76 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ALBANY MEETING 



Finally, since his best years were devoted to university teaching, what 

 were his ideals of scholarly work in the university? He believed that 

 good teaching and scholarly productiveness are inseparable. He believed, 

 with President Yan Hise, that "a man who is not a productive scholar 

 will lose in inspirational force as a teacher/^ He has made this very clear 

 in his address of 1914 as president of the Ohio Chapter of the Sigma Xi; 

 and again, speaking with his colleagues. Professors Leighton and Evans, 

 in that remarkable report to the Faculty of Ohio State University on the 

 nurture of scholarly productiveness, of which President Hall has said 

 that it is one of the m.ost notable reports ever presented to a university 

 faculty. Says this report : 



"It should be recognized as axiomatic that the true note of the university, as 

 distinguished from the college or a group of colleges, is the presence and inces- 

 sant activity of the spirit which makes for productive scholarship." 



He protested against the unending competition of American universi- 

 ties for students. He said : 



"There is no greater fallacy than that all men are born equal, so far as 

 mental ability is concerned. This fact appears to have been frequently lost 

 sight of during recent years, in the effort to secure large numbers of students 

 by those responsible for the administration of our universities." 



And, quoting Doctor Mendenhall : 



"The efficiency of many colleges and universities is greatly impaired by the 

 presence of large numbers of students quite unequal to the tasks they are 

 supposed to perform." 



Some day — I hope not too late — the American university will learn 

 this lesson. 



Professor Prosser saw that the world demands men and women with 

 minds intensively and expertly trained — accurate, painstaking, and per- 

 sistent. Now, when war has em])tied the imiversities of Europe, as never 

 before, does civilization need the expert, the scholarly man, the productive 

 man. 



Btbliography 



1887. . Questions in geology and paleontology. Queries, with answers, second 



series, Buffalo, pages 93-98. 

 Answers in geology and paleontology. Queries, with answers, second 

 series, part II, pages 73-78. 



1888. Section of the Lower Devonian and Upper Silurian strata in central 



New York, as shown by tlie deep well at Morrisville. Proceedings of 



