Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-02
Taft Gift for instruction
In Humanities Is Applauded

The spirit which prompted the gift
of 50 1000 900 by Mrs. Charles P. Taft
for the teaching of the humanities
meets with wide approval. The fund.
given as preliminary endowment for
the work of department at the Uni
versity of Cincinnati in memory of her
husband, who was publisher and a
brother of the late Chief Justice Taft, Is
considered characteristic of the donor.
Characterizing the generous gift as
one which will develop a power in
field where creative work is needed"
the Columbus Ohio State Journal re-
marks in appreciative mood: over a
long term of years and with marked
generosity members of the Taft family
have shown their love for the city of
Cincinnati and their eagerneSs to help
promote its interests. They have given
their help in many fields. Industry,
the arts, civic improvements and all
else that would help promote material
interests and bring spiritual betterment
have been helped with wise counsel and
magnificent financial assistance. Re-
peatedly the Taft family has planned
some improvement for the city, then
paid the entire cost, while all net results
were for the advantage OF the public.
Il !: 4 =
"Mr Taft, who was late owner of
tie OllClllildJl 1lIneS-SIdT, says Tile
Cleveland News. will have a living me-
mortal supplementing-as forceful fac
tor in contemporary educational life
any silent tribute of granite or marble
shaft. In combining the gift to
the humanitieS' concerned with the de-
velopment of ideas. thought and char
acter, 1t will be peculiarly appropriate
Mainly because the interest of Mr..
Taft in the advance of art and culture
nNon hxyl hi tat
est in the progress of the University Of
Cincinnati. Therefore, in the teaching
OF language, history, philosophy, eco
Monies and other subjects, his influence
will go through coming years in the
place where he would most prize its liv-
ing presence. What finer memorial
could any one have than that?"
Referring to the announcement of the
gift as IAN extremely interesting event
in the educational world" the Boston
Transcript continues: 1T represents the
impulse in the mind of highly Gull
tured lady, remembering the influence
and the enthusiasts of an equally Gull
tured and great-minded husband, away
from purely physical and material eff
fort or choice in education. The late
Charles P. Taft, as Mrs. Taft says in
announcing the gift, was deeply inter-
ested all his life in the advance of Gull
ture and art. This interest is her own.
She says in her explanation: Without
wishing to lessen efforts for the mate
rial and physical betterment of man.
kind, l believe there is danger OF a
lack of emphasis on the value OF
thought and conduct and character
/" To whatever refinements of dis
cussion this extremely interesting en-
dowment OF some S2000,000 may give
rise. the fact is plain that American
culture is bound to be furthered
broadly by so remarkable a gift. and
that by means OF 1t the excellent in
stitution that receives 1t will be adj
vanced in honor and attractiveness
among our universities"
:; = = =
1.-The humanitieS." according to the
Cincinnati Times Star. need and de-
serve this encouragement. The empha-
sis of our age and country is elsewhere
Sanitary plumbing. mechanical refrig-
Grafton, raoid transit, product-multi-
plying machinery. industrial organiza-
tion-theSe are all excellent things, but
they are means rather than ends, and
the sum of them while making life
more comfortable. may leave the spirit
of man untouched. The service of
beauty and truth remains the highest
of human objects. 1t is best promoted
by those studies to which the experience
of the ages has given significant