Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-10
Secretary of the Interior

must scratch to raise the price Of his
board and books, and the working stu
dent. Wliburs plan, which Stanford
adopted after brief struggle. was TO
make the affiuent pay and let the in
digent sign longtime notes.
Then rose the question of limiting at
tendance A horde of n1atriculates was
storrning all our universities. The in
situations supported to any degree by
public funds could not deny them ad-
mittance In some State universities
one instructor was struggling with 500
students. A privately endowed univer-
sity with limited funds must choose be-
tween quantity and quality. Wilbur and
his Gdvisers-again not without a
struggle-imposed policy Of quality.
Already, Stanford had limited admit
tance of woman students to 500. At
present. it limits both sexes to $500;
and if it follows Wilbur's lead, will
stretch that limit only when new funds
Justify expansion. This policy empha-
sizes that crown of a university's use
fulnesS, research work. And in scientific
research, Stanford already stands very
high.
Would Change System.
Finally. DR.. Wilbur has been fighting
for the last three or four years to adopt
a daring new policy, which may become
important not only to Stanford. but 70
all American universities. In late years,
and for what reason I know not. So
called "junior colleges" have sprung
up all over the Pacific Slope. These
carry the student not only through his
preparatory courses, but through the
equivalent of the freshman and sopho-
more years. Cooperating with this
tendency, Wilbur proposed gradually TO
dispense with the freshman and sopho-
more years at Stanford; to take up
the entrant just at the point when his
general education is finished and he be-
gins. to specialize, and greatly to
strengthen the postgraduate courses.
Very likely he Is here pioneering IN the
American university of the future. He
has met with serious opposition, espe-
cially from alumni, who, elated with
Sanford'S recent successes on track and
gridiron, believe that it would be bad
for athletics. But now it looks as
though that fight were won.
He leaves the university. after 10
years of active management with its
noble building scheme virtually COM
plete. its finances as sound as the Fed
eral Reserve. its ideal and accomplish
ment very high. its future expansion
foreseen. He has stamped on 1t his
own scientific cast of mind. Science.
I might note here, means more to Will
bur that material gain or even accumu-
lation of knowledge. He trains with
that faction. growing large in our aca-
demic world, which holds that science
may belong really to the humanities:
that 1t has as great possibilities for
culture as the good old classics. And his
energies have flowed over the barrierf
of academic life.
Active in Many Things.
He has assumed leadership in hum
dred activities for the general good Of
the Pacific Coast. He has stood perhaps
as the leading American spirit In the
Institute of Pacific Relations, formed
to eliminate the causes of friction on
the shores of that neglected ocean. Only
last year the Government recognized
this international outlook of his by ape
American Conference.-The I must sto1
this catalogue.
He brings to that great catch-all, tho
Interior Department, his large commo.i
sense. his scientific spirit his talent fot
infused with progressive
ism. He brings to the social life ct
Washington his wit, his human good
will and most interesting family. Tho
Wilburs have reared to attractive ma
-
The daughters are married The young
est son is still in the university. Thu
two older sons follow their fathers
business of physician. Like the Hoovers
they are a 100 per cent Stanford family.
He brings dinner table where fiourishty
the real art of conversation. He brings.
above all, talent for friendship.
Concerning which. let me snap thii
of with an anecdote. When he was a
young physician in San Francisco, q
certain Stanford alumnus visited him In
the capacity Of patient. Repair COM
pleted, the patient asked:
What's the bill. Rex?''
There isn't any BILL replied wilbur.
When I started out, / made up nv
mind that certain men I'd known In the
could never pay me for medi-
cal treatment, no matter how rich they
became or how poor stayed. You're
on the list"
(Copyright, i92o.l