Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-02-19
"A MOUNTAIN COLLEGE,"
Williams Viewed from the Distance
of Boston.
N0rom the Eoston Trans.rlut.l

From the boston Trans crlptJ
1t requires something more than d
'ormal invitation to bring together at al
annual reunion considerably more than a
hundred graduates of Williams Colleg,
n Boston. It must be backed by generous
. ,husias... and that was the cnaraet,.
"a the gathering at last nights dinner
he institution lies away off along tn,
western border. 1t corners on two 1ther
states With respect to its student body
b. . more New YORK than u Massachu-
sets college, yet in the past hundred
years its graduates have oeen generousl,
'epresentd among the most honoreo
Asures in the public life md genera
service of the State. in proportion to its
size 1t can easily challenge comparisou
with sister institutions, Though still
rated as small college, in the number
If Its students, the size OF Its faculty
md Its general equipment and resources.
u would have been classed As q large
ne 50 years ago.
The speech OF President Garfield was
the T. ,.ture OF the after-dinner exercises
1t was clar and candid and reflected the
quality Of decision with which the maker
strong note OF aspiration rather than the
complacent note OF satisfaction. In fact
It intimated that when the president and
he faculty had reached a point where
they saw no more problems to solve and
no more progress to be attained. II would
be time for the friends OF the college to
turn them out and put live men in their
places, We do not think such an occa-
sion for the exercise OF the recall will
arise as long as President GsrfleId is
in his present temper He did not
attempt to minimize the value OF
athletics. On the contrary he urged the
infusion of a more democratic spirit and
a more general application to the student
body, a theory which the faculty is at
tempting to translate into a condition by
securing tn services Of a young man as
Instructor who is In hearty sympathy
with the broader methods that have been
proposed.
Within the pa 40 years the viewpoint
of student life has radically changed
in many particulars Very likely Presi-
dent Garfield may not have been con-
scious OF the fact. but his idea of bring
ing into service all the forces that make
up the we'll rounded man. in body, mind
and spirit, was but another way Of stat
ing the philosophy OF the man whose
memory still remains an inspiration at
Williams College, President Mark Hop.
kins. After all. the first responsibility
OF the college was as an educational in
stitution. DR. Garfield deplored the ten
dency to follow the lines OF least re-
sistance and urged upon young men put
ting their "necks to the collar and
working with that fre out Of which is
made the real man. He announced his
intention OF preaching that doctrine and
living up to It as long as he continued
TO bear the honor Of being president OF
Williams College.
In the five years during which the in
stitution has been under his executive
direction practice has gone hand in hand
with preaching. Many changes have been
made and more are In contemplation.
Probably when he makes another sddress
before a gathering Of Boston alumni