B. RANDALLS
In the College Chapel Tuesday Norma 9
January T.

Professor George b. Randall ad-
dressed the opening session of the
winter term of Alma College Tues
day morning upon the subject: The
Small College, The Large College,
and The College in the University"
Briefly he stated that misappre-
hension seemed to pervade the pub
lie mind as to the relative value of a
collegiate or university training. He
believed that the indiscriminate use
OF scholastic terms was largely re-
sponsible for this condition. For in
stance, every one, from a tight rope
walker to balloonist, is called pro-
fessor and the term college has Jared
as badly.
In the eastern part of the country
where the historical connections are
less broken we find that our leading
so called universities still preserve
the name of college The catalog of
Harvard shows the name Harvard
College, Columbia, Columbia College
also Yale College, and Princeton Col
lege; so the student that attends
any of these schools is attending coll
lege and taking similar if not iden-
teal course with one who attends AL
ma College or any OF the 40 odd
other small colleges.
One can only appreciate the dis
tinction between college and univer-
sity in the light of history Back in
the tenth century universities began
ha
ology and philosophy; but students
who had not completed the collegi-
ate course were inadequately prepar-
ed this research From the out
set the seven arts-grammar, logic,
rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, mu-
sic and astronomy were taught in the
secondary schools and was subordi-
nate and preparatory to the more ex-
| tended research of the university pro-
per.
We, in America, have two lines of
| inheritance We get our college
from England and one University
| from Germany Harvard College re-
presents the English idea. Those
who planned the educational system
of Michigan had the German idea.
rs years ago in this western wilder
ness the only institution which could
be put into being was college, but
it was named university because
the builders hoped that i'll the distant
future it might attain that distinction.
The name continues and we are de-
ceived by numbers and attendance as
| If these features OF an institution de-
termined the work done therein.
The English idea as it has pervad-
ed Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Column
bia and Michigan is not research nor
proficiency and skill in professions
b (which men may earn their living,
but TO train the boy and help him 10
become a man before he enters the
professions. Their ideal is to bring
to bear upon young lives all the in
fluences OF scholarship, literature,
science and arts which will open eyes
TO opportunities for leadership and
service in church, state and commun-
ity. 1t is not to train in getting a
living but to live more completely.
College training demands study
and wide reading. and cannot be at
tanned otherwise. and President But
Ter OF Columbia University asser-s
that the habit of conveying informa-
tion TO college students by means Of
lectures is wholly deplorable."
The Professor then quoted statis-
tics from many colleges TO prove by
advanced work taken that our large
schools had not developed greater
scholarship than our smaller colleges.
The boy in the smaller college has
many advantages socially and in COM
munity life that so called universi-
ties do not provide.
This brief statement does not do
justice TO Professor Randall's address
which was thoroughly appreciated by
all present