JUNE 21, 1912] 
Yale, where alumni representation is perhaps 
as strong as in any university, we have been 
reaching out of late years further and further, 
so that to-day we have on our corporation 
various men elected from the alumni; but in 
addition we have what is called an alumni ad- 
visory board, a body composed of representa- 
tive alumni from all over the country; but 
while having no real authority, they are able 
after discussion among themselves to present 
to the corporation suggestions and advice, 
sometimes of great value. This, no doubt, is 
a move in the right direction. I have advo- 
cated, however, what I see you advise here, 
the desirability of a movement in the other di- 
rection, namely, of closer relationship between 
the corporation and the professors or other 
officers of the university. At present, in most 
institutions, if not in all, the president is the 
sole person on the board of trustees or on the 
corporation who is supposed to be in touch 
with the activities of the faculty or faculties. 
At present, however, with the large size of 
the university, the president does not have, 
and can not necessarily have, an intimate 
knowledge of what is going on. I believe, 
therefore, very thoroughly in the idea of 
direct or indirect representation on the corpo- 
ration of the university of the faculty in the 
persons of say three professors, who might 
sometimes be the deans of the individual de- 
partments. In your third paragraph regard- 
ing the unit of organization within the uni- 
versity, you have outlined exactly what we have 
in force here. Thus, in the Sheffield Scien- 
tific School, the scientific department of Yale, 
our governing board, composed of permanent 
professors, about twenty-four in number, is 
the deliberative and active body, subject of 
course to the corporation. The size of this 
group is such that it is thoroughly efficient. 
Your fourth paragraph is likewise in harmony 
with our customs and our beliefs in the Shef- 
field Scientific School. The director is elected 
every five years. He is given a large measure 
of authority, but all the same he is subject to 
the governing board of the school, and there is 
a very distinct autonomy. Professors and as- 
sistant professors, and indeed instructors, are 
SCIENCE 
965 
all selected by the governing board, or in prac- 
tise by committees appointed by the govern- 
ing board, subject to their approval. Nomi- 
nations then go from the governing board to 
the corporation for confirmation. Regarding 
the salaries, personally I am a strong believer 
of having the salary the same for all officers 
of the same grade, subject possibly to advances 
on the basis of years of service. 
(1) Approved, except that the treasurer 
should be responsible to the president, as 
otherwise he could hamper the actions of the 
president by lack of financial support. (2) 
The professors should elect the president to 
continue in office at the pleasure of the trus- 
tees and removable only by the trustees. I 
think his salary should be larger and his posi- 
tion more dignified. I do not believe in elect- 
ing an executive officer and then not letting 
him execute. The present autocratic attitude 
of certain presidents would tend to be limited 
if they were elected by the professors and the 
professors were able to remonstrate to the 
trustees; but it is equally clear that the efi- 
ciency of the president should not be hampered 
by the necessity of keeping in favor with all 
the professors. (8) Approved. (4)° There is 
danger of professors being required to waste 
too much time in executive work and keeping 
to themselves powers which should be dele- 
gated to executive officers. I think the presi- 
dent should assume the burden of finding 
candidates, weighing their qualifications, de- 
ciding what positions should be filled; but he 
should do this in consultation with com- 
mittees of the professors and his action in re- 
gard to all appointments should be ratified by 
faculty vote. (5) The idea of general faculty 
meetings at occasional intervals is a good 
one, though as you state not much business 
can be transacted in such a large body. In 
conclusion, I would differ from the plan out- 
lined in conferring more working power on 
the executive officers and leaving the pro- 
fessors free for teaching and research, but at 
the same time make the executive officers re- 
sponsible to the faculty as well as to the trus- 
tees. 
