The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1921-04-21
The Yale Spirit.
Joseph Darden Armistead.)

Yale University is considered by
many young men unacquainted with
its true spirit 20 be a school where
one without wealth would be out Of
place, that only wealthy students
would be happy in its atmosphere.
This is doing the university an inju.
ry and may be preventing some cap
able young man Of ambition making
any effort TO come to Yale for his
education.
As a matter Of fact Yale il one
Of the most democratic universities
in the land. Il prides itself upon
this very spirit. The ideal which {;
holds out seeks to lift every student
out Of any unworthy fainthearted-
ness Of self-depreciation which he
may possess. and inspire him with a
sense Of the worth Of true manhood,
regardless Of The accidental differ
ences that may exist as to finances
between himself and Others.
lnasmuch M American convention
atty Is tending TO develop class dis
tinctions based merely on money. the
ideals o. this great university are all
the NOR. outstanding in contras; and
give grounds for faith in the cont.n-
ued triumph Of the common sens, Of
the masses Of American citizens.
Knowing as we do that the student
body Of Yale contains sons Of some
Of the wealthiest families Of Ameri-
ca. as Vanderbilts. Rockefellers and
Tafts, the following words Of form
er president Timothy Dwight, Of
Yale. are Of special interest, and are
worth reading by many others than
university students:
1--WE college men were a democrat
ic community-The men Of fifty
years ago had this spirit democrat
icD. not because there were no him
ORANGES in the way Of It's entrance
into their lives. but because. as men,
beers Of the Yale fraternity. they in
hcrited from the fathers Of the ear
lier days Of the Collere history the
great foundation principles Of the
true hale life Had the inspiration
had no deeper source than that which
was found in accidental or temper
AIRY surrounding circumstance. il
would have been worthless as a NOV
INK force for noble living.
The same thing is true today. H.
will be so always. II the democratic
spirit animating our university is
now, or ever becomes in the future.
so weak and uHmanly that il cannot
endure inequalities in resources or
expenditures the means Of salts
fyng the desire for special comforts
or even luxurfes, or gratifying the
artistic taste-it will be unworthy of
is origin, Il will have contradicted its
earlier self. The old spirit was one
that estimated men according to their
manhood. and not according to their
surrounding possessions. Il believed
in the superiority Of man to his ac-
cidCnt. But itdid no. demand that
the possessions or accidental things
Of all in the community should be ex-
actly the same. Il was a manly and
not a pusillanimous SPIRIT have
no apprehensions as to its losing It's
vital force or passing away. II the
men Of the present and the coming
time will recognize for and in them
selves the essence Of It's life-power,
and not mistake Il for what il is not. !"
The spirit Of Yale today is one of
gcnuineness and true democracy. IL
: true to the ideals Of the past; and
II il could be il is more so, as is seen
ia the selection Of western man TO
become its next president.
My observation leads me to sum
up Yale ideals as the spirit Of de-
moeracy, service. manhood and thor.