Votume VI. No. 26.
Prick Tren Cents.
- FOUR YEARS FOR “SHEFF.”
The Many Good Points for the Pro=-
posed Change.
(Being an address delivered before the Yale Univer-
sity chapter of the Sigma Xi Society, on March 7%,
by Henry S. Williams, Silliman Professor of Geo-
logy, Yale University.)
Gentlemen of Sigma Xi:
I have chosen the subject of the four-
year course in the Scientific School be-
cause Of the importance both of the
step itself and of the consequences
which would follow, if it were taken;
and, secondly, because of the evident
propriety of Sigma Xi men forming a
definite and positive opinion in regard
toa matter which touches so vitally the
scientific interests of Yale University.
The reason you may be expected to
take special interest in the movement,
in furthering it if good, and in prevent-
ing it if evil, is because you represent
the element in the University which is
-most keenly in touch with all that is
modern in education.
Science is of the present century; its
best belongs to the latter half of the
century. The life of the School covers
almost the full period in which Science
has had any influential place in the
higher education. The older standard,
literary scholarship will be looked after
by other men, but in all progress and
adaptations of our University to new
conditions, the men who are studying
Science should lead the way; and those
who are youngest and most vigorous
and in touch with the living interests
of the present and future, should be
most sensitive to any hindrance to such
progress.
There are many objections to the prop-
osition and many difficulties in the way
of carrying it out; but the most formid-
able of these are two, i. e., inertia and
expense.
THE TWO OBJECTIONS.
Inertia—The school is now well or-
ganized, thoroughly equipped, working
in a satisfactory manner, has as many
students as it can well take care of, has
a fine reputation for what it has done,
and is well accomplishing what is now
demanded of it. Why disturb the pres-
ent equilibrium? Why not let well
enough alone? There are questions
which may properly be asked. It will
cost an immense amount of careful
thought and planning, of not only one
but many discreet minds, in order to
prepare a workable plan by which the
step can be safely taken. Will the ex-
pected result warrant the labor and
disturbance involved in getting it?
Expense—The school has always
made the fullest use of every cent of its
income, and it would be impossible to.
do what is proposed without an addi-
tion to the capital of near a half-mil-
lion dollars, in case the school were to
attempt it alone; but if it were a Uni-
versity movement, in favor of which
much might be said, the change might
be made at a considerably less expense.
These two, inertia and expense, are
truly formidable objections, and they
alone are sufficient to prevent the
calamity falling upon us by accident.
It is quite certain that a fourth year
will not be added to the curriculum
without the most energetic work on the
part of those interested in the best wel-
fare of the University. On fhe other
hand, if the plan were found to be
really desirable, the same energy that
has made the school what it is, will
make it what it should be.
There are other objections which
might be named; but I wish this even-
ing to call your attention to a few con-
siderations which appear to favor the
plan—and thus to open a discussion of
the whole subject. .
NEW HAVEN, CONN., THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1897.
In the first place, the evidence of a
deep-felt desire on the part of a con-
siderable number of undergraduates for
a four-year course is itself worthy of
serious consideration; for it is here
among the undergraduates that any
failure to meet the present needs of the
country would first be seriously felt.
The fact, which has come to my notice,
that sympathy with the movement has
been expressed by some of our more
thoughtful graduates is another reason
for asking: Why is this dissatisfaction
with the present three-year course so
widely felt?
TWO MAIN REASONS FOR CHANGE,
Two reasons for the proposed length-
ening of the course have already been
publicly expressed: (1) The desire for a
preparation in special lines of techni-
cal studies, fuller than is attained by
the present curriculum. (2) The desire
for a close social and scholastic union
between the two great undergraduate
departments of the University.
1. Much might be said, or has been
said, in regard to both of these ob-
jects. If lengthening of the curricu-~
lum would produce the results, without
any corresponding difficulties and evils,
that would be an argument in favor ot
the movement. There is this to be
said regarding the first point, that
provision is already made in the grad-
uate department for the extension of
technical studies for specialists, so that
the appeal undoubtedly covers a felt-
need on the part of those who are not
looking for a purely technical career.
2. The appeal for closer relations, so-
cial and scholastic, between the two
great departments, is, to my mind, not
simply a visionary sentiment; it is the
expression of a vague, indefinite feel-
ing of dissatisfaction . and, - possibly,
wrong under which we, who have
graduated from the scientific school
feel ourselves oppressed when we com-
pare ourselves with the graduates of
the academic department. I am glad
to be able to say that I do not believe
there is to-day any intentional push-
ing aside of scientifics by the academ~
ics, but it is evident that if the two
departments were alike in this one
particular of number of years of study
in the two courses, a decided advance
would be made toward a feeling of
equality between the men themselves.
8. But besides these arguments there
are still others which are worthy of
consideration. Among them may be
mentioned the provision for a broader
foundation of general culture-studies
for men educated
School.
ADDITIONS MOST NEEDED.
Suppose a four-year course were es-
tablished, what are the additions most
needed to perfect the curriculum? The
past history of the school, its: estab-
lished policy and purpose, and the
whole trend of modern education, point
to the lengthening of the introductory
part, which all the students of all the
courses will take in common, as one of
the most needed improvements. Let
us consider each of these points separ-
ately.
(a. )Historically. The Sheffield Sci-
entific School began, 50 years ago, as
a simple chemical laboratory, attached
to and run by professors of the aca-
demic department of Yale College.
Soon an engineering course was added,
then a two years’ course was enlarged
to three, by the requirement of a defin-
ite examination for entrance, and a
first year of general disciplinary stud-
ies to fit the men to profit by the spe-
cial studies of the following years.
Next a degree was given at the close,
based upon special examinations. The
latest improvement was the stiffening
of the entrance examination, implying
a more thorough preparation in these
Same general lines of mental culture
before entering the school. We are
now at this point of development and
the next and the most natural step in
(Continued on sixth page.) ©
in the Scientific ~
PROFESSOR HENRY S. WILLIAMS.
[From a photograph by Pach.]
Y. M. C. A. Meeting.
The annual meeting of the University
Young Men’s Christian Association was
held in Dwight Hall, Monday evening,
April 5. It was decided to make the
President and General Secretary life
members at the end of their term, and
Samuel H. Fisher, 89, was elected on
the Graduate Committee to succeed
William D. Murray, whose term has
expired. The election of Thomas F.
Archbald, ’96, as General Secretary to
succeed William H. Sallmon, ’94, was
ratified by the Association. The elec-
tion of undergraduate officers resulted
as follows: President, H. B. Wright,
’*98; Vice Presidents, D. H. Day, ’99, and
W. EF. Cochran, Jr., °98; Treasurer, F.
M. Gilbert, 798; Assistant Secretary, W.
S. Coffin, 1900. eh S
—_—_—_4@_____—_
New York Yale Club.
A movement is on foot to organize
among Yale’s alumni in New York City
a club, the plans of which will be sub-
mitted to the Yale Alumni Association
for its approval at the next meeting
of that body, May 7. = =
Up to the present time, the meetings
of the Alumni Association have been
the only occasions on which Yale men
could assemble as a body for social in-
tercourse, and the loyalty to that or-
ganization has in @ measure. dis-
couraged attempts to form a rival club.
Already over 150 men have signed the
lists that have been sent out for mem-
bership in the proposed club, chiefly
those of the most recent graduating
classes, who would be the most bene-
fited bv the plan. -
Campus Post Office Proposed.
With the idea of saving money, the
Post Office officials offered to place on
the campus a branch office for the dis-
tribution of the campus mail, if the
Faculty would put at their disposal a
suitable room for the office. Mr. W. W.
Farnam, Treasurer of the University,
promptly refused the offer on the
ground that the present system was far
more convenient. The only advantage
to the College of the proposed system
would be that the men living in the
Vanderbilt end of the Campus would
receive their mail much earlier, since
now it takes the carrier two hours to
cover his course from White to Van-
derbilt. On the other hand, the average
student who receives only two or three
letters a week would be compelled to
go to the office every mail to obtain
them, and with but one postmaster, a
long delay would be caused at times
inconvenient to the students.
Review of the Hockey Season.
The Yale Hockey Team closed its
Season, March 27, by defeating a team
from Columbia University by the score
of 7 goals to 2. During the year it has
played six games, two with the St.
Nicholas team, two with the New York
Athletic Club, one with Queen’s Col-.
lege, Canada, and one with Columbia.
While it has won only one game of
these, it ranks well up among the lead-
ing amateur hockey teams of the coun- .
try, as its adversaries have always
been teams of great experience and
practice. It is expected that next year
a regular intercollegiate hockey league
will be formed.
