New-York tribune., 1919-02-13
Columbia Alumni
Study " ar Work
All Close Range
vi e c h hanical Engineering
Building Opened for the
First Time DR.. Butler
Discusses Future Plans

Alumni Day exercises were held yes
terday at Columbia University. The
war plant &c the university was open
for the inspection Of members of the
Alumni Federation, and members Of
the faculty explained the transforma-
ton methods which we're placing the
institution again upon peace footing.
The Mechanical Engineering Build
ing was open to the public for the first
time since the United States declared
war, and the visitors saw where and
how most of the engine room officers
and crew. OF the submarine chasers
had been trained. They also had the
privilege of trying the radio telephone
system installed by the department of
engineering for training officers.
There was meeting in the afternoon
at the university commons, at which
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler, president
OF the university, said that it had had
a st0rmy SIX months, but was getting
back to normal more quickly than had
been anticipated.
has been beneficial to many Of US. We
have met new problems in education
and some OF our ideas of the method of
teaching have been changed"
One of the most important lessons
the university learned from the war.
Dean Herbert +. Hawkes. said, was the
Importance Of motive in education
Students III the officers training
schools, he said, worked with tremen-
dous zeal and put up with inconveni-
ences without complaint. But as soon
as the lighting stopped, he said, they
began TO find fault with conditions.
Few of us had ever seen motive at
such close range working with such eff
tectlve force" he said. land we felt
that 1t would be very much to our dis
credit II we failed to discover or evolve
d motive Tor the men who remained in
college, for those coming back from the
war and Tor new students. And we be-
i.eve We have discovered motive. With
the men returning from the war the
motive is largely education as a means
to leadership. They have seen thai the
men with education and intellectual
powers were the men who led, and thew
are returning with that knowledpe as
their motive
We have discovered also that prob
soly the most permanent motive is
the professional motive; that is, TAX
ing courses in college with the sne-
enc purpose of preparation for ad-
mission to the professional schools.
The men who enter college with the
idea of continuing their university
training through one of the urofes.
slonal schools possess motive that
Is largely lacking in the boy Who
merely wants to go through COLLEGE :"
Columbia has more students now
than before the war. Dean Hawkes.
SAID. He said also that the process
or teaching history to freshmen had
peen reversed, 4 study of existing con-
dltions coming first and the instruc-
tlon leading backward through thair
causes. Professor Adam Leroy Jones
explained the new method of admit.
ting students according to their knowI-
edge rather than their learning. unless
they chose to matriculate under the
old method. '''o
Stephen G. Williams was elected
president of the federation, Thomas
E"lng first vice president, John V
bouyier second vice president, Robert
Lewis third president, Edgar ]
Moeller recording secretary. and
Charles r F{avdock trooe,ro~