374
YALH ALUMNI WHEKLY
It was the day of small things, of the
beginnings of history, of the earliest
efforts of the young national life. How
essential it was, if the new century was
to realize what we now see to have
been appointed for it, that some far-
seeing man or men, with large thoughts
and a grand outlook; with comprehen-
sive grasp and strong hope; with
energy in working and_ generosity
towards all learning and knowledge,
should be called upon the stage of ac-
tion to receive to himself: the great
idea of the future and to form the
plan. Such a man was found, and
called with earnestness and unanimous
consent, to be the leader of the new
era. With much wisdom and a deep
insight into the fitness of men, he united
with himself other and younger asso-
ciates. who were all eager for the open-
ing life and sympathetic in the purpose
and effort to urge forward the work.
The twenty years’ that followed were
a creative period—creative in every
line. The idea of the century’s life was
formed; the plan of development was
conceived and was set on its way
towards its full realization; the inspira-
tions of right-thinking and right-living
were awakened and imparted; the
principles of the Yale life, in its dis-
tinctive character, were imparted to it
and strengthened; everything was made
ready for the later time and an onward
impulse was given everywhere,
The end of the first period came,
and as the leader passed away the
younger associates remained in the full-
ness of their manly age and strength
and with enthusiasm for the work that
was before them. This work, however,
was not the same with that of the for-
mer time. The great progress and re-
sults of the earlier period were to be
made secure. The new life that had
been gained was to be established and
ensured as the permanent life of the
future. A man of conservative force
was needed arid the conserving of forces
was the demand of the hour. Such a
man was at hand among the younger
associates to whom we have alluded,
and happily he was placed in the leader-
ship. With admirable firmness, with
great wisdom, with an ever calm and
even movement, with liberality of
thought but with soundest intelligence,
he, in union with his colleagues who
had for him always the highest esteem
and reverence, built on the foundations
which had been laid and made the insti-
tution strong in the life that had been
given it. That the Yale of to-day is
the historic Yale which rose into its
larger and grander life in the opening
years of the century is largely due to
him. In this sense and meaning of the
expression, he gave to the institution
its permanence.
THE WOOLSEY ADMINISTRATION.
But the dividing-point of the century
drew near, and there was a new stirring
of intellectual life and of. scholarly im-
pulse and energy. The wants of the
time were to be met only by a scholar,
a man of brilliant and deep thought, of
inspiration for other minds by reason
of the richness of his own mind, of
such sincerity and truth and consecra-
tion that all who approached him, or
came under his teaching, were at once
led to believe in genuine learning and
knowledge, and to reject all that was
false or a pretence. The era was the
era of awakening scholarship, and the
institution was to be made worthy of
the time through which its life was
passing. The man who was fitted to
be the leader in the new movement
and the all-important work must be
the peer of his predecessors. But as
they differed from each other in the
service which they were called to ful-
fill and therefore needed to be men of
different powers, so it was necessary
that he should be, in his measure, un-
like them ,both. The history of the
twenty-five years from 1846 to 1871
throughout all its progressive develop-
ment made manifest the blessing which
was given to the College when the new
leader was chosen.
THE PORTER ADMINISTRATION.
The years moved on, and the century
drew near to the beginning of its last
quarter, when a new change in leader-
ship was made necessary, and a new
sphere of effort and of progress opened.
The hour had arrived when the early
plans might be definitely and intelli-
gently carried forward towards their
realization. Everything was in readi-
ness for the work that was called for.
But it was still—so far as the special
work was concerned—a time rather of
the earlier movement, than of the com-
plete result. The scholar and teacher
who was called to the succession, and
to whom the chief administrative office
was committed, was fitted, by his wide
and large interest in all learning, to ap- —
preciate the importance of every depart-
ment of knowledge. He was genial
and kindly to such a degree as to be
winsome to men whose thoughts moved
in different lines and whose sympathies
for one another were limited by reason
of their working in different spheres.
He was a University man in his mind
and character. The
NATHAN A. SMYTH, ’97 AND IQOO L. S.
Winner of John A. Porter Prize.
stronger in its membership and -in its
scholarly development. Much of what
is now seen in its larger growth or
fruitage had its origin in those years.
THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.
But these years came to their end,
and what shall we say of those which
have followed them and are bringing
the century to its close? The work
appointed for this period, if I am able
to understand the meaning of the time,
was a work of building in all lines, of
unifying the several departments of the
institution into one common life and
making them parts of one large and
comprehensive body. Great additions
to existing resources were needed and
were to be secured; the College was to
be changed in name to a University,
and in reality the change was to be
made manifest; the rebuilding of the
institution in its external sphere was to
be largely accomplished, so that the
home of the University might be worthy
of itself; the movement of instruction
and of the courses of study was to be
guided and furthered so that the educa-
tion given by the institution in its
different sections might be a develop-
ment out of the past and yet might fully
meet the demands of the new age. All
this was to be done, in connection with
an altogether unprecedented increase in
the numbers of the student com-
munity—an increase which rendered the
call for the fulfillment of the work con-
tinually more emphatic and more ur-
gently pressing.
How well the duty of the time has
been performed in this later period, it
is not the place or the hour for us to
determine to-day. But no one can
doubt that these years have been full of
great possibilities, and that they have
been possibilities which were not open
in the earlier times. The new period,
with what it contained and offered in
itself, came in the right order—not be-
fore and also not after its due place in
the history. The whole progress from
the beginning to the ending seems like
the growth of a human life towards its
maturity and fullness. We are to look
at each part of it in its bearing upon
the whole, and in its connection with
what preceded and also what was to
follow. No more truly have the words
their fitness of application anywhere
than they have it here:—‘Other men
labored, and we have entered into their
labors.” The labors of each are to be
estimated and measured by their rela-
tion to the one great result—it being
ever remembered that the call of the
times was to one, to lay the foundations
and to another, to build thereon,
institution grew
THE CENTURY’S WORK ACCOMPLISHED.
The century is now ending. May we
not say, as we look backward over its
years and its periods that its work has
been accomplished—the making of the
University has been realized. Not that
the University has reached the nerfec-
tion of its life or its ideal; but that it
has taken the place of the older institu-
tion of the earlier time. and has be-
come established in readiness for -all
possible growth of the future.
THE NEXT: CENTURY.
~ And now as we look towards the
coming century, what shall we say?
The work will be one of development.
It may not have within itself all of the
special inspiration of the past, but it
will have that which belongs to the later
growth and the larger life. It will be
a blessing, indeed, for the men of the
new time to give themselves to the new
service to which they are called. They
will see greater things than we of the
older generation have seen. These
greater things are awaiting their reali-
zation in a time that is just beyond the
present. If there is readiness for plan-
ning with an intelligent outlook, for
efforts which shall answer to the de-
mands of the era, for providing with a
generous freeness and fullness for the
supplying of all wants and thus render-
ing the desired results possible, the next
years will witness the better and
grander life, in its rich beginnings.
The next century will know within
itself what is far beyond our present
vision of good, and the sons of the
University of the coming time will have
an inspiration of educated life which
will be a blessing to themselves and to
the world. We may well pledge our-
selves, according to the measure of our
powers,—each and all of us, older and
younger alike—to the fulfillment of the
work that is needed. We may con-
gratulate those who are to be the leaders
in the forward movement on the pros-
pect that is before them and the promise
of the future.
A MOST AUSPICIOUS TIME.
This time of the changing centuries
is surely a most auspicious time. Let
us take to ourselves the hopes which it
opens for us—the energy which it asks
of us—the grand thought and purpose
which it inspires—the faith in the fu-
ture which may fitly find its abiding
place in the soul of every man who has
known the spirit and the life of Yale.
This is my word to the Yale brother-
hood, and, with this word to them all, .
I would bid the friend who has been
chosen as their leader for these follow-
ing years go on his way rejoicing in
what awaits the University.
The closing of this day is the closing
of my term of official service. May I
be permitted to express to all in this
assembly who are of the brotherhood
of the graduates, and through them to
all others of the brotherhood, my
thanks for their kindly feeling and
cordial support and generous approval
in these thirteen years. No man could
have been happier than I have been in
the friendship of Yale men—a friend-
ship which began as I first came to
know them in the early days of my
young manhood and which has con-
tinued until now. But in these last
years the friendly sentiment has been of
greater helpfulness, as it has been a
strength and inspiration in all my ser-
vice for the University. May the rich-
est gifts of happiness be granted to
those who have thus given to me so
richly of their kindliness and affection.
TO THE GRADUATING CLASSES.
To the young men of the several
Departments who are just leaving the
undergraduate days, and passing into
the graduate brotherhood, may I offer
my congratulations on the privilege
which they have of entering upon their
active life at the opening of the new
century,*and of taking their part in the
great problems and progress which will
belong to it. May I also make my
grateful acknowledgment to each and ail
of them for their good will and for the
kindly favor which they have always
manifested towards me in their Uni-
versity course. They are the graduat-
ing classes of the several schools that
are united in the University. I would
ask them, for the future years, to give
me a place in each of their classes as
one whose academic career came to its
ending at the same time with their own.
THE PRESIDENTS REPORT.
The Last Official Paper an Unusual
One.
The last report of President Dwight
is, in many respects, the most interest-
ing one he has made during his thirteen
years service. Its publication was post-
poned until the end of the year, and
includes, not only a report for the year
ending December 31, but a sunnlemen-
_ tary report of the six months from Jan-
uary to June, 1899. As the last official
utterance of the President, it voices cer-
tain ideas about the higher education
which may be taken as the fundamental
convictions of the outgoing administra-
tion. President Dwight has seldom
discussed such matters in his reports
before this, and the expression of his
views at this time is all the more wel-
come and all the more interesting. He
lays great stress on certain points and
would seem to say to those who come
after him—‘These are the lines on
which Yale has successfully grown; see
that they are not departed from in the
future.” :
THE FOUR-YEARS COURSE.
Of such are his arguments for a four
years course, in which he says: “If we
are to have an education of a general
and well-rounded character as prepara-
tory to the more special one fitting for
professional life, we may well retain the
four years college curriculum, and as
we consecrate it to its own high pur-
pose, we may fitly arrange it in its
successive stages as best to accomplish
the end in view. There’ can be no
doubt that the tendency to specializing
in our educational system, even from
the beginning of the studies of youth
as contrasted with childhood, has be-
come excessive, and that, if the best
education is to continue, this tendency
must be counteracted. Otherwise, we
may have educated lawyers, or physi-
cians, or specialists of one sort or
another, but not educated men. Our
arrangements in this institution, so far
as the provision for different studies
and the progressive character of educa-
tion as connected with them are con-
- cerned, have met with favor, and have
proved themselves in the experience of
the years to be wisely adapted to ac-
complish desired results—those results
which are believed to be the most de-
sirable. That modifications may be
deemed wise, or may seem to be called
for, in the future, is not improba-
ble, but it may be hoped that the great
principles of the Yale education will be
maintained.”
PERSONAL CONTACT.
The President says that the call of
to-day and of the future upon professors
and teachers is to enter into as close
relations as: possible with individual
students who are under their personal
instruction. He says bluntly that the
‘teacher who sees his class only in the
lecture room or the recitation room,
only partly fulfills his duty. He be-
lieves that it is more incumbent upon
the teacher to-day to maintain a per-
sonal relation than ever it was before.
He says that members of the Faculty
should have certain hours in every
week, if not an hour every day, when
their pupils may meet them, and by
pensonal contact, get that from them
which they cannot in the class-room.
_ According to the opinion of the retir-
ing President, the personal influence of
the teacher over the scholar has made
one of the best features of Yale life in
the past.
THE TEACHER.
In line with this suggestion is the
emphasis laid on the necessity of secur-
-ing for the Faculty not only men who
have done individual research work,
who have written something or dis-
covered something definite, but men
who are teachers. Teachers for teach-
ing, seems to be the President’s idea.
The President admits that a Univer-
‘sity like Yale must have men whose
ability is limited to research and
achievements in scholarly work, but
avers. that it must also have men of
magnetic power who can influence the
minds and the lives of those who come
under them.
