Evening star., 1927-10-20
LEWIS TAKESPOST
ASCOLLEGE HEAD
Former G. w. U. President
lnaugurated at Lafayette
College, Easton, Pa.
special pispatch to The Star.

EASToN, Pa, October 20.-William
Mather Lewis, former head of George
Washington University. was today in
augurated the tenth president of La.
fayette College with impressive cere
monies, held before 1000 delegates.
alumni, visitors and students in Col.
ton Memorial Chapel.
Fifty.hve college presidents We're
among the delegates from IFS colleges
and universities in the United States
and Canada who attended the cere-
monies.
DR.. Lewis took up his new tasks
with mo naive thoughts of a new day
or unprecedented epoch clouding his
vision or dulling his sense of proper
ton" In his inaugural address he
branded as satirical the statement that
college students lack intellectual in
tsreSt.
DeplOres Delinquency i'm Accuracy.
Deploring delinquency in the ac-
curacy of expression. he said "A
growing disregard for the correct and
discriminatory use of the English lam
guage must be stopped unless we are
to lose an element not only of i'm
measurable value in true cultivation.
but In the field of business and pro-
fessional affairs as well.
DIR. Lewis was inducted into Office
by Edward J. Fox, president of the
board of trustees of the college, for
mer State Supreme Court Judge.
DR.. Michael Idvorsky Pupin Of Co
lumbia University, noted scientist, ad-
l~aecod doloCotaS hnfnra fha in
augural ceremonies. He said: THE
Inauguration Of president is the
formal act Of intrusting a man with
the sacred mission of guarding the
treasure which is the sum total of
hopes and aspirations of our youth
seeking a higher education"
President Cloyd Heck Marvin, LII.
D.; William Bruce King, A. NJ, IL.
NJ, and Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley repre-
sented George Washington University
at the exercises: President Percival
Hall, NJ. A.. Lit D., represented Gal
laudet College; Chancellor Lucius
Clark, A. B., S. T. B., -. D., American
University.
other visitors from Washington
were DR.. Harvey w. Wiley. father
of the pure food law; Mr.. and Mrs.
Clarence Aspinwall, Col. Edward Cliff.
ford, former Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury; H. L. Rust, tr.. and
DR.. George Perkins Merrill, head Of
the Geological Survey.
Humility Held Necessary.
DR.. Lewis address. in part, follows:
s'He who assumes the chief admin.
tstrative Office of a college, whose his.
tory is as notable as is that OF La
fayette, does well to approach his task
with q humble and understanding at.
titude. Presidents come and presi-
dents go with varying degrees OF ra.
pidity, but the institution moves ever
onward, gathering power or neglect
ing opportunity. according to the sa.
gacity or the stupidity Of those who
for the moment direct its affairs, the
peculiar conditions Of certain Pc
riod, and the support Of its patrons.
SIT is characteristic of our Nation
to discard those elements which do not
contribute to its advancement. There
has never been a serious thought CIV
en- to eliminating the college.
1.-THE amazing growth in college at
tendance following upon the approach
of national intellectual maturity; the
startling developments In science: me
StupendouSly increasing wealth or the
Nation, emphasize the futility OF short.
sightedness and stress the necessity
for far.seeing consideration.
mo institution Of learning can be
all things to all men. It's outstanding
service comes from superior achieve
ment in a well defined field. Medioc-
rity is the bane of American educa.
ton. Other presidents Of Lafayette
College in their inaugural addresses
have proclaimed this an institution
whose glory is in it's teaching. and to
this heartily subscribe. 1t Is an
anomalous situation that so few col.
leges and universities are noted as
great teaching institutions for under
graduates. Research is constantly
claiming a greater degree of attention.
In itself this Is situation whose bene-
fits to the world in the field of science
and Of letters cannot be overestimated.
But in our enthusiasm for its advance
ment we must not overlook the mighty
army Of undergraduate students who
place the four most fateful years of
their lives in the keeping Of the col.
lege, and who have a right to demand
devoted instruction. There is a tre-
mendous amount of knowledge at the
mine mouth today-scarcely touched
because of Indifferent transportation
facilities. Many false ideas, economic
the multitude because Of a scarcity Of
men who can, or more truly who will.
interpret sound knowledge simply.
Cites College History.
"The interest in effective teaching
and the study Of the science of educa.
tion have long been outstanding ele.
ments in the life of Lafayette College.