Vanderbilt，DeanRichmond，DanielDrew，andvariousothermenaccustomedtopromptanddecisivedealingwithlargebusinessaffairs。Irecognizedthevalueofsuchassociationsandendeavoredtolearnsomethingfromthem，butwasdetermined，nonetheless，toendthissortofgeneralactivityasearlyasitcouldbedoneconsistentlywithjusticetomyfamily。Severalyearswererequired，andthosetheveryyearsinwhichuniversitycaresweremostpressing。Butfinallymyintentionwasfullycarriedout。ThebankoverwhichmyfatherhadpresidedsomanyyearsIwasabletowindupinawaysatisfactorytoallconcerned，notonlyrepayingtheshareholders，butgivingthemalargesurplus。Fromtheothercor—
porationsalsoIgraduallyescaped，turningmydutiesovertothosebetterfittedforthem。Stillmanyoutsidecaresremained，andinonewayoranotherIwasobligedtotakepartinaffairswhichIwouldhavegladlyshunned。
Yettherewasconsolationintheideathat，asmymaindangerwasthatofdriftingintoahermitlifeamongprofessorsandbooks，anythingthattookmeoutofthisforalimitedlengthoftimewasnotwithoutcompensatingadvantages。
JustpreviouslytomyelectiontotheuniversitypresidencyIhadpresenteda``planoforganization，’’which，havingbeenacceptedandprintedbythetrustees，formedthemoldforthemainfeaturesofthenewinstitution;andearlyamongmydutiescametheselectionandnominationofprofessors。InthesedaysoneisabletochoosefromalargebodyofyoungmenholdingfellowshipsinthevariouslargeruniversitiesoftheUnitedStates;butthen，withthepossibleexceptionoftwoorthreeatHarvard，therewasnotafellowship，sofarasIcanremember，inthewholecountry。Thechoosingofprofessorswasimmeasurablymoredifficultthanatpresent。Withreferencetothispoint，averyeminentgraduateofHarvardthenvolunteeredtomesomeadvice，whichatfirstsightlookedsound，butwhichIsoonfoundtobeinapplicable。Hesaid:``YoumustsecureatanycosttheforemostmenintheUnitedStatesineverydepartment。Inthiswayalonecanarealuniversitybecreated。’’TryingtheSocraticmethoduponhim，I
asked，inreply，``Howarewetogetsuchmen？TheforemostmaninAmericanscienceisundoubtedlyAgassiz，buthehasrefusedalloffersofhighpositionatParismadehimbytheFrenchEmperor。ThemainobjectsofhislifearethecreationofhisgreatmuseumatHarvardandhisinvestigationsandinstructioninconnectionwithit;hehasdeclaredthathehas`notimetowasteinmakingmoney！’
WhatsumorwhatinducementofanysortcantransferhimfromHarvardtoanewinstitutiononthedistanthillsofcentralNewYork？So，too，withthemosteminentmenattheotheruniversities。WhatsumwilldrawthemtousfromHarvard，Yale，Columbia，theUniversityofVirginia，andtheUniversityofMichigan？Anendowmenttwiceaslargeasourswouldbeunavailing。’’ThereforeitwasthatIbroached，asapracticalmeasure，inmy``planoforganization，’’thesystemwhichIhaddiscussedtentativelywithGeorgeWilliamCurtisseveralyearsbefore，andtowhichhereferredafterwardinhisspeechattheopeningoftheuniversityatIthaca。Thiswastotakeintoourconfidencetheleadingprofessorsinthemoreimportantinstitutionsoflearning，andtosecurefromthem，nottheordinary，conventionalpapertestimonials，butconfidentialinformationastotheiryoungmenlikelytodothebestworkinvariousfields，tocalltheseyoungmentoourresidentprofessorships，andthentocallthemosteminentmenwecouldobtainfornon—residentprofessorshipsorlectureships。Thisideawascarriedouttotheletter。Themosteminentmeninvariousuniversitiesgaveusconfidentialadvice;andthusitwasthatIwasenabledtosecureanumberofbright，active，energeticyoungmenasourresidentprofessors，minglingwiththemtwoorthreeoldermen，whoseexperienceanddevelopedjudgmentseemednecessaryintheordinaryconductofouraffairs。
Astotheotherpartoftheplan，IsecuredAgassiz，Lowell，Curtis，BayardTaylor，GoldwinSmith，TheodoreDwight，GeorgeW。Greene，JohnStantonGould，andatalaterperiodFroude，Freeman，andothers，asnon—residentprofessorsandlecturers。OfthefinalworkingofthissystemIshallspeaklater。
Thequestionofbuildingsalsoarose;but，alas！Icouldnotreproducemyair—castles。ForourcharterrequiredustohavetheuniversityinoperationinOctober，1868，andtherewasnotimeforcarefularchitecturalpreparation。
Moreover，themeansfailedus。Allthatwecouldthendowastoacceptafairlygoodplanforourmainstructures;tomakethemsimple，substantial，anddignified;
tobuildthemofstonefromourownquarries;andsotodisposethemthatfuturearchitectsmightsocombineotherbuildingswiththemastoformanimpressivequadrangleontheupperpartoftheuniversityproperty。TothisplanMr。Cornellgavehisheartyassent。Itwasthenarranged，withhisfullsanction，thattheuniversitybuildingsshouldultimatelyconsistoftwogreatgroups:thefirstoruppergrouptobeaquadrangleofstone，andthesecondorlowergrouptobemadeupofbuildingsofbrickmorefreelydisposed，accordingtoourfutureneedsandmeans。Althoughthisplanhasunfortunatelybeendepartedfrominsomeminorrespects，ithasingeneralturnedoutwell。
Havingcalledanumberofprofessorsandseenfoundationslaidfor``MorrillHall，’’IsailedinAprilof1868
forEurope，inordertostudytechnicalinstitutions，topurchaseneededequipment，andtosecurecertainprofessorssuchascouldnotthenbefoundinourowncountry。
ThusfarmyknowledgeofhighereducationinEuropehadbeenconfinedalmostentirelytotheuniversities;
butnowIwentcarefullythroughvarioustechnicalinstitutions，amongthemtheEnglishAgriculturalCollegeatCirencester，theAgriculturalExperimentStationatRothamstead，theFrenchAgriculturalCollegeatGrignon，theConservatoiredesArtsetMtiersatParis，theVeterinarySchoolatAlfort，theGermanAgriculturalCollegeatHohenheim，theTechnicalSchoolandVeterinaryCollegeatBerlin，andothers。Astoequipment，whereverIfoundvaluablematerialIboughtit。
Thuswerebroughttogetherforourlibraryaverylargecollectionofbooksinalltheprincipaldepartments;physicalandchemicalapparatusfromLondon，Paris，Heidelberg，andBerlin;chemicalsfromBerlinandErfurt;theonlyduplicateoftheroyalcollectionofcerealsandgrassesandthegreatcollectionofBritishpatent—officepublicationsfromtheBritishimperialauthorities;theRaumodelsofplowsfromHohenheim;theBrendelplantmodelsfromBreslau;themodelsofmachinemovementsfromLondon，Darmstadt，andBerlin;theplasticmodelsofAuzouxfromParis;andotherapparatusandinstrumentsfromallpartsofEurope，withdiagramsanddrawingsfromeveryinstitutionwhereIcouldfindthem。Duringthreemonths，fromfundsfurnishedbytheuniversity，byMr。Cornellpersonally，and，Imaybeallowedtoadd，frommyownpersonalresources，Iexpendedforthesepurposesoversixtythousanddollars，asumwhichinthosedaysrepresentedmuchmorethaninthese。
Astonon—residentprofessors，IsecuredinLondonGoldwinSmith，whohadrecentlydistinguishedhimselfbyhisworksasahistorianandasregiusprofessorofhistoryatOxford;andIwassuccessfulincallingDr。
JamesLaw，who，thoughayoungman，hadalreadymadehimselfanameinveterinaryscience。Itseemedtomanyacomicaljuxtaposition，andvariouswitticismsweremadeatmyexpenseoverthestatementthatIhad``broughtbackanOxfordprofessorandaScotchhorse—doctor。’’
Butneverwereselectionsmorefortunate。GoldwinSmith，byhishighcharacter，hisbroadanddeepscholarship，hisdevotionnotonlytohisprofessorshipbuttothegeneraluniversitywork，hisself—denialinbehalfoftheuniversityanditsstudents，renderedpricelessservices。Heboreallprivationscheerfullyandbravedalldiscouragementsmanfully。Neverweretherebetterhistoricallecturesthanhis。
Theyinspiredusall，andtheimpulsethengivenisstillfelt。So，too，Dr。Law，inhisfield，wasinvaluable，andthiswassoonfeltthroughouttheState。OfhimIshallspeaklater。
CHAPTERXX
THEFIRSTYEARSOFCORNELLUNIVERSITY——1868—1870
Onthe7thofOctober，1868，cametheformalopeningoftheuniversity。ThestruggleforitscharterhadattractedmuchattentioninallpartsoftheState，andalargebodyofspectators，withaboutfourhundredstudents，assembledattheCornellLibraryHallinIthaca。
ThoughthecharterhadrequiredustobegininOctober，therehadseemedforsometimeverylittlechanceofit。Mr。CornellhadbeenabsentinthewoodsoftheupperMississippiandontheplainsofKansas，selectinguniversitylands;IhadbeenabsentforsomemonthsinEurope，securingplansandequipment;andas，duringourabsence，thecontractorforthefirstmainbuilding，MorrillHall，hadfailed，theworkwaswretchedlybehindhand。Thedirectroadstotheuniversitysitewereasyetimpracticable，fortheCascadillaravineandthesmalleronenorthofitwerestillunbridged。Thegroundswereunkempt，withheapsofearthandpilesofmaterialinalldirections。Thegreatquantitiesoffurniture，apparatus，andbookswhichIhadsentfromEuropehadbeendepositedwhereverstoragecouldbefound。TypicalwasthecaseofthelargeHoltzelectricalmachinefromGermany。Itwasinthosedaysanovelty，andmanywereanxioustoseeit;butitcouldnotbefound，anditwasonlydiscoveredseveralweekslater，whenthelastpotsandpanswerepulledoutofthekitchenstore—roominthecellarofthegreatstonebarrackknownasCascadillaHouse。Allsortsofgreatlyneededmaterialhadbeendelayedinsteamshipsandonrailways，orwasstuckfastincustom—housesandwarehousesfromBerlinandParistoIthaca。Ourfriendshadtoiledheroicallyduringourabsence，butthelittletown——thenmuchlessenergeticthannow——hadbeenunabletofurnishtheworkrequiredinsoshortatime。Theheatingapparatusandeventhedoorsforthestudents’roomswerenotinplaceuntilweeksafterwinterweatherhadsetin。Tocomplicatemattersstillmore，studentsbegantocomeataperiodmuchearlierandinnumbersfargreaterthanwehadexpected;andthefirstresultofthiswasthat，ingettingreadyfortheopening，Mr。Cornellandmyselfwerewornout。Fortwoorthreedaysbeforemyinaugurationbothofuswereinthehandsofphysiciansandinbed，andonthemorningofthedayappointedweweretakenincarriagestothehallwheretheceremonywastotakeplace。
ToMr。Cornell’sbriefspeechIhavealludedelsewhere;
myownpresentedmyideasmoreatlength。Theyweregroupedinfourdivisions。Thefirstoftheserelatedto``FoundationIdeas，’’whichwereannouncedasfollows:
First，thecloseunionofliberalandpracticalinstruction;
second，unsectariancontrol;third，alivingunionbetweentheuniversityandthewholeschoolsystemoftheState;
fourth，concentrationofrevenuesforadvancededucation。
Theseconddivisionwasthatof``FormativeIdeas’’;andunderthese——First，equalitybetweendifferentcoursesofstudy。InthisIespeciallydevelopedideaswhichhadoccurredtomeasfarbackasmyobservationsaftergraduationatYale，wheretheclassicalstudentsbelongingtothe``collegeproper’’weregivenasortofsupremacy，andscientificstudentsrelegatedtoaseparateinstitutionatconsiderabledistance，andthereforedeprivedofmuchgeneral，andevenspecial，culturewhichwouldhavegreatlybenefitedthem。Indeed，theyseemednotconsideredashavinganysoulstobesaved，sincenopro...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：