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How To Benefit Education

How To Benefit Education image
Parent Issue
Day
12
Month
December
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
Editorial
OCR Text

The followiiig is froui ¦ recent disonrsc of j;cv. Dr. Francia ,. Patton, resident of Princeton college, and itB :andor and good sense should receive the earty approval of the general public : You would hardly expect me to advlso icli men to give tlielr money to small olleges, yet I don't wish to bo misundertood in the matter, and I assuredly beeve that the smaller colleges of our ountry play an important role in its vMim' of education. They bring an eduitlon (o inany a young man wlio othervise could not aftord the expenso of obiniiüi one, and they algo dUseminate a great deul of general knowkdge in heir respective communlties. There is, lowever, not the same relativo need for a ncBiber of stnnll instimtions near each jther that tlicre once was, in view of the increascd facilities of travel. The great advantnge of rlcli men givlng their money to the larger institutions Is that the necesary plant is already established - you on't have to build from the foundation, 'hus every $100,000 given to a large colege helps to greatcr rcsnlts than if given 0 the smaller. The ratio for good trom n equal sum of money is greater in tlie irger college, siuce it is botter eqolpped, josesses a broader curriculum, and offers 1 wtder choice of subjects. Bear in mind however that the edueaional influencc at a collego does not con st solcly in the actual amount of infornation Imparted in the class room. For. conceding that as large an amount of iliilos ipfiy or reek orLatin can be learnI Ja the small college as in the large .nc. and for that matter learned as thor)ughly, yct the larger colleges have in ncakiilablc advantagc in being able to oommand ihc services of a larjrcr nuniber of representativo men, and of men who letldea belog exoeptlonally qualilied are able by reason of the superior equipnents of tbc college to devote thomselvcs 0 the cultivatlon of specliillties. A greiit deal of a mau's education consists In coming in contact with those eading men, wlio are recognized as auhoratutivc in llicir departmeuts. Thcre is somcthiníí aftel all in the intcllectual atmosphere that surrouuds the large colcho, and those men who are not given to hard study derive iidvantage from this itmospherc to an extent that they probably cannot eft'tmate. There is this to be said, that smaller colleges intcrl'oic hut little wlth the larger institutions. In faet they indirectly l.clp tliem, sii'ce they créate a desire for advanccd learr.ing which cannot be satialii'd except In the more celebrated seats of learnlofc. This is especially tree in late years, tlie best men at the smaller institutions seeking specialization in the larger unlTertltk. As the representative of one of the larger colleges I have only a word of hearty God speed for those who are engaged in building up the smaller institutious, especially thOM in the regions remóte from the saloons. 1 think, however, that when the ground is already so fully occupied u it is in the New-Eugland and Middle States it would beau unwisc use of money to organi.e new institutions with money that could be more (flectually employed to strengUien those whlch have already passed the period of experiment and are firmly nrrenched in the contidence of the public. So far, at least, as Princeton is concerned, I am oonfident that we are in a posltion where the addition of half a milliou to our endowment would do more for the cause of sound learning than twice or even Ihree times that amount could possibly effect it it were used for the purpose of founding a new institntion. I'irsonally, I appreiiend great danger in men giving large sums of money to found institutions with the slipulation that they shall bear the name of the fouuder. A man who has a mil 1 ion dollars to spare can use it to immensely greater advantage by giving it to Yale or Princeton than by simply (bundioü i new institution, and thereby be tlie means of drawing otfapoition of the patronage of thetwo named. I fear more banu from this scheme than from any the smaller colleges can créate. And, finally, in regard to the appointment ot professors, we cunnot be too carelul ii the sulecüun of men whose iullueuce will be vcry great over the young at a time ol life when they are more easiiy impresset than a few years later. Our college men are recelving inany ideas from tlieir own views.