The Washington herald., 1914-03-28
Professors TO
HAVE SOCIETY
Committee VIII Make Plans
for Big National Or
c,nization.
MUCH INTEREST IN PLAN
Movement Started Last Year with
Members of Faculty of
Johns Hopkins.
MUCH INTEREST In PLAN

Progress In the organization Of q ma
tional association Of college professors ID
announced in the appointment Of COM
mittee of twenty-five members to take
steps for the formal establishment Of the
association. The committee viii meet
soon, it is expected, and will announce
the proposals for the inception OF the
society, which is attracting much atten-
tion in academic circles.
A circular letter, signed by most Of the
full professors of the Johns Hopkins UNI
versity. was sent in the spring Of 1913 to
members OF the faculties Of nine other
universities, inviting them to consider
the advisability of the formation of q
national association of university pro-
fessors, and to send delegates to an In
formal conference for the discussion Of
the matter. The letter contained the fol-
lowing statement of the reasons actuat-
ing the signers of 1t:
"The reasons which seem to demand
the formation of such an association are
fairly evident The university teacher is
professionally concerned with two dis
tinct. though related. interests. Both OF
these interests can be furthered by CO.
operation and the interchange of views,
and therefore by organization: for only
one Of them has suitable organization yet
been attained. AS scholar and investiga-
vancement of learning and the diffusion
OF knowledge in his speciality; and CO.
operative effort for these ends is already
effectively organized. through our numer-
Gus technical societies, and the several
sections of the American Association.
Organization Is Needed.
But the university professor is also
concerned, as a member of the legisla-
tive body of his local institution, with
many questions of educational policy,
which are of more than local significance;
he is a member of a professional body
which is the special custodian of GER
tain ideals, and the organ for the per-
formance of certain functions essential
to the well-being Of society; and concern
ing the character efficiency, public in
fuence, and good repute of this body he
cannot be indifferent 1t is on this side
that there is need =; more definite and
more comprehensive organization.
THE general purposes. therefore, of the
contemplated association would be to pro-
mote more general and methodical dis
cusslon OF the educational problems Of the
university: to create means for the au-
thorftative expression; and to make pos
sible collective action, on occasions when
such action seems called for"
A favorable response was received in
Oil SooSSs anu sldlciIltIlS expressing Ine
belief in the desirability of the forma-
ton of such an association were drawn
up and signed by members of the facuI-
ties of most of the universities addressed.
The proposed conference was held in
Baltimore on November IL, 1913, on the
eve of the annual meeti z of the National
Academy of Sciences. II was attended |
by eighteen delegates from the FOLLOW
ing universities: Clark, Profs. Taber and |
49,
Dewey; Cornell. Profs. Bennett and Mich
OILS; Harvard. Prof. Minot; Johns Hop
kins. Profs Ames, Bloomfield. Lovejoy,
and Morley Princeton, Profs. Capps,
Kemmerer, and Warren: Wisconsin,
Profs. Cole and Marlatt. and Yale. Profs.
Harrison and Mendel
After prolonged discussion Of the whole