^ ( . V y^5 DORMITORY AND CLUB LIFE and THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATION CORRESPONDENCE WITH PRESIDENT LOWELL CONCERNING A FORMER SUGGESTION FOR A HARVARD- BOSTON TECH. AGREEMENT ALSO HIGHER EDUCATION AND PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS By H. B. KIPPER. Ph. D. Harvard men who are studying their university, and hoping to be able to aid it, unconsciously wish to transplant to it the strength of Oxford and Cambridge, the strength of German science and French art, the beauty of the smaller American college, and at the same time to retain for it its own magnificent power developed during the last three centuries of building. COPYRIGHT 1920 By H. B. KIPPER ^^^27/920 ©C1A56099' r^(pOl '-'^r^s Within the last few years it has been suggested, at least on several different occasions known to the writer, that Harvard University, or perhaps more cor- rectly Harvard College, should be divided into a num- ber of smaller colleges. The suggestion has also been made, and very nearly acted upon, that the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology should be united with Harvard, or at least should become more closely affili- ated with the latter institution. A certain degree of opinion against the affiliation was expressed by a very considerable number of undergraduates and graduates of both institutions. This was finally, however, large- ly overcome and negotiations between the two institu- tions entered into with one of the above ends in view. Unfortunately, however, it was determined that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would be un- able to sell the land, on which the larger portion of its educational buildings were situated, for commer- cial or residential purposes. Since it was felt that pro- pinquity was essential for any true affiliation between these two institutions further negotiations were not attempted. The writer wishes to offer a concrete plan based on the former suggestion that Harvard be separated into a number of smaller colleges, and also a possible meth- od of procedure by which a closer unity between Har- vard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology might be countenanced. He does this, moreover, in the belief that the community in which these institu- tions are situated should be willing to aid in the latter undertaking. In addition to extending the advantage gained from sports from a small percentage to all students, by a division of the university into a number of col- leges, another, perhaps greater one, might be looked for. Between the smaller American college and the larger university one must concede to the smaller in- stitution the advantage gained by the closer mingling of all classes of students with one another. During the eighties, or at about the period of President Roose- velt's graduation, this asset was still a true and valua- ble one to the two hundred students, more or less, in a single class. But this asset has been gradually dwindling with the increase in size of each successive class and nothing can rehabilitate it so perfectly as the division of the classes into smaller groups, which are determined not merely by social distinctions, but em- brace in themselves, in each group or smaller college, every type of student character. Would not the final outcome of this relationship, if each college were to determine a club and social life centered about a division of arts, science, or literature, tend toward the development of arts and science to a greater degree even than any system now in vogue among the European universities? lAssociative life not determined by mere social bonds is purposeful and stimulative to achievement and it was its fullest ex- istence that was productive of the European Renais- sance. In literature, arts or sciences it is the gradu- ally upreared subconscious foundation which allows one to excell his fellows of a period, and it is the build- ing of this subconscious element which is so woefully lacking, with the exception possibly of literature, in even our older American universities. In Harvard undergraduate life competition in studies is too potent among a large number of men, among another, perhaps larger group, it is too little so. With this first class, or so-called university grinds, and also with a large number of students trained in techni- cal schools, the subject masters the man, not the man the subject. The student in fact becomes too largely a mechanical part of his learning. With the second class of college men studies are mere play, the health- ly competitive stimulus formerly found in classical work does not prevail. Reinstate the healthful environment of competi- tion (limited, however, most carefully in its quantita- tive nature) and one interwoven with a full under- graduate, social or club life among men who are going to follow the same life work, and we shall regain all the strength and beauty which no man can help but feel was attributable to the older classical work, and perhaps a little more, for we shall have the stimulus of life beyond the college walls. If we limit a man's competitive work and make half of his courses elective shall we not get the true benefits of the elective system combined with the stim- ulating effect of a large number of men competing in a definite work throughout their course? These bene- fits, the writer believes, formed the true foundation of the classical course. He believes that it was not the classical learning, but the healthy environment surrounding it, that still upholds this course with many. Let us very briefly view possible physical changes which Harvard should have to undergo to make the division considered truly advantageous. The site on which the present Technology buildings stand is one which the City of Boston might well be proud of for its city hall. If the site were used for this purpose certainly not more than one-third of the ground would have to be built upon. Under these con- ditions the Massachusetts Institute of Technology could dispose of its holdings and what more admirable location could be found for the Technology than the other side of the Charles River on the unoccupied ground lying east of Soldiers' Field. Between the Charles and Massachusetts Avenue could be placed any necessary new dormitories. A plan for one of these dormitories, which in itself should tend toward the success of the division of the university into smaller colleges, might comprehend a large quadrangle containing the bedrooms and studies, and each side of which might be given to a class. An inner quadrangle would contain four large class com- mon rooms and as many class dining rooms. In the center might be placed a large swimming tank for the use of all four classes, and on the second floor of the inner quadrangle or wings, there should be placed five sets of club rooms as follows: The Ancient and Modern Languages Clubs. The Clubs of the Arts and Music. The Clubs of History, Government, Economics, Business Service and Law. The Clubs of the Natural Sciences, Mathemat- ics and Philosophy. The Engineering Clubs. The freshmen dormitory will get men together but these men should not then in their later college years ^e allowed to go off and form little Utopian groups by themselves. -They must meet all men in associative life throughout their college years to attain the depth of character acquired by contact with all types of men and to maintain the fullest competitive scholarship. The dormitory described, the writer believes, rep- resents an organic structure capable of maintaining such competition to its fullest extent during the under- graduate life. The fault with most Utopian systems is that they tend too greatly to eliminate competition. Is it not possible that therein lies the one fault with our present undergraduate life at Harvard ? We must wish always to make this undergraduate life as beauti- ful as possible, but also to make the competition in scholarship associated with it as strong as possible. If in addition to our present social clubs we devel- oped a number of social clubs around each division of learning, Harvard would be better for their existence and their members would gain in love for the respec- tive subjects in which their main work might lie. The men studying literature, history or any other subject which they have chosen as their main one, should meet one another more frequently outside of the class room. Harvard has recently adopted a set of rules gov- erning the choice of studies which will no doubt be productive of many of the results expected from them, but if she wishes to develop the highest scholarship among all classes of men she must develop an under graduate environment to accomplish this. The class common rooms should do more toward bringing all class-mates together, and, as these rooms would in a way remain common to the class men after gradua- tion, to keep them together than any other factor, probably, which could at present be introduced into college life. This factor, moreover, in conjunction with the smaller club rooms should greatly aid com- petitive scholarship. Harvard men who are studying their university, and hoping to be able to aid it, unconsciously wish to transplant to it the strength of Oxford and Cam- bridge, the strength of German science and French art, the beauty of the smaller American college, and at the same time to retain for it, its own magnificent power developed during the last three centuries of building. The dormitory described, in itself productive of as- sociative scholarship, should perhaps more than any gift which could be made to Harvard, tend to bring about the above result, and gain for the college the attributes which the above well-wisher of Harvard has postulated. 6 H n 2 3^ ? O- 5' T O IW. »■ 2 n -30 M 3 3 1> ° ^ i- o £. : 3 3 9 o- s, 3 — CORRESPONDENCE HARVARD UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE November 23, 1909. Dear Mr. Kipper: — , Thank you very much for your letter m regard to a reorganization of Harvard College. Problems of this kind have been fermenting in the minds of many of us for some years, but the solution is not wholly a simple one. Is it not true that one of the great advantages of the system of English colleges within the univer- sity is that those colleges are not devoted to particular subjects of study, but that each of them contains men of very varied interests ? One of the great advantages of these colleges is competition; and the intellectual competition depends to some extent on that very fact. Baliol wants to take more firsts in Greats, in History, etc., than other colleges. What you say about the ad- vantage of competition both in athletics and scholar- ship among these groups is exceedingly true. Thanking you very much for your letter, which is exceedingly interesting, I am, Very truly yours, (Signed) A. Lawrence Lowell. Milwaukee, Wise, January 19th, 1910. Dr. A. Lawrence Lowell, President, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Dear President: — In your reply to my short sketch dealing with the changes which it seems to me might be advantageous to bring about in the organization of Harvard Col- lege, I note with much interest your statements re- garding the intellectual competition among men in the various colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, and that you also question whether the varied interests of each college do not in themselves tend to foster intellectual pursuits. Is not one led to believe, however, that if men drawn from all stations of life, and comprising each group or college considered in my plan, were led to compete at least during a limited portion of their time in the same intellectual work, that a stimulus for intellectual strength and pleasure would be brought to bear on the individual even to a greater degree than by the English system? Although the aims of our civilization and the methods of its competition may be often narrow and sordid, is it not through the principle of competition that the world produces most of its great achievements? The university represents ar~\ body of men attempting to gain culture, knowledge and" the spirit of fair action toward fellow men. Though their aims may be very different than those in general which the world holds before us should for that reason the methods of attaining them be entirely altered? To-day true intellectual competition among the under- graduate body has very nearly ceased to exist and, as the competition in athletic sports, is confined to but a very small number of men. If a healthy competition in both intellectual pursuits and in sports is again rightly fostered it would, I believe, represent the greatest advantage that could be gained by Harvard today. The ideal regulations governing the elective courses which have been adopted by the University for next year's entering class should largely produce the above results, but should not one step more be taken and the men who choose their six or more courses from a cer- tain field of work be brought into the same dormitories and eating halls, and encouraged to compete in ath- letics and form their representative group or college teams. In other words, let there be built not mere freshmen dormitories but class dormitories and eating halls. Such halls and dormitories would rotate in their four year periods and serve as depositories for class trophies, and would always remain distinctive and filled with fellow associations during future class re- unions. Yours very truly, (Signed) H. B. Kipper. HARVARD UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE January 22, 1910. Dear Mr. Kipper: — I agree with you entirely that a healthy competi- tion in intellectual pursuits is the greatest advantage to be gained by Harvard today. I have been trying to hammer on that for a number of years with unfortu- nately no very great response. 8 You seem to propose that the men who choose their six or more courses in a certain field should be brought into the same dormitories and eating halls, and then again, that there should be class dormitories and eat- ing halls. Are not those two things inconsistent? Very truly yours, (Signed) A. Lawrence Lowell. H. Brunswick Kipper, Esq. Milwaukee, Wise, February 16th, 1910. Dr. A. Lawrence Lowell, President, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Dear President: — From your letter of January 22nd I note with in- terest your remarks as to undergraduate competition, and also that you question whether two features of my plan for undergraduate dormitories are not incon- sistent with one another. I believe that I can explain away this seeming dis- crepancy, although I may state that I might well have inserted one more limiting adjective to the class dorm- itory which I mentioned in my last paragraph and called the same "Class Group Dormitory." When I spoke of this dormitory I had in mind that described by me in my communication to you of November 12th. If I say let there be built not mere university dormi- tories, but class dormitories, I believe that my mean- ing would be readily understood, and in the same sense I wish to bring out that not mere freshmen dormitor- ies should be built, but "Class Group Dormitories" in which the men are brought together for their under- graduate period and not alone for their freshmen year, and that those class-mates who choose their six or more courses from the same field be brought more in- timately to associate in dormitories and eating halls. Of course several "groups" of the same class might dwell in one dormitory, but the men in the same group or college should be brought together as far as possible. As you possibly remember in my original paper I brought out two general phases of college life, (1) The class subdivided into its groups, (2) The college also subdivided into groups — but four groups (one in each class) constituting the college. I have previously interchanged the words "Group" and "College" and assigned to them practically the same meaning and adopt the above nomenclature merely for the moment in an attempt to bring out the manner in which men of similar intellectual interests (whether freshmen or senior) should be brought to associate with one another and competition in all branches of college life made common among friends and close acquaintances. Competition among friends represents I believe, the finest training that can be instituted in any branch of activity. I beg to remain, Respectfully yours, (Signed) H. B. Kipper. HARVARD UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE March 29, 1910. Dear Mr. Kipper: — Thank you very much . for your letter, with the plan of the class dormitories, which is certainly very interesting. I am very glad that you approve of the changes that we made in the elective system. Yours very truly, (Signed) A. Lawrence Lowell. H. Brunswick Kipper, Esq., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 10 HIGHER EDUCATION In original as in any other form of productive labor it is economic concentration and the simplicity of organization that are fundamental constructive ele- ments. In America, unfortunately, there exists a curious adversity of opinion, bordering almost on fear, against a clear cut organization of public in- stitutions of learning. It seems to be felt that organ- ization stands too largely for the "cut_ and dried or mechanical" and therefore operates against true orig- inal productiveness. Non-organization, which unfort- unately too often is considered as having a positive bearing on originality, is the road that leads to chaotic wastefulness and non-productiveness, in original as well as any other form of mental labor. UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATION Each undergraduate department to present: Six general foundational courses. Each graduate department to present: Six selected detailed courses. Six research courses. Example: Organization of the Chemical De- partment. Undergraduate Course: 1. Freshman Chemistry, Physics, Mathemat- ics, Statics and Dynamics, Engineering. 2. Qualitative and quantitative analysis. 3. Organic and physical Chemistry. 4. Industrial Chemistry: six divisions, each division to be given by a different profes- sor, who will thereby be kept in touch with his respective branch of chemical in- dustry. Steam, Electrical and Mechanical Engi- neering. (Equal period each year for elective courses.) Graduate Course: Six specialized courses — half commercial. Six research courses. One of the great dangers of our university educa- tion is its growing lack of economy, which is brought about by the constant addition of courses and the con- 11 stant increase of the students' time in pursuit of these specialized courses. Our eight year college medical school course could be reduced by from one to two years through an efficient and economic reorganiza- tion, with great advantage to the student. The Har- vard Law School has gained pre-eminence because of its careful and efficient selection of teachers, but more especially because of its remarkably efficient and econ- omic educational methods. The function of the University is to produce clear thinking, naturalness of character and intensity of purpose — in other words, to rear the social foundation of life and when specialization in some branch of knowledge has been pursued to establish a foundation from which to rear the material structure of life. The establishment of more normal equilibrium be- tween cultural and associated life and professional or specialized vocational work is most needed in our col- lege and university curiculum. Its more thorough es- tablishment should serve in the development of great- er social strength with its forceful and healthy bear- ing on our American business community. We at present find two distinct groups of men in our older universities — men guided by mere social or student approbation and those guided by respect for the success of the scholar. In the middle of the past century or when Emer- son, Longfellow and Newcomb were being graduated from our American colleges and universities, the two factors were at truer parity. The number of students in our universities has in- creased tremendously since the middle of the nine- teenth century, but the social conditions guiding their life has not proportionately changed and still remains in the embryonic state. In order to establish a healthy equilibrium between the cultural associative life and the specialized work of the student, the speaker a few years ago suggested the establishment of "Scholars' Clubs." Their organi- zation would embrace five general divisions, each of which in turn would be made up of a number of natur- ally dependent subdivisions. Science Clubs. Engineering Clubs. 12 Ancient and Modern Language Clubs. Clubs of History, Economics, Government and Law. Clubs of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. The student passing through his sophomore year with honors would be entitled to election as a junior member to one of the clubs, a senior graduating with honors to election as a regular member. Regular membership in addition would be open to members of the University faculty and holders of the Ph. D. de- gree from the university. Associative membership would be open to graduate students in the university holding the M. A. degree. PRIMARY EDUCATION If our primary educational system were standard- ized throughout the country and if it were made to give a thorough fundamental training its value would be greatly increased. We need no more fear that the standardization of education will bring about too great similarity than we need fear that the similarity of national life will make a people look too nearly alike. The American public school course is at present two and even three years behind, in the training se- cured, the courses of some European countries. The effectiveness of our American schools might be so in- creased that the graduates would lead by two and three years the graduates of any European school. It should be quite possible to double the efficiency of our public schools and with the proper physical and moral instruction probably even to treble and quadruple such efficiency. In its primary educational work our school system should embrace, in a six years' course: First four years Last two years Reading English and History Writing Geography Spelling Algebra Arithmetic One Modern Language Physical Development: one hour. The secondary school period, which should also cover six years, should include: 13 English, two hours. History, one hour. One modern language, two hours. Art, one hour. Mathematics, three hours. 1. Geometry. 2. Geometry. 3. Trigonometry. 4. Analytical Geometry. 5. Calculus. 6. Calculus. Science, three hours. 1. Botany and Agriculture. 2. Geology, Physical Geography and Economic Geology. 3. Physics. 4. Chemistry. 5. Biology and Hygiene. 6. Biology and Hygiene. Physical Development, one hour. The six year divisional periods of the primary and secondary system represent both the practical and the ideal. Our secondary educational period is too short. The German secondary educational period is too long. Science teaches qualitative thinking and in addi- tion should train hands, ears and eyes. Mathematics is productive of quantitative thinking. With the inculcation of the beautiful in achieve- ment through art on the youthful mind achievement in the beautiful becomes inherent to that mind. Such inherency of culture must be founded in the youthful mind, however, during its school course and before it enters the broader life of the college. All subjects should bear a direct proportionate re- lationship to their usefulness for future life. Let our country become dotted over with practical and business schools and let practical education gain its just share of rule in our universities, but above all) else let us keep our public school free from business or^ technical education. Once this phase of education be- conies a part of the general public school system, the majority of Americans are doomed to the life of coolies or to the life of machines. The public school system should be the foundation of our citizenship,'' 14 DDDDD IDi IDmmi 101 iDDam ammniDDDDanimi in DDD ^ran^mnmmn^m ninmainiamain^ D DDPm n aama d annn High School Boys Gymnasium, tank, etc. for Boys Grammar School Girls and Boys Gymnasium, tank, etc., for Girls High School GlKLS but not our economic foundation. The latter should rest on technical, industrial, business and other spe- cialized schools as on our universities, but never on our primary educational system. The broad general mental training in our public school system should never to the slightest extent be negatived. To this should be coupled physical and moral training and the training of the girl to house- hold duties and the boy in protection of the national home. The speaker, it will be noted, has omitted Greek and Latin absolutely from his educational system. Greek and Latin were the keys which opened the doors of the culture of Greece and Rome to Northern Europe. Since the time of Shakespeare, of the Renaissance, etc., these doors have stood wide open and the possession of the keys signifies almost nothing in comparison with their former value. 15 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 001 230 840 1 ^ y