[8853 Choice of University Professors 



was to ask Dr. Kirkwood to devote his whole time 

 to Astronomy — Algebra and Geometry being as- 

 signed to Swain. 



But next to freeing the University from its self- Promising 

 imposed educational fetters, my most important ^'^^uates 

 move was to bring trained and loyal alumni into %cuity 

 the faculty. Up to that time vacancies had often 

 been filled by professors released for one reason or 

 another from Eastern institutions. Among my own 

 early selections were a few young teachers from the 

 seaboard universities, but most of these failed to 

 adapt themselves, appearing to feel that coming so 

 far West was a form of banishment. Indeed, as a 

 whole, they seemed more eager to get back East 

 than to build up a reputation in Indiana. Moreover, 

 I found among the recent graduates several of re- 

 markable ability; to them, therefore, I promised 

 professorships when they had secured the requisite 

 advanced training in the East or in Europe. 



My first alumnus appointment was that of Horace A. 

 Hoffman in Greek — in which field he had already served as 

 instructor — after his completion of special studies in Harvard 

 and at Athens. The choice abundantly justified itself, and 

 Hoffman afterward served for many years as dean of the faculty, 

 retiring as emeritus in 1920. Swain's turn came next. Dr. 

 Kirkwood having indicated his desire soon to withdraw, I told 

 my stalwart Quaker that if he would go to Europe and prepare 

 himself as thoroughly as possible, the chair of Mathematics 

 would be held for him. He accordingly worked for a consider- 

 able time under Chrystal of Edinburgh, returning with an ex- 

 cellent record and renewed enthusiasm. In 1891 he became 

 professor of Mathematics at Stanford University; two years 

 later he was called to the presidency of Indiana, afterward to 

 that of Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, the leading institu- 



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