THE NEXT COLLEGE PRESIDENT 267 



the college authorities believe that they stand in loco imrentis, they are 

 certainly right in governing their action by the supposed wishes of 

 parents. Yet it is not known that a poll of the parents has ever been 

 taken on any subject of college policy, it is quite possible that the 

 expressions of approval or disapproval of proposed changes are purely 

 individual, it is even probable that the opinions expressed are such as 

 are felt to be in harmony with the wishes of the administration, and it 

 is altogether credible that the shade of the absent parent has been 

 evoked to give countenance to policies of the administration as unalter- 

 able as were the laws of the Medes and Persians. 



The benefactor has long been recognized as a powerful, although 

 unacknowledged, influence in the administration of the college on a 

 private foundation. Pie is a member of the board of trustees and as 

 such wields great authority. He is consulted on all matters of college 

 policy, his wishes are deferred to whenever a difference of opinion arises 

 between him and his colleagues, and he is tlie power behind the throne 

 on which sits the college president. To him more than to any other 

 giver is applied the adage that one must not look a gift horse in the 

 mouth. If the benefactor is interested in science and wishes to give the 

 college a physical laboratory, the college accepts it without question 

 although its greatest need may be for a new library building. If the 

 benefactor thinks " the boys " need more athletics, he spends a fortune 

 on a stadium even though the college may be in crying need of funds to 

 pay the salaries of its professors. If the benefactor thinks a building would 

 adorn a sightly part of the campus, he puts one there, even though the 

 college may not have sufficient funds to keep it adequately cleaned, 

 warmed and lighted. " I would a thousand times rather have dealings 

 with a state legislature than with the private benefactor on whose will 

 or whims the welfare of a university depends," said a president who had 

 had experience as the head of a state university and of one controlled by 

 " the munificent benefactor." It is possible to meet political influence 

 fairly, squarely and openly, but it is impossible to meet the undue 

 personal influence of the private benefactor who may be giving to the 

 college his time and his energies, as well as his funds, but is practically 

 irresponsible. The zeal of the benefactor is appreciated, yet it often is 

 an illustration of misdirected energy since the educational interest 

 realized on the capitalistic benefaction is sometimes in inverse propor- 

 tion to the amount invested. 



The student body is as yet a somewhat inert mass as regards its 

 attitude toward educational policies. The force of tradition is strong 

 and tradition makes the student, at least in theory, passive and receptive 

 rather than active and creative ; it teaches him unquestioning obedience 

 to authority ; it scoffs at his desire to know the meaning of what he does ; 

 it mocks his wish to have a part in deciding the policy that controls his 



