966 
On the whole I think I approve of the policy 
you set forth. There are minor details I 
should wish to consider more. You know that 
to a very considerable degree what you advo- 
cate is the plan at Yale University. Our de- 
partments and notably this school are in great 
measure autonomous. It seems to work well 
here. It has long been a question in my own 
mind if a unit of 1,000 students with the 
necessary instructors, buildings and equip- 
ment was not as large a one as could be 
handled by one man as president, dean, di- 
rector or what you will to obtain maximum 
efficiency. This in a way seems to be the army 
view of it, where the regiment of about this 
magnitude of unit has its colonel. The kind 
of management that a colonel must give is 
what I think one should expect (the difference 
between the two affairs being properly con- 
sidered) from a dean or director. I mean 
that personal supervision of matters that 
comes of personal knowledge. And when the 
university is 5,000 in size the president would 
do well to become a general. 
I think you are correct in believing that our 
universities need remodeling. We have a 
democracy here at Yale and yet the most effec- 
tive administration is in the Sheffield Scien- 
tific School, where democracy and autocracy 
are combined. After all administrative heads 
must have power to act and a good adminis- 
trator does not work well hedged in by all 
sorts of limitations. It takes the snap out of 
one to work under restrictions. The more I 
see of democracies, the more I come to believe 
in a limited monarchy. 
The more I see of university management 
the more I feel in a cloud as to what is the 
best thing. At the present time I haven’t 
any -definite opinions on the subject. All I 
can say is that to me the question of the ac- 
tual formulation of rules to govern a univer- 
sity is much less likely to have a real influ- 
ence than the spirit and ideas of the people 
connected with the university. I can not 
help thinking that the latter will be the domi- 
nant factor, whatever organization may be 
laid down. 
SCIENCE 
[N.S. Vou. XXXV. No. 912 
I thoroughly agree with the proposed plans 
(3), (4), (5), in their essential details. Your 
views on these points are, I believe, correct. 
With regard to (2) my reply would depend 
somewhat on the interpretation of your words. 
The expression “expert knowledge of educa- 
tion” is the point at issue. Our college and 
university presidents ought in many cases to 
talk less and become more familiar with the 
men, 2. e., teaching staff and their work. I 
am not at all certain that your further sug- 
gestions under (2) are expedient. Sugges- 
tion (1) does not appeal to me as presented. 
I do not believe in extreme democracy. How- 
ever, I prefer to omit discussion of this point, 
as I have never given any serious thought to 
it. Z 
I do not wish to be drawn into the discus- 
sion. I wish to tell you, however, that I 
heartily approve of the policy of ScrmncE to 
air the university situation. Its fearless atti- 
tude is very needful, in my humble opinion. 
I am in accord with the general principles. 
At the present time the president of most 
American universities is “neither fish nor 
flesh nor good red herring.” He is so over- 
burdened with administrative duties that he 
is unable to inform himself as to the educa- 
tional aspects of the different departments of 
the university. I speak feelingly on this point 
because I have been more or less intimately 
connected with several university medical de- 
partments, and it has been my experience that 
university presidents need about as much 
education on the subject of medical schools 
as ordinary intelligent laymen. I dare say 
the same is true of law and divinity schools, 
ete. I do not mean to deny that there are 
brilliant exceptions to this general statement. 
I am therefore very strongly in favor of the 
division of the work now accomplished by 
university presidents into an executive por- 
tion, to be taken care of by a chancellor or 
some similar officer and a board of trustees, 
and an educational portion, to be overseen by 
a trained educator. When you come to think 
the matter over there are singularly few col- 
