Itsgoodresultstotheuniversityhavebeenacknowledgedbyallwhohavewatcheditsprogress。Farmers’
boys，——slouchy，careless，notaccustomedtoobeyanywordofcommand;cityboys，sometimespampered，oftenwayward，havethusbeeninashorttimetransformed:theystanderect;theylooktheworldsquarelyintheface;theintensityoftheirAmericanindividualismishappilymodified;theycantakethewordofcommandandtheycangiveit。IdoubtwhetheranyfeatureofinstructionatCornellUniversityhasproducedmoreexcellentresultsuponCHARACTERthanthetrainingthusgiven。Andthisisnotall。TheeffectontheStatehasbeenvaluable。IthasalreadybeenfeltintheorganizationandmaintenanceoftheStatemilitia;andduringthewarwithSpain，Cornellians，trainedintheuniversitybattalion，renderednobleservice。
Amongthematterswhichourboardoftrusteesandfacultyhadtodecideuponatanearlydaywastheconferringofdegrees。Ithadbecome，andindeedhasremainedinmanyofourcollegesdowntothepresentday，anabuse，andacomicalabuse。Almostmorethananyotherthing，ittendstolowerrespectformanyAmericancollegesanduniversitiesamongthinkingmen。Theolderandstrongeruniversitiesarefreefromit;butmanyofthenewerones，especiallyvariouslittlesectariancolleges，someofthemcallingthemselves``universities，’’
haveabusedandareabusingbeyondmeasuretheirprivilegeofconferringdegrees。Everyoneknowsindividualsinthecommunitywhosedegrees，sofarfromadorningthem，reallyrenderthemridiculous;andeveryoneknowscollegesand``universities’’maderidiculousbytheconferringofsuchpretendedhonors。
AttheoutsetIproposedtoourtrusteesthatCornellUniversityshouldconfernohonorarydegreesofanysort，andalawwaspassedtothateffect。Thiswasobservedfaithfullyduringmyentirepresidency;thenthepolicywastemporarilychanged，andtwohonorarydoctorateswereconferred;butthiswasimmediatelyfollowedbyarenewaloftheoldlaw，andCornellhasconferrednohonorarydegreessince。
Butitisaquestionwhetherthetimehasnotarrivedforsomerelaxationofthispolicy。TheargumentIusedinproposingthelawthatnohonorarydegreeshouldbeconferredwasthatwehadnotyetbuiltupaninstitutionwhosedegreescouldbejustlyconsideredasofanyvalue。
Thatargumentisnolongervalid，andpossiblysomedeparturefromitwouldnowbewise。Still，thepolicyofconferringnohonorarydegreesisinfinitelybetterthanthepolicyoflavishingthem。
Astoregularandordinarydegrees，Ihad，inmyplanoforganization，recommendedthatthereshouldbebutonedegreeforallcourses，whetherinarts，science，orliterature。Iarguedthat，asallourcoursesrequiredanequalamountofintellectualexertion，onesimpledegreeshouldbegrantedaliketoallwhohadpassedtherequiredexaminationatthecloseoftheirchosencourse。Thisviewthefacultydidnotaccept。Theyadoptedthepolicyofestablishingseveraldegrees:as，forexample，forthecourseinarts，thedegreeofA。B。;forthecourseinscience，thedegreeofB。S。;forthecourseinliterature，thedegreeofB。L。;andsoon。Thereasongivenforthiswasthatitwasimportantineachcasetoknowwhatthetrainingoftheindividualgraduatehadbeen;andthatthetruewaytoobviateinvidiousdistinctionsissotoperfectthenewercoursesthatallthedegreesshallfinallybeconsideredasofequalvalueandhonor。Thisargumentconvertedme:itseemedtomejust，andmyexperienceincallingmentoprofessorshipsledmemoreandmoretoseethatIhadbeenwrongandthatthefacultywasright;foritwasamatterofthegreatestimportancetome，indecidingonthequalificationsofcandidatesforprofessorships，toknow，notonlytheirspecialfitness，butwhattheirgeneraleducationhadbeen。
But，curiouslyenough，withinthelastfewyearstheCornellfaculty，undertheleadofitspresentadmirablepresident，hasrevertedtomyoldargument，acceptedit，andestablishedasingledegreeforallcourses。Ibowrespectfullytotheirjudgment，butmyconversionbythesamefacultyfrommyownoriginalideaswassocompletethatIcannotnowagreetothewisdomofthechange。Itisacuriouscaseofcross—conversion，Ihavingbeenandremainingconvertedtotheideasofthefaculty，andtheyhavingbeenconvertedtomyoriginalidea。Astothewholematter，Ihavethefaithofanoptimistthateventu—
ally，withtheexperiencederivedfrombothsystems，agoodresultwillbereached。
Anotherquestionwhichatthattimeoccupiedmemuchwasthatofscholarshipsandfellowshipsawardedbycompetitiveexaminationsversusgeneralgratuitousinstruction。
Duringtheformationofmyplansfortheuniversity，anumberofexcellentmenurgeduponmethatallourinstructionshouldbethrownopentoallmankindfreeofcharge;thatthereshouldbenopaymentofinstructionfeesofanykind;thatthepolicywhichprevailsinthepublicschoolsoftheStateshouldbecarriedoutinthenewinstitutionatthesummitofthesystem。Thisdemandwasplausible，butthemoreIthoughtuponitthemoreillogical，fallacious，andinjuriousitseemed;and，inspiteofsomehardknocksinconsequence，Ihavecontinuedtodissentfromit，andfeelthateventshavejustifiedme。
Sincethisviewofminelargelyinfluencedtheplanoftheuniversity，thisisperhapsasgoodaplaceasanytosketchitsdevelopment。Inthefirstplace，Isoonsawthattheanalogybetweenfreeeducationinthepublicschoolsandintheuniversityisdelusive，theconditionsofthetwobeingentirelydissimilar。Inarepubliclikeoursprimaryeducationofthevotersisapracticalnecessity。Norepublicofrealweightintheworld，exceptSwitzerlandandtheUnitedStates，hasprovedpermanent;andtheonlydifferencebetweenthemanyrepublicswhichhavefailedandthesetwo，which，wehope，havesucceeded，isthatintheformerthegreatbodyofthecitizenswereilliterate，whileinthelatterthegreatbodyofvotershavehadsomegeneraleducation。Withoutthiseducation，sufficientforanunderstandingofthemainquestionsinvolved，norealrepublicordemocracycanendure。Withgeneralprimaryeducationuptoapointnecessaryfortheintelligentexerciseofthesuffrage，onemayhavehopesforthecontinuanceanddevelopmentofademocraticrepublic。Onthisaccountprimaryeducationshouldbemadefree:itispartofourpoliticalsystem;itistheessentialconditionofitsexistence。
Thepurposeofuniversityeducationistotallydifferent。
TheinterestoftheRepublicis，indeed，thatitshouldmaintaintheveryhighestandbestprovisionforadvancedinstruction，general，scientific，andtechnical;anditisalsointhehighestinterestoftheRepublicthatitsfittestyoungmenandwomenshouldsecuresuchinstruction。Norepublic，nonationinfact，possessesanyothertreasurecomparabletoitsyoungcitizensofactivemindandearnestpurpose。Thisisfeltatthepresenttimebyallthegreatnationsoftheworld，andconsequentlyprovisionismadeinalmostallofthemforthehighesteducationofsuchmenandwomen。Nexttothegeneralprimaryeducationofallvoters，themostimportantdutyofourRepublicistodevelopthebestmindsitpossessesforthebestserviceinallitsfieldsofhighintellectualactivity。Todothisitmustsupplythebestuniversityeducation，andmustsmooththewayforthosetoacquireitwhoarebestfittedforit，nomatterhowoppressivetheirpoverty。
Now，myfirstobjectiontogratuitousuniversityinstructiontoallstudentsalikeisthatitstandsinthewayofthismostimportantconsummation;thatitnotonlydoesnotaccomplishtheendwhichisdesirable，butthatitdoesaccomplishanotherwhichisexceedinglyundesirable。
Fortherealproblemtobesolvedisthis:Howshallthehighereducationindifferentfieldsbebroughtwithinreachoftheyoungmenandwomenbestfittedtoacquireit，toprofitbyit，andtouseittobestadvantage？AnyoneacquaintedwithAmericanschoolsanduniversitiesknowsthatthevastmajorityoftheseyoungpeoplebestfittedtoprofitbyhighereducationcomefromthefamiliesofsmallmeans。Whatdoesgratuitousinstructionintheuniversityofferthem？Merelyaremissionofinstructionfees，which，afterall，arebutasmallpartofthenecessaryexpensesofauniversitycourse。Withmanyoftheseyoungpersons——probablywithmost——amereremissionofinstructionfeesisutterlyinsufficienttoenablethemtosecureadvancededucation。IhavealludedtothecaseofPresidentCleveland，who，havingbeenwellfittedfortheuniversity，couldnotenter。Hisfatherbeingacountryclergymanwithalargefamilyandsmallmeans，thefutureChiefExecutiveoftheUnitedStateswasobligedtoturnasidetoateacher’splaceandaclerkshipwhichaffordedhimabaresupport。AttheHamiltonCollegecommencementafewyearssince，Mr。Cleveland，pointingtooneoftheprofessors，wasreportedassayinginsubstance:``Myoldschoolfriendbymysideis，ofallmen，theoneIhavemostenvied:hewasabletobuyagoodeditionofVergil;Iwasnot。’’
ItwouldnothavebeenatalldifficultforhimtosecurearemissionofinstructionfeesatvariousAmericancollegesanduniversities;butthegreatdifficultywasthathecouldnotsecurethemeansnecessaryforhisboard，forhisclothing，forhistravelingexpenses，forhisbooks，foralltheotherthingsthatgotomakeuptherealcostoflifeatauniversity。Icanthinkofbutoneway，andthatis，asarule，tochargeinstructionfeesuponthegreatbodyofthestudents，butbothtoremitinstructionfeesandtogivescholarshipsandfellowshipstothosewho，incompetitiveexaminationsandotherwise，showthemselvesespeciallyworthyofsuchprivileges。Thisisinconformitytothesystemofnature;itisthesurvivalofthefittest。ThiswasthemainreasonwhichledmetoinsertinthecharterofCornellUniversitytheprovisionbywhichatpresentsixhundredstudentsfromtheStateofNewYorkareselectedbycompetitiveexaminationsoutofthemassofscholarsinthepublicschools，andtoprovidethateachofthesebestscholarsshallhavefreeinstructionforfouryears。
Butthiswasonlyapartofthesystem。FromthefirstIhaveurgedthefactabovementioned，namely，thatwhileremissionofinstructionfeesisastepintherightdirection，itisnotsufficient;andIhavealwaysdesiredtoseesomeuniversityrecognizethetrueandsoundprincipleoffreeinstructioninuniversitiesbyCONSECRATINGALL
MONEYSRECEIVEDFROMINSTRUCTIONFEESTOTHECREATION
OFCOMPETITIVESCHOLARSHIPSANDFELLOWSHIPS，EACHOFWHICH
SHALLAMOUNTTOASUMSUFFICIENTTOMEET，WITHECONOMY，THE
LIVINGEXPENSESOFASTUDENT。ThisplanIwasenabled，inconsiderablemeasure，tocarryoutbyestablishingthecompetitivescholarshipsineachAssemblydistrict;andlater，aswillbeseeninanotherchapter，Iwasenabled，byacurioustransformationofacalamityintoablessing，tocarryitstillfurtherbyestablishingendowedscholarshipsandfellowships。Theselatterscholarships，each，asageneralrule，oftwohundredandfiftydollarsayear，wereawardedtothosewhopassedthebestexaminationsandmaintainedthebeststandingintheirclasses;whilethefellowships，eachofthevalueoffromfourtofivehundreddollarsayear，wereawardedtotheseniorsofourownorotheruniversitieswhohadbeenfoundmostworthyofthem。InthefaceofconsiderableoppositionIsetthissysteminmotionatCornell;anditssuccessleadsmetohopethatitwillbefurtherdeveloped，notonlythere，butelsewhere。Besidesthis，Ifavoredarrangementsforremittinginstructionfeesandgivingaidtosuchstudentsasreallyshowedpromisingtalent，andwhowereatthetimeneedy。Tothisendaloanfundwascreatedwhichhasbeencaref...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：