Image provided by the Yale Club & Scholarship Foundation of Hartford, Inc.
About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1899)
245 vALE ALUMNI WEEKLY ALUMNI IDEALS, Here are Many, from Thoughtful Wen and Men in Karnest. If anyone thinks the Yale alumni are not possessed of positive ideas of values about the qualities of a Yale President, he has not heard from many of them. What is offered to-day comes from men of most diverse activities, in widely separated localities, of mainly all times of life, of contrasted tempera- ments. They are all men of true suc- cess in their own lives, of unquestioned loyalty, and, more important than all, they are, as far as it is known to us, men of faith in Yale, and men who have such estimate of her power and usefulness as to be unmoved by the “practical,” who think it waste of time to talk about ideal men. They con- sider that at best in Yale University ideals can and must be held to, and they hold this not- the least of the head of the University. A BUSINESS MAN’S VIEW. Here is a letter from a man who is busy and successful and in active life and always in the harness for Yale: “The two questions which you have asked are comparatively easy to answer, but to find this ideal man is quite another question. “First of all, the President of Yale should be a broad-minded man of great executive ability and yet a thoroughly equipped scholar. It will not do to have as President of the College merely a successiul business man who would be of great value to the financial end of the Corporation. Although a man of this kind is essential, yet he must com- bine with that knowledge of the educa- tional needs of a great university. This is of vital importance. “Education in its present form is making wonderful strides. The op- tional system is not only something that has come to stay, but must be developed in the most thorough way. The Uni- versity as a whole should be welded into a more compact body, where every de- partment is run under one recognized head for the common good. The de- velopment of two departments on the same subject in different branches of the University seems useless. “Of course, it is unecessary for me to go into details in regard to this, but everyone who has the interests of the College at heart knows what I mean. The third and last quality which the ideal President must possess is strength and enthusiasm; they go hand in hand. The President of Yale must be strong in body as well as in mind. A man of the greatest intellectual strength with- out health would be of little use. Of course enthusiasm goes with strength and is necessary for the success of everything.” MUST BE AN EDUCATOR AND CLERGYMAN. A man of mature years, whose life study and life work make his judgments on this question of particular value, writes thus: “First, the ideal President should be an educator. I mean by this that in addition to the mastery of some spe- cialty in scholarship, he should be ex- pert in matters connected with educa- tion, both as a science and as an art; and particularly should he be compe- tent to command confidence in his leadership in those important questions poree gers with university administra- ion. “He should also be a clergyman, be- cause the training and experience of clergymen best fit them for those deli- cate duties in the training of character and the education of conscience which form in my opinion the supreme work of education. Furthermore, he should be accustomed to address the students on matters connected with their per- sonal lives in the way in which one can so easily do who properly conducts morning prayers, so long as they are continued; and he should also be able, whenever occasion requires, to fill the College pulpit. I understand that the present Committee on College Supplies refuses to admit laymen into that pul- pit to address the students of the Uni- versity; and that for this reason men like Mr. Robert E, Speer cannot pe heard there. For this reason I repeat that it 1s important that the President of the University should be a clergy- man. Then’ again, the ideal personal life of the clergyman is naturally more closely identified with the exercise of those spiritual influences which must after all determine. the tone of college life. “Tt is important also that the Presi- dent of the University should be a man of such excellent judgment in general that men of means should feel assured that gifts to the University will be most wisely applied. “T consider the question of age to be purely secondary. If a man such as I have suggested can be found who is under fifty years of age, well and good; but if he is fifty-five that is no reason why he should be passed by. He would still be available for fifteen years of most effective service. I have seen it sug- gested often that the next President should be a business man. I was pleased, therefore, to see in an article on this subject from my classmate, Pro- fessor Beers, his positive opinion that the President should be a clergyman, and his equally positive opinion that he should be selected to be at the head, not of the commercial or financial side of the University, but the head of. its educational work. A university is an institution of learning, and and _ its President should be such a man as an institution of learning requires. “So far as possible these qualities should be insisted upon. But in the ab- sence of such a candidate then let the next incumbent of the presidency be a man who will at least hold the College to its present rank, if he is not able to carry it forward. In my opinion the President should not be chosen from the Faculty. He should be the servant of the Corporation. He should not be the creature of those over whom he is supposed to preside. Nevertheless, he should be a man who would be accepta- ble to the faculties of the University; a man who should have their confidence as a leader in all questions of university administration. I doubt whether he could wisely be chosen outside of the body of Yale graduates.” A CALL FOR LEADERSHIP. An officer of a financial institution puts it this way: “My ideal man for the position of President is one who has a broad edu- cation, in those studies which fit a man to be a leader on the political and economic questions of the day. - “The second requirement—and I hardly know whether this should go first or second—is that he shall be a man of broad sympathy, who by his experi- ence, judgment and_= straightforward manliness, will be able to call to his support the conservative as well as the so-called younger and progressive ele- ment among the alumni of the Univer- sity. “And third, if these could be combined in a young man who has been educated in the Yale spirit of democracy, I would say. that we would have a model Presi- dent for Yale University.” TEN ESSENTIALS. One of the most thoughtful and active of the younger alumni names these qualities: “I. He must be a Yale graduate. 2. Must have strong Christian convictions. 3. Man of wide knowledge of men and of tact in dealing with them. 4. A gen- tleman of scholarly tastes and broad culture. 5. Broad educational views. 6. Executive ability and energy. 7. A thorough believer in American De- mocracy. 8 A man of warm ‘heart and pleasing personality. 9. An interesting speaker. 10. A judicious man. “TI would gladly dilate on these points at length, but think it unnecessary. I believe that no man can be a thor- oughly successful President of Yale who does not possess them ali—and that any man possessing them all would be ac- ceptable in the Presidency. “TI wish you would underline number 7 three times, and print it in bold type. No “calamity prophet,’ no one who [Continued on 246th page. | Many dealers Ne recommend inferior preparations and lower-priced articles. Ask for and obtain ote - BROWN’S ®8ronchiat Troche The Genuine has the strc nee bbc Maran, ffi, Wee Fac-Simile Signature of A. H. Sharpe, M.S. was recently elected captain of the basketball team for next year. He has played on the Yale team for the. past two years. OF HAMILTON PLACE BOSTON. From the “Hartford Courant,” Jan. 25, 1899. THE PHCENIX MUTUAL LIFE. Its Excellent Statement for the Past Year. The forty-eighth annual statement of the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company is published elsewhere this morning and gives gratifying evidence of the wise management and healthy progress of this large Hartford concern. The gross assets exceed $11,660,- 000, having increased over $600,000 during the past year. The surplus is now over $660,000, and the amount of insurance in force is $51,170,782, represented by 31,592 policies. The assets are all figured at conservative valuations and are worth decidedly more than they are set in at. The company has dis- posed of about $50,000 of its real estate dur- ing the year, and has added over $500,C00 to its stocks and bonds. Its strength is very great and it has the confidence of all in the insurance business as well as the general public. The drift of new business toward the Phoenix Mutual is shown by the figures. During the past three years the new policies issued were respectively 5506, 6570 and 7757 for respectively $9,871,601, $11,770,989 and $13,068,715—an increase of over 2000 in number and $3,200,000 in amount in two years. The growth of the company is strikingly illustrated by looking back a little and com- paring the figures of say, 1889 with those of 1898. They are as follows :— 1880. 1898. Policies in force, 17,101 31,592 Outstanding insur., . $23,955.464$51,170,782 New premiums rec'd, 39,187 368,659 Renewal prem. rec'd, 609,513 1,552,260 The policies in force have almost doubled in number and more than doubled in amount; the new premiums have increased tenfold, and the company has stepped into a large and honorable place among the life insurance interests of the cityand country. Its manage- ment, under President Bunce, Vice-President Holcombe and Secretary Lawrence, has proved a noteworthy success, as the figures amply demonstrate. J 2'2 FRONT- HEIGHT-BACK 2 F. B. WALKER & Co. . TAILORS SUCCEEDING F. R. BLISS & CO. CHURCH AND CHAPEL STREETS FRANK B. WALKER CHAS. P. WALKER Miory’s - - =P . . « Louis Linder. PACH BROGQS., COLLEGE PHOTOGRAPHERS, 1024 Chapel St., New Haven. Branch of No. 935 Broadway, - New York DIEBOLD SAFE & LOCK CO., H. W. BEADLE, GEN’L AGENT, 79 Duane Street, ~ New York. ¥ T iy ing te - va p. F } I, aves ) an ANG 4 A/F AY He ax N For All Around Work PUR @ Ed we a The Smith Premier Typewriter Go. EW YoRK OFFicE, 337 BROADWAY. Itis the vv vv Superior Writing Machines It Excels in all Desirable Features. It is Simple, Strong and Mechan- ically Correct—the Most Econom- ical Machine Made. 333333333 SEND FOR ART CATALOGUE. ee ! : New Haven Orrice, 177 CROWN ST. HARTFORD OFFicE 82 PEARL ST. Forehand Perfection Automatic. The Finest Small Revolver made. POSITIVE. STOP ON CYLINDER! Automatic hammer block, making accidental discharge IMPOSSIBLE. 32 Calibre, 5 Shot, 3’ Barrel, Weight, 12 ozs. 2” Barrel, Weight, 10 ozs. FOREHAND ARMS Co.. BICYCLE SIZE. SEND FOR CATALOGUE M. Worcester, Mass.
