THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. 177 



crude imagination of the public the dignity of the office and would 

 perhaps attract young men of ability. The average salaries of teachers 

 are about the same as in the other professions, but there are no prizes 

 corresponding to those in the other professions. A clergyman may 

 become a bishop, a lawyer may become a judge, a physician may acquire 

 a consulting practise; and they may earn incomes of from $10,000 to 

 $100,000. A professor can only earn a larger salary and an apparent 

 promotion by becoming president of his university; and this I regard 

 as unfortunate. As Mr. Eemsen told us that the professor would be 

 pleased but not particularly improved by an increase in salary, I may 

 perhaps be permitted to suggest that a president might be pained, but 

 would not be seriously injured by a reduction of his salary to that of 

 the professor. My preference in this matter would be for the professor 

 to have a fixed salary — perhaps $3,000 to $6,000, according to the 

 expense of living in the neighborhood, with $300 to $600 subsidy for 

 each of his children between the ages of 10 and 21. Advances in salary 

 dependent on the favor of the authorities appear to be undesirable. If 

 salaries must vary from $3,000 to $5,000, a man should be appointed 

 at such salary as may be necessary, but should thereafter receive auto- 

 matic increases, say of $500 after each five years of service. Then 

 there should be a few research chairs in each university, promotion to 

 which would be a mark of distinction, and occupancy of which would 

 dispense from all routine work and carry a salary equal to that of the 

 presidency. 



The man of parts is born, but he must be found and given an 

 opportunity. Lincoln, Grant and Lee stand forth in history, owing to 

 the events of history, and if they had not been born others would have 

 been found. The chief difficulty in securing the right men for uni- 

 versity chairs is the small field from which they must be drawn. When 

 we have a hundred thousand men of university training teaching in 

 the schools, there will be those deserving promotion. When we have 

 more students doing research work at the universities, there will be 

 more men of genius for the higher offices. The Eockefeller Institute 

 for Medical Eesearch, and especially the Carnegie Institution, by en- 

 couraging men to carry on research at the universities, will perform 

 in more ways than one a service of immense value. We should without 

 delay introduce the Privatdocent system of Germany. We should not 

 exclude a man from the university because there is no vacant position, 

 but should welcome to affiliation every one who will add to its strength. 



Our universities have suffered from in and in breeding and the 

 promotion of men by a kind of civil service routine. The president 

 should maintain a detective office for the discovery of exceptional men. 

 It is more important to find a good man than to fill a vacant position. 



vol. lxi. — 12. 



