Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-01
Measure for National Institu-
ton Reintroduced by Sem
ator Dillingham;.
$500, 900 FOR BUILDINGS;
$1,000, 900 ENDOWMENT
Board of Regents of Twenty. Eight
Ex-Oficio Members and Twelve
Citizens. Provided.

Senator Dillingham; of New Hamp-
shire today reintroduced his bill ere
ating University of the United States,
to be established in the District of Co
lumbia. He said he intended to adj
vance the interests of the measure as
best he could at the present session.
The purpose of the university is to
provide facilities for the highest pos
slble instruction in the sciences. arts
and letters; to promote the advance
ment of knowledge by means of origi-
nal research and investigations: to pro-
vide the instruction needed to qualify
students for important posts in the
service of state or nation.
The board of regents which is to gov
ern the university is to have as its
president the President of the United
States, and as it's members the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court, the At
torney General, the Secretary of State
the Secretary of Agriculture, the presi-
dent of the university, the secretary
OF the Smithsonian Institution and the
commissioner of education. together
with twelve citizens of the United
States appointed by the President and
confirmed by the Senate. Special pro-
vision is made that the university shall
be non political from partisan stand
point. and non-sectarian. An appro-
priation of 100000 is made available
for buildings and site, and $4,000, 900 for
an endowment fund.
Aim of Many Statesmen.
To establish university of the
highest type at the seat of the COVER
nf l,a
ton, university supplementing state
universities and other institutions OF
collegiate rank, as they in turn rest
upon the high schools and academies
has been the hope of a long line OF
statesmen, jurists and educators during
a period covering century and a
quarter, it was pointed out today by
Senator Dillingham;.
Provision for the establishment OF
such an institution came very neal
being included in the Constitution OF
the United States itself. and was ia
vored by such advocates as George
Washington. Charles Pinckney, Benja-
min Franklin. James Madison and
other illuStrious trainers of that immor
tai document. In fact, it only escaped
being made part of the Constitution
by the argument that, exclusive juris-
diction over the District of Columbia
having been conceded to Congress, that
w
immediate action to carry out the de-
sires of the founders of the republic
Civil War Halted Project.
Such university has been favored
by no less than ten Presidents of the
United States since the time of Wash
ington. At one time the agitation in
favor of university of this type was
SO great that committee of the SEN
ate was appointed to handle the sub
ject. The committee at that time was
considered an important one, and
ranked well with other majority COM
mitteeS. Just about the time when
things looked most propitious the civil
war broke out, and this project, to-
gether with others of importance, was
releSated to the background. For some
time after the war interest was chiefly
centered in the rehabilitation of the
country, and gradually interest in the
subject of the university died down
until the Senate committee referred to
was made minority committee.
Within the last few years, however.
interest in the subject has been con-
siderably revived through the advo-
cacy of prominent educators through l.
out the country, and it may develop
that in the not distant future some
definite results may be attained. al
though world conditions at the present
have resulted in a crystalliZing of at
tention to military preparedness, at
least for the present session of Con-
gress