JOHN PRICE DURBIN JOHN— AN APPRECIATION. 77 



as thoroughly competent in every subject that he taught and it is evident 

 that his interest in their welfare led them to regard him as a personal friend 

 of greatest value. He was independent and thorough going in all of his in- 

 vestigations. He was a master of Mathematics, Astronomy, and Philosophy 

 and these great subjects were made to contribute to his interpretation of the 

 Scriptures and the emphasis and beauty with which he presented the doc- 

 trines of the Christian Religion." 



After a service of nine years in Moores Hill College he resigned and went 

 to Europe, partly for the benefits of foreign travel, partly to study at close 

 hand the educational institutions and methods of the old world. It was 

 soon after his return that he was elected to a professorship in DePauw. Dur- 

 ing the years immediately following, he not only maintained his mastery 

 over his specific subject of Mathematics but he became thoroughly familiar 

 with those educational problems and possessed himself of those educational 

 ideals that prepared him for such efficient service later as President of the 

 University. In his inaugural address as President, delivered on June 19, 

 1890, he pointed the way towards a lofty goal towards which he endeavored 

 to direct his trustees and lead his faculty. His aim was to build up a real 

 University, backed by his church, but non-sectarian in character, broad in its 

 sympathies, allowing great intellectual and religious freedom to student and 

 teacher. While not detracting from the value and importance of the classical 

 studies of Mathematics and the Ancient languages, he warmly advocated 

 equal facilities for the study and teaching of Philosophy, Science and History. 

 With him a cardinal doctrine was that the ^^alue of a subject depends not so 

 much upon the subject itself as upon the method by which the subject was 

 handled. He maintained that where rightly taught, Botany, Geology and 

 Chemistry are as efficient a means of culture as an equal amount of Latin. 

 Greek or Mathematics. He took the ground that the training value of any 

 course resides chiefly in the process rather than in the subject itself and in- 

 sisted that while a limited amount of mathematical, linguistic, scientific, 

 and philosophical study should be required of all students, on the other hand, 

 each student should be left to spend the larger part of his time in whatever 

 department he found the most interest and from which he expected to derive 

 his chief culture. In his own epigrammatic way of expressing it, he believed 

 in "freedom in the pupil, freedom in the teacher, and freedom in the subject," 

 freedom, however, "not unrestrained, but unconstrained." 



Dr. John cherished great hopes of building up a conspicuous university 

 in the heart of Indiana. At that time, DePauw was believed to be on the eve 

 of receiving an addition of two million dollars to its endowment and prospects 

 of expanding libraries, well equipped laboratories, and commodious dormi- 

 tories were rosy indeed. In building up a great university Dr. John believed 

 that first emphasis should be placed on the proper equipment of the college 

 of liberal arts as the center from which might radiate the various professional 

 schools. He stood for thoroughness, a few subjects taught by live instructors, 



