254 SCIENCE SKETCHES. 



ter which constituted him a " University," entitled 

 to hold ^200,000 in property free from all taxes, 

 " to confer all academic degrees, and to enjoy all 

 the rights and privileges of the most favored insti- 

 tutions." This gentleman has been merciful to his 

 fellow-citizens. He has gone about his business 

 and has conferred no degrees, not even on himself. 

 But he has the legal right to do it, and this incident 

 shows with what laxness the laws of our own 

 and other States view the granting of collegiate 

 degrees. Such is the degradation of the Bachelor's 

 degree, which has already brought the name of 

 American graduate into contempt. 



Still, at the best, the Bachelor's degree is an 

 empty name. It is not in America, as in Europe, 

 a key to any sort of personal advancement. And 

 it is better that it should be so. It is better for 

 each man to stand on his own merits as shown by 

 his own work, not as attested by any college faculty. 

 ''The student may flourish his college diploma," 

 says Dr. J. P. Lesley, " but the world cares little for 

 that baby badge." In certain educational circles, 

 perhaps, a college degree is a help, or rather it may 

 represent a certain minimum of culture which is 

 expected of all its members. We suppose that a 

 college professor must hold a college degree. But 

 this is not always the case. I can count on my fin- 

 gers, taking every one, a list of some of the ablest of 

 Indiana's college teachers to-day, who have never 

 been graduated from any college. Most of these 

 hold honorary degrees, it is true ; but such degrees 

 are empty tributes of the college to success of one 

 sort or another, won without the college's help. 



