July 8, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



45 



post-graduate schools, may, if taken to- 

 gether and closely analyzed, be considered 

 to provide a fair index of the intellectual 

 growth of our colleges. 



On the other hand, the increase in total 

 value of the property, the increase in en- 

 dowment funds, annual cost of buildings 

 and the amounts of benefactions and ap- 

 propriations for college buildings and 

 grounds may contribute more or less di- 

 rectly to intellectual growth, but are not 

 necessarily indicative of such development. 



The fact is that the material progress of 

 our colleges has in the past twenty years 

 outstripped the intellectual, and while they 

 have unquestionably grown as centers of 

 learning, growth in material wealth has 

 been the great distinguishing feature of 

 their progress. 



For example, we find that in the year 

 1902 there were 1.53 times as many colleges 

 and universities in the United States as 

 there were in 1890. During the same 

 period, however, the number of students 

 increased 1.9 times, or in even greater ratio 

 than the number of colleges. This cer- 

 tainly is indicative of a growing desire, or 

 a better ability, to take advantage of a col- 

 lege education, and yet the total number of 

 students in 1902 was but 107,391, or less 

 than one seven-hundredth of our popula- 

 tion. 



The student of 1902 found twice as many 

 teachers in the colleges as compared with 

 his predecessor of 1890, but as the number 

 of students had also doubled, the classes 

 Tinder each teacher were on the average as 

 large as were those of 1890. It appears 

 that our colleges, as a whole, have not 

 been able to increase the teaching force in 

 greater ratio than the growth of the stu- 

 dent body, although it has long been recog- 

 nized that small classes, or divisions, are 

 necessary in order to secure the paramount 

 advantage to the student of a close personal 

 relation with his teacher. 



Our most progressive universities have, 

 however, striven earnestly to attain this 

 end, but have been able to achieve it only 

 by appointing a large number of young 

 instructors and assistants at small salaries. 

 Indeed, the average salary paid to members 

 of the faculty in our leading eastern uni- 

 versities has declined steadily. At the 

 same time the percentage of instructors, 

 assistants and other subordinates serving 

 upon the teaching force has risen. 



In other words, the teaching is now per- 

 formed more largely by young and poorly 

 paid men. Albeit, however, young as they 

 be, they are men the average of whose 

 ability is high. 



The ease of two of our greatest eastern 

 universities is typical of the general situa- 

 tion: In one of these in 1889-90, 39 per 

 cent, of the teaching force were professors 

 or assistant professors, and the average 

 salary was $1,500; in 1892-03, however, 

 the number of professors and assistant pro- 

 fessors had decreased to 28 per cent, of the 

 total number of teachers, while the average 

 salary had declined to $1,257. 



In another great institution in the New 

 England states, 49 per cent, of the teachers 

 were professors or assistant professors in 

 1890, and the average salary was $1,454; 

 while in 1902-03, only 37 per cent, of the 

 faculty were professors and the average 

 salary was about $1,355. 



Promotion within the faculty of these 

 great institutions has become so slow that 

 it may be not inaptly compared with this 

 condition within the United States Navy 

 between the years 1868-98, when gray- 

 haired lieutenants were the rule. The 

 years of struggle have been lengthened for 

 the aspirant to collegiate position, and col- 

 lege teachers of marked ability are now 

 ordinarily men of middle age before being 

 promoted to an assistant professorship. 



This condition of affairs can not fail but 

 to react unfavorably upon the universities 



