The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-06-30
u. of M. Men Hear DR..
Hill Explain Aims
of University
MANY DETROITERS
ARE GRADUATED
City Largely Repre-
scented In All
Colleges

H.NN AhbOh, June oO.-I ne aims
| and ideals for which a university is
expected to stand provided the We
hicle for one of the best and most
scholarly commencement addresses
which It has been the privilege OF
Michigan graduates 10 hear, in Hill
auditorium here Thursday.
President a. Ross Hill, head or
the University OF Missouri, was the
| speaker.
"One OF the oldest ideals of the
| university Is that OF culture, the
notion that university should aim
10 produce the cultivated man, he
averred.
THE medieval conception OF ed
ucation which found no worthy aim
or interests In this life except as
| connected with the life TO come, and
which looked upon university train.
ing as mere discipline in a few
restricted mental activities or prep
| aration for the profession OF law,
medicine and theology. yielded grad
ually TO the conception OF liberal
education. aimed at the development
OF the free man, with individuality OF
his own and power OF participation
in every day life, based upon
knowledge OF life in the past and
appreciation of opportunities OF pres
ent day life
President Hill showed the develop
ment Of the teachings into man. hui
mainly and nature, as applied in the
universities OF Europe in the olden
days
Here Is a clear recognition OF
culture as a university ideal and we
may not today overlook the essential
soundness OF the conception as IL
furnished motive for study and in.
struction in European universities
four centuries ago.
THE American Revolution brought
with Il a growing sense OF the value
Of education for its own sake and
the idea OF culture took strong hold
In the academies which came into
being during the first half century
Of our national life. Partly. at least,
through the influence OF the acade-
mics upon the colleges this idea be
came dominant in American higher
| education during the greater part
OF the 10Th century. Education came
To be regarded as a good thing in II.
self"
Dr. Hill declared there seems 10
be need now for the restatement
OF the signihcane~(and meaning OF
culture and a reassertion Of its
claims as university ideal
Culture means enlightenment,
catholic intellectual sympathy. so
! cial orientation which reveals 10 the
! individual his relation TO other per
sons and forces. The cultivated
man has come out OF his intellec-
tual habit and knows something OF
what the world at large is thinking
and doing and what the impulses are
that are moving 1t.
"A university should give men and
women the freedom OF the world, as
/ II were, so that they will stand high
enough TO survey the field OF hui
man endeavor and interests and see
where the tides move. II should
generalize each generation OF stu
dents as they come on and give
them a view Of the stage as whole
and the plot OF the drama OF life
before they take UP their several
parts in the play.
"As instruments in realizing this
aim. first are the social sciences. II
culture Is the rise Of the individual
character must have belonged TO
studies that yielded real culture.
Then there are the natural sci
ences, so characteristic a phase OF
human thinking in modern times.
Especially II would seem the seen
tific habit and attitude IL mind are
essential elements in liberal edu-
cation today and that In large
measure the future OF our civiliza-
ton depends upon the widening
spread and deepening hold OF this at
itude.
Culture Is not merely insight
Ia also appreciation. and a university
should aim to bring It's students TO
an appreciation of the great value
OF life. to an attitude OF mind from
which a sane criticism OF life and
LIES values is possible. All values
go back ultimately to personal worth
and all educational effort must just
ify itself finally in its ability TO fur
Their better living.
The use of popular language. up
against" fall down" and such
terms was deplored by the speaker,
he declaring that I'VE are certain
ly suffering today from the collapse
Of discipline