Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-03

laylofs youtniul PRESIDENT OF
nounced that he would resign
IN June TO 80 into teaching.
writing and research.
The reasonp Too much time
spent ON insignificant manage
rial details. not enough on
scholarship.
Another Bombshell
This academic bombshell was
followed by still another:
Charles w. Cole. president Of
Amherst. resigned. also TO go
into writing and teaching.
Earlier DR.. Wilbur K. Jordan.
president Of Radcliffe. resigned.
And this June BENJAMIN
Wright. president Of Smith
College. is leaving to deyote
more time to study and teach
ing.
Dean Stephen M. Corey Of
Teachers College, Columbia
University. also has resigned to
take UP teaching.
These are but recent exam
piles Of a growing trend. Almost
daily an announcement appears
that a college dean has re-
turned TO teaching.
Loss Of Prestige
Many educators and informed
citizens are concerned by this
srend. The college president
and dean, in the past have
been the educational giants
within the academic sphere. It
has been said that q university
is the shadow Of its president.
College administrators thought
prestige and leadership 10 the
institutions Of higher learning.
Unfortunately, as President
Taylor has brought out, this Is
mo longer the case.
The college president Just
does not have time to be a
scholar. He is forced to devote
a major portion Of lis time and
energies in running q large
scale business concern; he is
both a fund-raiser and a detail
man.
The major decisions he is
called upon to make all to
frequently revolve around nom
academic issues, such as where
to place the new dormitory,
whether to hold a public rela-
tons dinner on Founders Day,
or whether to cancel classes to
celebrate a football victory.
Something Is Wrong
If American education is to
retain its vigor and challenge,
it must have the best leader
ship that a democracy can
afford. Something has gone
wrong during the past half
century. Gradually the college
and university president have
lost the academic prestige and
standing that has always been
associated with this important
position.
So we find colleges seeking
businessmen, big-name COM
munity leaders or retired ex-
ecutives to head their faculties
-on the assumption. no doubt,
that a man with proved busi-
ness ability successfully can
operate the big business Of
present-day universities.
Many thoughtful persons
are worried about this. They
are anxious to restore the coll
lege president and the aca-
demic dean to their rightful
places. Somehow. means must
be found to provide a Benja-
min Wright of Smith or a
Harold Taylor Of Sarah Law
renee an opportunity to be q
president in the best sense Of
the term-that Of setting aca-
demic standards for higher
education.
Unless that is done, our coll
leges and universities will suf-
fer! The best brains will shun
the administrative posts. Or.
what is worse, the educators
who become presidents viii
give up in Illustration and dis
may, as Is now happening.
What can be done to restore
the college presidency to the
place that it should have in
academic life?
First, many agree, the coll
lege president should be re-
lieved of the host Of details
connected with Embarrassing,
with trying to balance the
budget, and with non-academic
problems.
Second. the president should