University of South Carolina Libraries
Noted Acy.v Describe ' Of Goi ?: < Bernard M. Baruch And Noted Educators And Financiers Give Opinions (CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE) contributed from any alumnus of the institution. "It occurred to me some weeks ago that I could render a worth while service by securing from trained and experienced educators, whose activities have covered a broad section of the country outside of South Carolina, disinterested expressions as to the qualifications of candidates which in their opinions should be given particular consideration by the Board of Governors in making their final choice. Accordingly I addressed letters to the Deans of the Departments of Education of a number of the most important American Universities outlining briefly the organization of the University, the important place that it fills in the cultural life of the state and the conditions under which it is forced I to function and requested from them summary opinions as to the qualifications which in their judgment were most important for consideration. "In the concluding paragraph of my letter, I said? 'I am convinced that great advantage would accrue to the institution should it be possible to place at its head some relatively young man selected primarily without regard to former connection with either the institution or the region, but solely on account of executive capacity, proved leadership and approved scholarship who might infuse into it a more modern spirit and wider, riper scholarship.' "To these letters I have received a number of replies. They include responses from two gentlemen whose interest in South Carolina is well known: Dr. David F. Houston, the distinguished college president and member of President Wilson's cabinet in two great capacities, now the head J essamim $25.00 an With 2 Pair Trouser COPELAND 1535 Mai DIAMONDS?WATCHES 1424 Main Street SILVER Quality Gifts At P. H. LACHICOT Watch and Jewel Diamonds, Jewelry, Watches, Class Rings, Medals, Frat Pins and Prise Cups of the Better Kind. Moderate in Cost Superior in Quality. SYLVAN BROS. 1C00 Main Sylvan Bldg. Cor. Hampton ?p?aasMSMg^ WALES GARDEN I | At Five | Motorcycle Delivery 8163 Ph< THE ROSE MA 1128 Ham The Best Place to have your For your next Party L_ cj ; ... 777777777.TTT" THE COLL ; | A Shop for Ca # College Nov StationeryToilet J r ' 1008 Sumter Street , 4 ? - - - - - r,,, w ' 1 ' Figures Traits jd Leader > ? of the largest Insurance company in the world, and Mr. Bernard M. Baruch, the son of one of the most distinguished physicians and surgeons of South Carolina, the head of the great war-time department of Supplies of a Democratic government and one of the ablest financiers of his generation. Letters from these men and from the heads of the department of education of the greatest educational institutions of our continent are worthy of the consideration which I do not doubt will be accorded them by the authorities charged with the great duty of selecting a competent head of our beloved Alma Mater." David F. Houston Mr. Houston received his A. B. degree at Carolina in 1887. For 15 years he was an educator, serving as president of the A. and M. College of Texas, the University of Texas, and Washington University in St. Louis. He was secretary of agriculture and later secretary of the treasury in President Wilson's cabinet. He is now president of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York. Eight honorary degrees have been awarded him. His reply to Mr. Evans is: "I am very much interested in the University of South Carolina, as I received my first degree from that institution. I have known most of the presidents of the college since 1885. The institution is a good one and should have the very best man it can possibly find. "It is easier to indicate the qualifications which a man should have for the presidency of a university than it is to find a man who possesses them. "Of course the president should be a. gentleman. Such a man would therefore have character and courage. He should have common sense, a capacity for leadership and should have a very thorough, broad education. Incidentally, he should possess knowledge of the institutions of his country and of its history, including its economic development. He should be a capable speaker. It is necessary that he should have a thorough grasp of educational matters, otherwise he e Clothes id $28.50 s?Ask to See Them COMPANY n Street S?JEWELRY?CLOCKS WARE Columbia, S. C. Moderate Prices TE & CO., INC. Lry Repair Dept. CAPITOL CAFEIDEAL WAFFLE SHOP 1210 Main St. 1728 Main St. Serving Columbia over Quarter of a Century )RUG STORE, INC. Points Curb Service >ne 8164 RY TEA ROOM pton Ave. Banquets and Small Parties or Banquet call 3207 sitherine W. Oaillard, Hostess T * * ' ' * EGE SHOP rolina Students elties?Soda ?Pennants Articles ! I Phone 9283 \ / Visual * could not lead a body of educators or help direct the educational development of his State. "He should be relatively young, preferably not over forty years. I should not hesitate to select the right sort of man for an assistant who would be in the neighborhood of thirty. In one large organization my most capable aid was twenty-five when I selected him and made him my first assistant. In another the aid was twenty-seven. This one was Parker Gilbert. He was made Fiscal Assistant Secretary of the Treasury at that age. You know what he did in the Treasury and in Germany. "It makes no difference where a man is from. It does make a great difference what a man is and what qualifications he possesses. I regret to say that I do not know an available man. I would not take any man who has not had experience in educational matters. A business man or a professional man, without such experience, usually fails in college administration." Daniel Willard Mr. Willard, president of the board of trustees of the Johns Hopkins University, is also president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. One of the best known railroad executives in the country, he is also director in some of its largest corporations. His opinion is: "I am much interested in your letter of the 15th, regarding the administrative problem now before the University of South Carolina, and while I do not feel qualified to speak as an expert in these matters, I shall be glad to outline for you as best I can some of the ideas I have heard expressed from time to time regarding the procedure for selecting a university president. "Those who ought to know a good deal more about the subject than I do, foundation officials, faculty members and others closely identified with educational questions, generally seem to agree on the following propositions: first, that the new president should be a young man, preferably between forty and forty-five; second, that he should come from outside of the immediate university family, and perhaps from a different section of the country; third, that he should be primarily a scholar and an educator and secondly an administrator and an executive; fourth, that he should have ability to present the cause of the university to the public, and in particular should have some faculty for raising money. "There is a school of thought among experts who are principally interested in finances, that the university president of today should have a marked leaning toward the administrative side of the job, as many seem to feel that the chief problem of many universities in the next decade or so will be one of achieving greater efficiency on smaller incomes. I have heard that several other universities seeking new presidents have been strongly urged to look for men who have special training along those lines. This, of course, is a question to be determined by the special requirements of any given institution. "The only other subject which occurs to me as possibly having interest to you is that able university presidents seem to be very rare. Ordinarily, I am told, the leading universities spend a great deal of time, effort and thought in the selection of new presidents. The search is usually nation wide, and the choice made only after consultation with a large number of educators and educational experts. "I am not sure how helpful this information may be to you, but I wish you and your associates the best of fortune in solving your problem. Certainly you are to be congratulated for taking such keen interest in the matter." Bernard M. Baruch Mr. Baruch, a son of the late Dr. Simon Baruch of Camden, noted Confederate surgeon, is a graduate of the College of the City of New York. During the World War President Wilson appointed him on the Advisory Commission of the Council of National Defense. He was made chairman of the Commission on Raw Materials, Minerals, and Metals, as well as commissioner in charge of raw materials for the War Industries Board. Later he became chairman of the War Industries Board. He was connected with the American Commission to Negotiate Peace, and received several decorations for his war services. For many years he was a member of the New York Stock Exchange and is a multi-millionaire. Mr. Baruch says: "I am entirely in harmony with the description of the ideal man as contained in the paragraph at the top of page two of your letter of December I I lize Uh I 14, but I am wondering whether you could not get some man from business rather than from scholastic life? one who would bring ripe experience into the daily struggles with which a boy or girl have to contend after graduation. An ideal man of this type, I thjnlc, is Senator Christie Benet. "I wish I could be more helpful."* J. H. Minnick Mr. Minnick, dean of the school of education in the University of Pennsylvania, , for 12 years, is a noted mathematical scholar. His views are: "If I were selecting a president for a college or university, I should consider the following points: * "1. Religion. I should want a man who had a religion that meant some*thing to him. On the other hand, I should want him to be tolerant toward, those of a different faith. He should be fair-minded in this respect and live his religion in such a way as to command the respect and confidence of all. "2. Personality. He should be a man whose personality commands respcct of students, faculty and the general public. "3. Scholarship. The' president should be a scholarly man. He should know some branch of knowledge well enough to command the respect of his faculty and student body. At the same time, he should have a broad education and be well read along many lines. "4. Professional Ability. The administrator of an educational institution requires executive ability. The president should have a modern view of education and the purpose of educational institutions. His outlook should be such as to enable him to vision a well-balanced institution,?not one developed along one line at the expense of other departments. "5. Social Qualities. The president should be a good 'mixer' but not a 'social climber.' He should be acceptable to the best people of the community because of his real worth and sincerity. "6. Fairness. The president should have a keen sense of fairness and the courage to stand by his convictions. "7. Devotion to Education. He should be a man who believes in education and in the institution which is in his charge. He should feel that it is a great opportunity to render a service to young people and through them to society. "8. Ability to Speak. While I would not rank this as an absolute essential, I do believe it will prove to be a great asset. "The above, I believe, are the most important things to consider in a candidate." Henry W. Holmes Mr. Holmes has been dean of the graduate school of education in Harvard University since 1920 and is the author of a number of books on educational subjects. His opinion is: "The president of a state university should have, first of all, a national outlook. Of course he should know the conditions in the state, but I believe a man of vigor and intelligence can easily acquaint himself with the local situation in a reasonable time and that it is unnecessary, therefore, to confine the choice of a president to a native of the state in question. A state university is far more than an intellectual or scientific service station for the state. Education, particularly university education, has to deal with universal problems and a man who has merely local interests and a local outlook can never make a state university great. "The president of a state university should, in the second place, be himself a man of very broad education, strong scholarly interests, and a considerable experience in educational administration. A man of purely administrative experience, especially if such experiences are outside the university fiqld, can hardly be considered well qualified for a university presidency. The issues to be met in university administration concern scientific research, the arrangement of courses and programs, and the selection of teachers. One who looks at these matters from a purely business point of view can never handle them effectively. "In the third place, the president of a state university should be a man of vigor, both physical and mental. I hesitate to say that he should necessarily be a young man, for although President Eliot entered office at thirtyfive, President Lowell did not enter office until he was fifty-four. A university presidency is a very trying position. The man who undertakes the work must be a thinker, a diplomat, a political leader, ,a financier, and an idealist. It is very important that he shall not let h i m s el f be overwhelmed in detail but shall know how to delegate various parts of the work and get them done through others. . /.S. . , * .r . ... liversity f "The worst thing that can happen to any university, pafticularly a state university, is to narrow the search for a new president to native sons or locally acceptable candidates or men of merely practical experience who have no vision as to the possibilities ' of university education in this country." William P. Rusell Mr. Rusell, dean of t{ie Teachers College of Columbia University since 1927, has been in the educational held for 22 years. He is the author of many books and articles. He says: "I have your note of December 15 and commend your public spirit in interesting yourself in the type of person who should become President of the i University of South Carolina. . "I feel that this post requires a man of wisdom and ability. I believe that he should come from a university faculty, either from within the University of South Carolina or outside. I do not believe that the field of /his speciality makes a great deal of difference. If he were to come as a mathematician or historian or scientist, it would be of value. If, on the other hand, he were to come from one of the professional schools, this would also have its values. "I think that all that South Carolina need have in mind is the experience of its neighboring states. To build the university into the institution which it should become, you need another Alderman or Chase or a man like Frank Graham, who is now head of the University of North Carolina." W. G. Chambers Mr. Chambers, dean of the school of education in Pennsylvania State College for nine years, has been an educator for 45 years, and was formerly dean of education in the University of Pittsburgh. His views are: "The question you raise is an interesting one and a somewhat difficult one. I have been greatly interested over a period of years to note the very different qualifications of candidates which evidently dominate selecting boards. A characteristic which would disqualify a candidate for one position is sometimes one of the inducements for appointing him to another. "However, there are certain things that I think can be recognized as common qualifications in a college president. Without having thought the matter consecutively or seriously, I would suggest the following as worthy of attention: "1. Age. There has recently been what one might almost call a fad among collegc trustees for hiring a very young man to a presidency. In spite of the inducement and vigor and idealism of youth, I still believe* that it is not safe to hire a man to so responsible a position as a college presidency who is younger than the middle thirties and I would say that the years thirty-five to forty-five are the safest years. A man at that age is still vigorous and growing if he is well and industrious and he has still normally a considerable number of years of service to contribute to his institution. Experience has a value which cannot be wholly offset by youth and enthusiasm. "2. Consecutive successful experience in a few positions. It is not always a recommendation to a man to have occupied a large number of positions. Indeed it almost inevitably raises a question as to his stability. On the other hand too long a period in one position, unless evidences of growth and progress arc clear throughout the entire period, might be regarded as a detriment rather than an advantage to a candidate. "3. Thorough scholastic and profes- i sional training in connection with high grade institutions. Degrees may or may not be significant according to the institutions granting them. Membership in professional or learned societies merits consideration. Productively as shown in publications, researches, discoveries or inventions would have significance for certain types of presidencies. "4. An attractive personality and the ( ability to make and hold friends, especially among those working with one is an important qualification. Does the candidate lead or drive his subordinates? Docs he encourage an autocratic or democratic type of adniinis- j tration? These questions, should not be overlooked. "5. A man's wife and sometimes his family may be either great assets or serious liabilities to a man. In more * than twenty-five years of college ad- ' ministration I think I have never employed a man without inquiring about i and if possible meeting his wife. And in my limited sphere of professional xtxa Head S , activities I could attribute succcss or failure in not a few cases to a man's wife or to abnormal demands upon him by His family. "6. The ability of a man to mix well with influential public characters, especially if he is to be required to raise money or develop influences for his institution. It is a very unusual presidency nowadays that does not demand of a man the ability to command the support of those who are high in public places and to secure substantial gifts. "7. Other things equal it is of great value to a man to be thoroughly acquainted with the community or the state which his institution is expected to serve. Sometimes a man brought from another state or another country succeeds admirably but even so he has to spend considerable time in becoming acquainted with the conditions of the 'country and people he is expected to serve, especially with the traditions of the institution. Consequently, whether he is a local man or a man who has acquired all he knows of the situation by reading or otherwise, it is a great advantage to be thoroughly familiar with the institution, its traditions and the types of service demanded of it from the beginning. "In what I have said I have stressed characteristics likely to be overlooked rather than those which are most commonly thought of in considering candidates. I realize that these are only a few of the important things which should be kept in mind in selecting a college president. Others will doubtless suggest to you many of the other qualities which I have not included in my list. "I trust that your trustees may exercise exceptional wisdom and find an ideal president for the University of South Carolina." Charles H. Judd Doctor Judd, for 23 years dean of the School of Education in the University of Chigago, is a noted psychologist. He was for some time a member of the Yale faculty. His opinion is: "I inclose some material which was prepared by one of my colleagues who specializes on the administrative problems of higher education, I hope this material will be of service to you." "The following list of functions of university and collcgc presidents has been prepared in connection with a recent study. "1. To act as executive officer of the board of trustees, charged with putting into effect its policies and regulations. "2. To preside over meetings of the faculty. "3. To act executive officer of the faculty, charged with seeing that its policies and regulations are put into effect. ? "4. To bear responsibility to the board of trustees for the satisfactory government and administration of the college. "5. To select a competent and harmonious teaching and administrative staff, and to recommend their employment to the board of trustees. "6. To make recommendations to the board of trustees on all matters pertaining to the prpmotion, demotion, and dismissal of members of the teaching and administrative staff. "7. To represent the institution to its constituency, to the general public, and in educational groups. "8. To prepare and carry out the annual budget for the operation of the college. ' "9. To make reports to the board of tr-ustees, to the standardizing agencies, and to the constituency of the college. "10. To assist as far as possible in raising funds for the support of the college. "11. To maintain amity and unity of purpose among all members of the teaching and administrative staff, the board of control, the alumni, and the collcgc constituency. "The adequate performance of these onerous responsibilities is a severe tax on the energies of any person. It Inadvisable therefore tQ choose as presilent someone in the full vigor of youth or middle age, rather than one who, because of advancing age, must conserve his energy. Furthermore, institutions seem to profit by relatively long administrations, and it is therefore advisable to choose someone who has prospects of serving the university for many years. "It is vitally important that the pC* 3on chosen as president shall have had :xperience with the administration of institutions of higher learning. While it is sometimes possible to obtain someone lacking this qualification who later makes good, there is always a" :lemcnt of risk about such a choice, (CONTINUED ON PAQK THRKE) ] A