Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-02
PRESTIGE OF OLD PENN
TOO MUCH FOR A. b. HART
Some Reflections Upon the Parochialism
of a Harvard Professor and His Very
Exclusive List of National"

A LHERr BUSHNELL HART. who
= teaches in Harvard University, has
prepared Il little list of American colleges
which he deems worthy Of mat lonal" dis
tinction. The grouping excludes the t'ni-
vcrstty Of Pennsylvania. and the omission
has not unnaturally provoked tho amaze.
ment Of the students. alumni oni. indeed.
MI friends of great and venerable iustitu.
ton Of higher learning.
Dr.. Hart. n Pennsylvania born. but
graduate of the institution where he now
holds the chair of American history. has
inevitably included Harvard. rs she deserves
TO he. within the charmed circle. ana has
rondcsccndrd to name Yale. Cornell. CoIum-
h,a. Michigan and Chicago as her peers in
influence upon the life Of the country IN
adequacy Of curr!culn and breadth and diff.
fusion of student body.
In what mvopic way. IN what spirit Of
parochial pcrvcrsity was such narrow
ranking devised: As n survey Of American
collegiate enterprise. the list is ahsUrllv
warped warrant!ng tn" indignation wh2rh
1t has aroused and the resentment OF all
fair minded persons.
Some years before DR.. Hart was born n
certain youth who had found New England
unconsen!al to his aspiring temperament
struck ont for other fields, and cvid"utIy
found that Of Pennsylvania attractive. A.
any rate he passed with q few excursions.
III" remainder of his life IN Philadelphia.
and in the course Of time became the most
conspicuous Of the founders of an inSt!'u-
tion now hearing the name of the University
Of Pennsylvania.
Observation-Disclosures she stands--haS her
Hart. also her Harvard: Pennsylvania. in
a dual sense. has her Franklin. Th" COM
p"nsations of history are simple enough rs
soon aS perceived
As historian Dr. Hart has probably
heard something Of benjamin Frankln.
though the latter did desert Boston. lis
tory, however. Is susceptible of varied in
trrprctations. and ii pr. Hart is content to
regard Franklin. importation though h" was
as local figure. it is unlikely that any
person will seek to rob hirH "f claims TO
S'.ch discovery.
But that poin, need not. at this day. ho
pressed. In the interests Of history. which
useful TO inquire into the qualifications for
national colleg!atn distinction.
The University of Pennsylvania. which.
according to the implication Of the Harvard
professor, is paroCh!al and circumscrib"d in
character and influence. numbered last year
more than 10000 students. drawn FROM
every state in the Union and III" pi~'r, =
Of Columbia and from forty -four foreign
countries. This, in Or. liarts view, r"-
In virtually every branch of art, letters and
science, but its reputation FOR superiority IN
certain lines Is all but universally uun,oyI-
edged Tie prov!so is inserted in d"f"l .ucc
10 Dr. Hart.
Mere hoast!ng IS at best nm undocurous
performance, but not the S"vercst lone
critic Of pennsylvan!a can reasonably n>Scr,
+hot this community has ever been guilt, Of
smrcness with respect to it, gr-at !ns,.tu-
tInn of higher learning.
There is tendency even 10 be aIoo!ogct!c
for i,s eoutpncnt in for iustarcr. -pcb
folds os architecture, revreScntod Lr ono
~ Tho foremost schools OF tho globe: for tho
,r,rori,ottve and vigorously administered
dorort,,on.s of medic inc, INV dentistry
chemistry and cngineer!ug 70 say ro,h!ng
NJ the ar-s. cIns4tcs and ''nu,nunit.cS. g