498 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



its drift is felt by those in the stream and by the onlooker alike, as the 

 sweeping dominance of administration. That temper controls the pro- 

 fessorial career, thwarts its development as an independent life-service. 

 The formula of the investiture of the scholar, " with all the dignities 

 and privileges thereunto appertaining," has come to carry a cynical 

 flavor — the privileges often enjoyed as one is said to enjoy bad health. 



The prevalent system of university control has been called " exter- 

 nalism." Authority rests ultimately and so far as they choose to exert 

 it, constantly with the governing boards of trustees or regents; it 

 rests dominantly, and by delegation from the former, with the pres- 

 ident, intermediately at the latter's discretion with the deans. Let it 

 be conceded that a system often yields to, but yet more constantly de- 

 termines, or reflects, the spirit of its administration. But as to the 

 nature and effect of the system, I propose to cite others; it would in- 

 deed be strange if my conviction of so public a situation should not be 

 shared by kindred observers. To reflect the distrustful and anxious 

 attitude of thoughtful critics, I shall present a considerable series of 

 views touching upon all sides of the situation. I must rely upon the 

 earnestness of expression and the cumulative appeal to carry the full 

 force of the protest, which is necessarily weakened by detachment from 

 the supporting context. 



The contrast of the prevailing " American " system with the practise 

 and spirit of other countries is striking. In our allegedly democratic 

 land " university government has assumed a form that we might have 

 expected to see in a land accustomed to kings. European universities 

 have a constitution that might have come from some American political 

 theorist; American universities are as though founded and fostered in 

 the bourne of aristocracy. . . . The polity that we might call monarchic 

 is thus not only frequent in the new-world colleges, but it is stripping 

 away the few lorn shreds of popular control which still remain among 

 them" (G. M. Stratton). "Elsewhere throughout the world the uni- 

 versity is a republic of scholars, administered by them. Here it is a 

 business corporation" (Popular Science Monthly: editorial). It 

 is indeed a " departure from our usual American ideas as well as from 

 the scholarly custom elsewhere, that we should have called into ex- 

 istence in affairs of learning a regnant body the life activities of whose 

 members lie outside the realm they rule" (G. M. Stratton). "The 

 American university has become an autocracy, wholly foreign in spirit 

 and plan to our political ideals and little short of amazing to those 

 marvels of thoroughgoing democracy, the German universities " (J. P. 

 Munroe) . " The main ends of the university are the same in all 

 lands, but our American presidents and boards of trustees are an in- 

 digenous product which can scarcely be regarded as essential " (J. McK. 

 Cattell). In brief it seems that in our superficial democratic zeal we 

 react aggressively to the show of authority and the symbol of distinction, 



