The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-10
BIRMINGHAM BOYS
 WORK AT COLUMBIA

New York, May 9.-(Special )-Over at Furnald hall, in the Columbia campus, lives a young student who has lifted his head above the mass. The faculty listen seriously to him, the students look at him with that unmistakable interest that in some subtle way sets him apart When he swings down the steps of the library or hurries along the mosaic terraces, some of the fellows, who do not know him, perhaps, will say: There goes Ralph Harrs,'' and two or three undergraduates turn their heads to look after him. Of course they know he is "southern"
 Down south as they say in New York, which may mean anything from the Flor ida Everglades to the eastern shore of Maryland, or the ore regions of Alabama And when there are 5000 students at Co lumbia, and 5000 'southerners" in New York city-to lift one's head above the mass.
 It is quite generally accepted at Co., lumbia that young Ralph Harris of Bir- mingham is one of the most brilliant young fellows the south has sent in re- cent years to any of the eastern uni versailles. He came up from the High school just five years ago, was gradu- ated last June with the highest honors of his class. entered the Columbia law school for a two-year course. and has taken a most active part in the academic life of the university. He has won sev- eral scholarships, has received signal honors in his fraternities. has been bril- liantly exploited by debating societies, the newspapers having made brief men tion from tinte to time of his univer- slty career. But as yet none of his definite ideals, his real outlook upon life has been written of, very little of the personality which is making itself felt here at Columbia. You see the name of Ralph HariG signed to numerous art icles in the Spectator to deeply analyti- cal discussions in the programmes of old English plays presented by Columbia men. and opposite the leading roles of some brilliant and charming comedy of Dekker's day. And-in the subway, the following afternoon, perhaps. you will see him on his way to his private classes at an academy where he lectures and teaches in his leisure hours--in what Ed ward Howard Griggs calls the mar gins.'
 Then, if you drop in at some of the social settlements you will hear him talk ing to the strangely curious throngs on the philosophy of life There, you see,
 
 Ralph Harris. You hear him talk about social problems. hear with amazement a young fellow, still in the early twen- ties. recognizing the needs of the hour, and applying as the remedy the gospel of love, of sympathy, of helpfulness.
 And on the other hand you will hear him speak, as he did the other evening, from the stage of the Century theatre Lyceum, of the purposes of the Columbia Dramatic association, of which he is president, or in less serious vein, at the recent opening of Furnald han, were as chairman of the reception committee he preceded the dean and the professors and the other highbrows in delightful little speech which the students packed the very doors to hear. And how he has ab- sorbed the very life of Columbia, how its cosmopolitan atmosphere appeals to him, how he looks beneath the surface of things, feels the dynamic forces visual izes the future. realizes the vital signifi- canoe of all the varied groups. may be understood by what he said the other afternoon in one of his lectures
 The atmosphere teens with busy theories the horizon is black with the