Omaha daily bee., 1917-11-04
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l---By Victor Rosews.sr
As CHANCELLOR of the University of Ne
n braska E. Benjamin Andrews, who has just
passed away, made noteworthy contrbu-
ton to the development OF that institution, al
though his fame and name by no means rest upon
what he did after he came to the tar west. Dr.
Andrews had achieved a high reputation as an
historian and political economist years before
Further than that, he had reached an envlabie po-
sition in the collegiate world as president, OF
Brown university, where his executive ability had
been well demonstrated.
Ny first acquaintance with him dated back to
some of the earlier meetings OF the American
Economic association at whose sessions he ap-
peared to be vigorous and forcible debater with
a decidedly independent mind. Jealous espou-
sal of the free silver cause made things uncom-
Portable for him at Brown and his forced retire
ment placed him before the country in the role
Of a martyr to his convictions. | do not think
he so intended, but his words and acts nonetheless
furnished political capital to the Bryan following,
Of which they made full use, and in recognition
Of which he was later rewarded, or taken care
Of" il you prefer, by appointment to be super
intendent OF schools at Chicago, job for which
he was not specially fitted and from which he
was transferred to the headship of our state uni
versty.
There Is no reason now take it, to dissemble
the fact that the selection of DR.. Andrews as
chancellor was directly due to the Bryan influence
at Lincoln. ! happen to know that majority Of
the board of regents was inclined at the time to
favor DR.. Jeremiah W. jerks, who had indicated
his willingness to give up his professorship in
Cornell university If the place were offered to
him, and the call would unquestionably have gone
to DR.. jerks except for this political wire pulling.
Let 1t be said, however, for DR.. Andrews that,
once invested with the Office as chancellor, he
set his face firmly against the intrusion of poll
tics into the affairs of the university and stead
fastly refused to let political consideration di-
vert him from strict adherence to the princ-
pies of true and faithful educator although he
was several times put to severe test.
Dr.. Andrews had peculiar faculty of keep
ing in touch with popular currents and to do so
did not hesitate to cultivate the newspapers. /
have not q few letters from him asking advice
or calling attention to some subject of immed-
ate or prospective Importance. Here is one char
acteristic note in point, all written out in his
took in the merger of the university with the
Omaha Medical college, now its medical depart.
ment:
Lincoln, April II, l9O2-My Dear Mr.. Rose
water: May not hope that The Bee will speak
we'll of the affiliation which the regents of the
university have entered into with the Omaha
Medical eoliege7 A few of the Lincoln doc
tors chafe at it, as so many Lincoln people
seem to think they must do over everything
which favors Omaha regret this. The meas
ure has been studied carefully for over year
and was at last voted unanimously by all six
of the regents. The contract was drawn by
Judge Pound of the supreme court and studied
and approved by Judge Calkins and Mr.. Rich
separately and Independently. ! think fcan-
not err when I affirm that the affliaton will
occasion great step forward in medical and
surgical knowledge and practice throughout the
entire Missouri valley. Cordially,
"E. BENZ. ANDREWS"
Let 1t be put down. therefore, that at the in
ception Chancellor Andrews had the best vision
of what this step would lead to and grasped bet
ter than anyone else its far-reaching possibilities.
Although widely disagreeing on the great po-
litical issue of today, DR.. Andrews and the late
Edward Rosewater were great admirers OF one
another. In some respects think they were
alike in their plain spoken frankness, in their un-
compromising tenacity of beliefs. in their readi-
ness to fight il out" along the line of what they
conceived to be the truth regardless OF conse-
quences. How DR.. Andrews felt may be gath
cred from this letter which he wrote me about
month after the death OF my father and which
in itself Is tribute rejecting the nobility of the
writer as well as OF the man he proposed to
honor:
Lincoln, September 26, 1o06-My Dear Mr..
Rosewater: AS you must be aware, it is the
feeling OF the best citizens of Nebraska that
there ought to be, at some not too future date.
a public and formal memorial service in honor
OF your esteemed fatner, Win Stu0led anu aDlc
addresses by the men best qualified to give
them, touching the various phases of his re-
markable character and career. These addresses
should be thorough enough for printing and
permanent preservation. / have looked for
movement of this kind, but, upon inquiry, can
not learn that any is planned, perhaps because
everyone Is waiting as we have been, for some
one else
1.-THE most natural place for such an event
would, of course, be Omaha, and If Omaha is
to proceed in the enterprise Lincoln and the
university will be perfectly content. But there
would be some propriety in service of the
kind at the university and in Lincoln, and if
Omaha is not likely to go forward and you and
your family have no objections the university
will prepare for and hold the memorial
"This letter is to ascertain your thought upon
the propricty of such a course on our part. and
/ beg you to reply, at your convenience, with
the utmost freedom.
IF you prefer Omaha tell me SO frankly,
when can no doubt, in a quiet manner, ar
range through mutual friends to start the
movement there.
81 have learned to regard Edward Rosewater
as the most potent factor in the shaping of Ne
braska history and progress that has thus far
appeared Very sincerely yours
"E.} BENZ. ANDREWS, Chancellor"