New-York tribune., 1922-12-03
Hope of Higher
Scholarship Put
In Frats' Hands
Without Student Groupings
Inspiration and Ideals in
College Will Decline, Says
Brown University Head
Women Lead in Classes
Michigan U. Dean Asserts
Secret Society Men Out
strip Fellow Students

Due 70 the growth Of the American
collee and university in the last few
years. the grouping Of students within
n. walls has become a problem Of vast
Importance, w. II. P. Faunce, president
OF Brown University, declared In an
address at the fourteenth annual inter-
fraternaI Conference. Of which he was
the founder, at the Hotel Pennsylvania
yesterday. In the course OF a plea 20
the delegates for q raising Of scholar
shin standards through cooperation
among fraternities DR.. Fsunee said un-
less the groupings Of students are en-
phasized as never before there will
come a degradation Of inspiration in
educational institutions because Of the
sudden and unprecedented increase in
the number Of students attending col
leges.
For a.freshman to try to love two
thousand men at once he said, "is like
trying TO be sffeetionAte with the At
lsntie Ocean. You have simply got to
select some port 70 sail from and some
port to sail to. When you know those
ports you can become acquainted with
the whole ocean.
Fears Local Secret Societies
"The only kind Of secret society I am
afraid Of is one that is purely local,
that has no national affiliations, no ma
:ional horizon, no national responsible
ity. Such a one IL always a danger and
n menace. But when It is in touch with
the nation at large much can be accom-
plished.'
In comparison Of the average abil-
ity OF fraternity men, non-frsternity
men, and women students the latter
class comes out ahead, according TO
Dean Joseph A. Bursley Of the Univer-
sity Of Michigan, himself non-fra-
ternity man. Dean Bursley declared
that In the course Of many years OF
experience as an educator he had found
the fraternity man generally 20 be
better student than his non-frsternity
contemporary, although both kinds had
to concede the lead in scholastic abil-
ity TO the women.
Dean Francis W. shepardson of the
University Of Chicago, formerly Illi-
nois State Commissioner of Education,
answered charges leveled against the
fraternitles, on the grounds that they
were over expensive and tended TO
snobbishness, with counter criticism Of
the college authorities. stating that the
fault lay not in the fraternity but in
the college itself.
Authorities Not Pair
"The authorities who criticize fra
ternities," he explained, "are not play.
ing fair. They talk snobbishness and
lavishness and then encourage huge
outlays for what they call the glory Of
the institution. Stadiums that cost
upward OF half million dollars are,
( from a strictly scholastic point Of
view, just as Objectionable as silver
fayors at house parties. Some eri.i-
cism Is undoubtedly fair, but II mel:s
into insignifcance in the face Of the
constructive work that has been ac-
complished.
Seems TO me that IL isn't the frator-
mites but the colleges which are iso-
lating themselves. They are growing
away froh the common mass, and the
sooner they return to closer con
tact with the people the better of
they will be-"
Most of the many prominent edu.
Gators took part in the discussion on
scholarship, which occupied the morn
ing session. j. T. Caldwell, scholar
ship commissioner Of Kappa Sigma.
said that many colleges are shifting
the responsibility for scholarship 20
the fraternities. Howard Bement,
principal Of the Hill School, spoke on
1.-THE Fraternity ard the Parent"
The following officers were elected:
/ Chairman, john J. Kuhn. Cornell, '9S;
vice-chairman. Willis o. Robb, Ohio
/ Wesleyan. rs: treasurer. DR.. Walter
/ II. Conley, Union. 81; secretary. A.
/ Bruce Bielaski. George Washington,
/ '04; educational advisor. Dean Thomas
A. Clark Of the University OF Illinois.
Lincoln's Friend Speaks
Henry T. Thomas. Of the class Of
1864 az the University Of Chicago, vet
eran delegate at the conference, was a
/ friend Of Abraham Lincoln, and some
/ Of his most treasured recollections are
those which have TO do with his per-
sonal contacts with Lincoln and Of the
anecdotes of which Lincoln was 50
fond
"The first time saw him." said Mr..
Thomas, che put his face from the
carriage and called a greeting to my
father, whom | had run out 10 meet.
Who is that homely man? | asked.
My SON. he replied. that man isn't
Z homely He is the handsomest man Ia
the West, the most eloquent and the
best
From that day on. long before Lin