It is sometimes thought that men who cannot make a success in business life are just right for teaching. This is entirely wrong, and the idea should not be admitted for a moment in any modern technological school. The discontented man who has made a failure in business life will certainly make a failure in teaching engineering. Engineering colleges should avoid "men who are fools in working," even though they are "philosophers in speaking." Enthusiastic men are wanted; they may be young men, if needs be, but they must be paid well enough so that they may take places as selfrespecting members of the engineering profession, and they must be properly chosen with respect to their qualifications. These men must be good professional engineers; they must possess power and satisfaction gained from engineering research, and from attainments in other lines than those of purely professional acquirement; but sound teaching is their work of first importance. It is very difficult to teach well, but that is no excuse for admitting poor teaching into the engineering schools. The problem in the engineering colleges is rendered more complex by the character of the curricula, which require that the students shall follow for a period what may be denominated preparatory science instruction before they enter upon the truly professional work. In the latter, at least, the teaching should be largely by inspiration and suggestion. The process of gathering, organizing and assimilating knowledge by each student should, as Spencer suggests, be as far as possible a process of self-evolution. If a professional student will not follow his work with zest and satisfaction, it is a thankless and doubtful task to force him to it. The best method for the teacher in professional subjects (but the method of all methods difficult to follow without abuse), is indicated in Kipling's verse: "For they taught us common sense, Tried to teach us common sense- "This we learned from famous men The engineering colleges are at fault in not more fully developing the initiative, the enterprise, and the executive powers of their students, though this is a difficult part of the task of "making a man." But that thing must be done in order to make successful industrial engineers. It can be done largely by influence, by the character of the treatment of the students, and by the sort of ambitions that are put into them. It can be done in some degree by the selection of the work assigned to the curriculum, but the subjects studied are of less importance than that the students learn, "Truth, and God's Own Common Sense." The teacher must remember when he tries to teach by inspiration, even though his time and method be wisely chosen, that he may expect to receive in the class-room some hard blows to his self-regard and his esteem for his teaching. He may pour stimulating thoughts over his students day after day for weeks and finally find that few have taken root. He may even be brought to that state of desperate depression that is illustrated in one of Turgenev's novels when its hero, Dmetri Rudin, failed to succeed in his post at the University. The engineering teacher-provided he is sure of his time and method-may take heart by remembering this: that if every stimulating thought presented to his students, whether relating to professional applications of theoretical principles or directly to the development of initiative, self-reliance, and executive powers-if every stimulating thought took root in every student's mind, those minds would become overburdened cyclone centers of thought, and if one real thought takes root from time to time in each student's mind the teacher may be truly satisfied. I have already suggested that the question of professional instruction in the engineering schools is entangled with the problem of leading the students through a course of preparatory science looking towards the professional studies. The medical schools may and largely do escape this responsibility by requiring their students to pursue a liberal college course before embracing the professional courses. The existing plan of the medical schools is ill-advised when viewed from the engineer's standpoint, but we hope that some inviting plan may yet result from the proposals made by several great university presidents in respect to co-ordinating the liberal and professional courses. We would gladly welcome the old-time college course and the old-time preparatory course, especially, so far as they made men of vigorous thought who could spell and cipher, and we now gladly receive and encourage all students who have been willing and able to complete an academic college course before entering upon their technological studies. Broadly, however, until there arises such an advantageous plan of coordination which may be adopted with benefit to our students and to the engineering profession, the engineering schools will continue to instruct their students for four years immediately following the high-school course,—the first two years being largely filled with mathematics, chemistry, modern languages, drawing and other subjects leading to the professional studies of the engineer. These students come freely to the college at an age between seventeen and twenty, equally immature in mind and body,—and one part must not be trained at the sacrifice of the other. "It is not sufficient to make his mind strong, his muscles must also be strengthened; the mind is overbourne if it be not seconded." Montaigne puts it very gracefully: "It is not a mind, it is not a body which we erect, but it is a man, and we must not make two parts of him." A prime requisite to success in life "is to be a good animal," and the engineering school must look after the bodily and social welfare of these entering students in a way that is not required of the medical school with its course largely recruited from the liberal college. These students should be encouraged to enter into the various interests of the life around them, especially of the college life, including its social affairs and its athletics and gymnastics. The extra responsibility which thus rests upon the teachers in the engineering school, equally increases the effect of the influence with which his personality affects his students. The latter is a recompense that every lover of teaching will willingly make sacrifices to obtain. My discussion of my subject has been brief; though perhaps as long as you desire. I have tried to show you that the wide influence of the engineering schools is of two branches: First, a direct effect exerted through the graduates extending the useful applications of science to the advantage of man (which is the effort of every true engineer); second, an indirect (but equally important) effect resulting from the admirable education disseminated amongst the people. And I have pointed out not only elements of great educational strength, but also some sources of weakness in the schools. It has been my particular wish to bring to your mind some image of the potent influence for good which has been in the past, and still more may be in the future, borne in the body politic by these schools, and to impress you with the desirability of bringing to their support, the same bountiful endowments that are now justly flowing to the support of the medical schools. I trust that I may have interested you, and that I may have reached, in some degree at least, my object. In the course of my remarks I have had frequent occasion to use the phrase "applied science." You must not mistake me. Applied science is not something set off by itself and differing from "pure science," so-called. Far from it. It is pure science, if you wish, pursued in the stimulating, nutrient atmosphere bred of the belief that all scientific knowledge returns to its possessor great good in proportion to the advantages which he, through it, brings to mankind. Such an atmosphere is to be found in many of our medical schools, and, I hope, in all of our engineering schools. FRIDAY EVENING. THE STUDENTS' PARADE. About 500 people took part in the illuminated parade of students and alumni. The procession was marshaled by Mr. Harry P. Gamble, an alumnus of the University. The line was formed under the arc lights. of the campus and moved at 7 o'clock, going north on Twelfth Street to Pearl, thence west to Tenth, north to Spruce, east to Twelfth, north to Pine, east to Fifteenth, south to Pearl, west to Twelfth and south to the University. Music was furnished by the Elks' band, which marched at the head of the line, followed by the cadet corps of the State Preparatory School. The alumnæ of the institution rode in a tallyho, behind which marched the alumni. Classes were distinguished by transparencies, colors, yells and songs. Following the alumni were the college seniors, who represented in a spectacular way the progress in dress, modes of travel and college life since the founding of the University. The first graduating class ('82) was represented under its own colors (blue and gray) riding in an old stage drawn by six horses and carrying sixteen students dressed in the costume of the early days. A prairie schooner followed, decked in the colors of the University (silver and gold). Its occupants represented the early life of the State. Then came an automobile, decorated in the colors of the class of '03 (brown and gold), carrying two seniors in cap and gown. The juniors followed with a float which carried the young women of the class. Class numerals were displayed on an arch, and the decorations were in evergreen and the class colors. The young men of the class marched behind in column. The sophomore division was headed by a large transparency in the form of a tetrahedron, bearing on two sides the numerals of the class, '05, and on the front "Clear the track." The feature of this division was the tallyho which carried the young women of the class. The inscriptions were: "Cicero, Cæsar, Livy and Ovid." The freshmen appeared as infants, dressed in white. The young women rode in tallyhos, while the young men, wearing dunce caps, marched behind. Following the college came the professional schools in the order of their establishment. The School of Medicine gave a spectacular repre sentation of the progress of the medical profession: An Indian medicine man; a quack doctor; an old-time doctor on horseback; a country doctor in his buggy; a city doctor in his rubber tired carriage and an up-to-date doctor in an automobile. The nurses of the hospital corps followed in a carriage. A wagon carrying patent medicine men, stopped at frequent intervals, its occupants crying out their wares and distributing advertisements. The alumni of the medical school rode in carriages and carried torches. Most of the present student corps marched, the freshmen wearing white gowns and skull masks. An open carriage contained two skeletons which, by means of mechanical contrivances, were made to salute the spectators. The members of the Law School rode in tallyhos suitably decorated and illuminated with torches. The students were all provided with Roman candles, which were used very effectively. The Engineering School brought up the rear with a forty-foot banner bearing the inscription, "Last but not least." Most of this school marched in machinists' costume, overalls, jumpers and black skull caps. A float carried a model of the engineering building twelve feet long, lighted from within and with smoke issuing from the stack. Another float carried a forge, lathe and anvil, at each of which men were at work making souvenirs of the occasion. A third float carried a white dome fourteen feet high brilliantly lighted by electric lamps. The current was furnished from a dynamo run by a gasoline engine. The president of the class and the one lady student of Engineering rode in an open carriage. THE RECEPTIONS AND REUNIONS. These were held in the Main Building Friday evening after the parade. There was a large attendance of University and town people. The following committees received the guests: RECEPTION COMMITTEES. President and Mrs. Baker. FACULTY. President Jacob Gould Schurman of Cornell University. Dean and Mrs. Hellems. Professor and Mrs. Brackett. Dean Stratton. |