Evening star., 1928-11-15
MGR. RYAN MADE
UNIVERSITY HEAD
Coolidge Receives Degree at
CoIorfuI Catholic Institu-
ton Ceremonies.

! The Right Rev James Fl. Ryan was
installed as rector Of the Catholic Unl-
verSity of America and President Cool
idge was presented with the honorary
degree OF. doctor of laws at colortul
ceremonies in the gymnasium Of the
Brookland institution yesterday after
noon.
Following the procession of cardinals
and bishops In their scarlet and purple
robes and birettaS and the gowned fac
ulty members and delegates from other
Coolidge was welcomed by Cardinal
william H. O'Connell of Boston, chair
man of the university trustees.
Catholic University, he t,ld the Pres
ident, is the youngest Of the great
family of centers of learning estab-
liShed by the Popes, which stretches
back to the Middle Ages. which were
primary devoted to the propagation OF
the faith, but were never prevented
from encouraging the study of all truth.
'The story of the founding OF these
schools has been obscured and mini
mized," the cardinal said. Every stu
dent of the history of human learning" !"
he continued, knows that even univer-
stiles have fads ana fanc.eS which are
seized upon with frenzy worthy OF
0CbGCI fbkIu e IdtoCN W VAAC 0At5
nifty of dogma. The church has kept
clear and true the stream of knowledge
through the centuries.
Calls Church Alma Mater.
1.-The church has had to take its share
of deriSion. as standing in sthe way Of
progress. She Is content to wait until
the shouting dies down and the scholars
find that what appeared to be fixed
star in the armament was not even a
meteor, but merely display OF mental
fireworks. The church IS the great
alma mater of all true learning. -.
Few would deny that America has
not yet entirely understood the church.
We hope that Catholic University will
make clear to all that the Catholic
be one of the strongest props upon
which America can rest. Here will be
taught forever the glorious principle
of freedom under the law
President Coolidge then was present.
ed for the degree by the Right Rev.
Edward A. Pace, vice rector of the
university, after which the degree was
conferred upon him by Archbishop Cur
ley Of Baltimore, chancellor of the
university.
The distinct function of the church
and state in education were stressed
by Mgr. Ryan in his inaugural address.
Even the professional educator" he
said, "at times seems at sea as to the
import of the attitudes he assumes to-
ward the educative process and its
functioning. The immediate imperative
is a restatement of our educational
faith in terms of an acceptable phil
osophy. We must, first of all, rethink
our educational position, bringing edu-
cational practice into harmony with
philosophical profession. A lip service
to education will not save democracy
If our philosophical attitude toward
the state, law and government Is wrong
the school becomes but another instru-
ment for indoctrinating the children of
the Nation in the false principles and
ideals of dangerous political and educa-
tional theorists.
I'm every worthwhile philosophy the
place and function of the state in edu-
cation must be defined with clearneSs
and exactness. Such thinking has been
rare among educational theorists. Many
have come to look on the State as a
sort of superorganism, to which must
be accorded supreme rights in every
sphere, including education. From such
ideals have risen state monopolieS, SO
characteristic of European countries.
American Attitude.
Historically, the American attitude
has always been one of freedom Of
education. We have never subscribed
to the nationalist theory. despite the eff
forts of a group of prominent educators
to lead us in that direction. The Su-
preme Court has recently declared that
state monopoly of education Is uncon-
stitutional, that the right of the parent
to choose the kind of education he
wishes his children to have Is inalien-
able and unassailable IS.
1.-The church has always viewed her
mission as primarily educational.
She regards herself as militant society
of men who not only accept a definite
view of the world and of life, but are
pledged to the diffusion of these be-
liefs. The church has never looked
upon religious education as kind of
purple patch &c be tackled on to the
ordinary curriculum. but as the founda-
ton of her whole educational scheme.
mo one will assert that it is easy to
mark of with precision the fields of
science. philosophy and religion. There
is no unalterable opposition, however.
between science and philosophy or be-
tween philosophy and religion. Conflicts
arise, but they are due in large part
to misunderstanding which solve them
selves with the passage of time. The
true scholar, no matter to what realm
of investigation his life is devoted, fol-
lows after that vision of unity, bright,
clear light ever beckoning him upward,
until such time as he may enter into
conplete possession of the truth.
"A university which looks beyond the
phenomenal. the changing, the mani