346 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



THE COLLEGE-MAN AS LEADER IN THE WORLD'S WORK.* 



By Professor R. H. THURSTON, 



CORNELL ONIVERSITY. 



TN the twentieth century the college-man is, more than ever before, 

 -■- the leader of the world. Mind leads the world; mind ultimately 

 is the ruler of the world. That mind leads the world which is not 

 simply developed into maximum intellectual perfection ; it is that mind 

 which, perfected and strengthened and given symmetry and vigor, 

 is also made most thoroughly at one with the world. It is not enough 

 that the man shall be a great scholar, or the greatest of scholars; 

 nor is it enough that he shall represent the highest culture and possess 

 the most vigorous brain; nor can learning, even learning united with 

 wisdom and culture, however magnificent the whole, in union give 

 leadership in this world. 



A primary requisite of leadership is close and strong connection 

 with the great world to be led. This union being assured the true 

 leader gains and holds his leadership by the exercise, in unrivaled 

 power and with unequaled tact and judgment, of those talents which 

 have been reinforced by the no less indispensable learning and culture 

 and wisdom ; these united confer leadership. Ultimately, also, it must 

 be remembered that the greatest mind can never lead if apart from the 

 world and out of touch with those who are to be led. Any man of 

 good sense and rich in humanity, even though unlearned and without 

 extraordinary genius, will sooner acquire leadership than the wisest 

 and greatest man of genius the world at the time possesses, lacking this 

 firm hold upon those who should follow. 



He who would lead must have this compound constitution and must 

 acquire the useful forms of learning and the hardly less valuable forms 

 of culture, for such purposes, and he must cultivate that wisdom and 

 tact and those virile qualities which are all-essential to perfect success. 

 He who would lead must be prepared closely to follow leaders preceding 

 him, and the requisites for following leaders in the front ranks are 

 substantially the same, apart from the peculiar genius of the general 

 of the army, as for leadership itself. And each should be well pre- 

 pared to follow, each in his proper place, and there to be content while 

 most efficient. 



The twentieth century man will unite the qualities of sage and 



* A Commencement Address, Case School of Applied Science. 



