Vanderbilt，DeanRichmond，DanielDrew，andvariousothermenaccustomedtopromptanddecisivedealingwithlargebusinessaffairs。Irecognizedthevalueofsuchassociationsandendeavoredtolearnsomethingfromthem，butwasdetermined，nonetheless，toendthissortofgeneralactivityasearlyasitcouldbedoneconsistentlywithjusticetomyfamily。Severalyearswererequired，andthosetheveryyearsinwhichuniversitycaresweremostpressing。Butfinallymyintentionwasfullycarriedout。ThebankoverwhichmyfatherhadpresidedsomanyyearsIwasabletowindupinawaysatisfactorytoallconcerned，notonlyrepayingtheshareholders，butgivingthemalargesurplus。Fromtheothercor—
porationsalsoIgraduallyescaped，turningmydutiesovertothosebetterfittedforthem。Stillmanyoutsidecaresremained，andinonewayoranotherIwasobligedtotakepartinaffairswhichIwouldhavegladlyshunned。
Yettherewasconsolationintheideathat，asmymaindangerwasthatofdriftingintoahermitlifeamongprofessorsandbooks，anythingthattookmeoutofthisforalimitedlengthoftimewasnotwithoutcompensatingadvantages。
JustpreviouslytomyelectiontotheuniversitypresidencyIhadpresenteda``planoforganization，’’which，havingbeenacceptedandprintedbythetrustees，formedthemoldforthemainfeaturesofthenewinstitution;andearlyamongmydutiescametheselectionandnominationofprofessors。InthesedaysoneisabletochoosefromalargebodyofyoungmenholdingfellowshipsinthevariouslargeruniversitiesoftheUnitedStates;butthen，withthepossibleexceptionoftwoorthreeatHarvard，therewasnotafellowship，sofarasIcanremember，inthewholecountry。Thechoosingofprofessorswasimmeasurablymoredifficultthanatpresent。Withreferencetothispoint，averyeminentgraduateofHarvardthenvolunteeredtomesomeadvice，whichatfirstsightlookedsound，butwhichIsoonfoundtobeinapplicable。Hesaid:``YoumustsecureatanycosttheforemostmenintheUnitedStatesineverydepartment。Inthiswayalonecanarealuniversitybecreated。’’TryingtheSocraticmethoduponhim，I
asked，inreply，``Howarewetogetsuchmen？TheforemostmaninAmericanscienceisundoubtedlyAgassiz，buthehasrefusedalloffersofhighpositionatParismadehimbytheFrenchEmperor。ThemainobjectsofhislifearethecreationofhisgreatmuseumatHarvardandhisinvestigationsandinstructioninconnectionwithit;hehasdeclaredthathehas`notimetowasteinmakingmoney！’
WhatsumorwhatinducementofanysortcantransferhimfromHarvardtoanewinstitutiononthedistanthillsofcentralNewYork？So，too，withthemosteminentmenattheotheruniversities。WhatsumwilldrawthemtousfromHarvard，Yale，Columbia，theUniversityofVirginia，andtheUniversityofMichigan？Anendowmenttwiceaslargeasourswouldbeunavailing。’’ThereforeitwasthatIbroached，asapracticalmeasure，inmy``planoforganization，’’thesystemwhichIhaddiscussedtentativelywithGeorgeWilliamCurtisseveralyearsbefore，andtowhichhereferredafterwardinhisspeechattheopeningoftheuniversityatIthaca。Thiswastotakeintoourconfidencetheleadingprofessorsinthemoreimportantinstitutionsoflearning，andtosecurefromthem，nottheordinary，conventionalpapertestimonials，butconfidentialinformationastotheiryoungmenlikelytodothebestworkinvariousfields，tocalltheseyoungmentoourresidentprofessorships，andthentocallthemosteminentmenwecouldobtainfornon—residentprofessorshipsorlectureships。Thisideawascarriedouttotheletter。Themosteminentmeninvariousuniversitiesgaveusconfidentialadvice;andthusitwasthatIwasenabledtosecureanumberofbright，active，energeticyoungmenasourresidentprofessors，minglingwiththemtwoorthreeoldermen，whoseexperienceanddevelopedjudgmentseemednecessaryintheordinaryconductofouraffairs。
Astotheotherpartoftheplan，IsecuredAgassiz，Lowell，Curtis，BayardTaylor，GoldwinSmith，TheodoreDwight，GeorgeW。Greene，JohnStantonGould，andatalaterperiodFroude，Freeman，andothers，asnon—residentprofessorsandlecturers。OfthefinalworkingofthissystemIshallspeaklater。
Thequestionofbuildingsalsoarose;but，alas！Icouldnotreproducemyair—castles。ForourcharterrequiredustohavetheuniversityinoperationinOctober，1868，andtherewasnotimeforcarefularchitecturalpreparation。
Moreover，themeansfailedus。Allthatwecouldthendowastoacceptafairlygoodplanforourmainstructures;tomakethemsimple，substantial，anddignified;
tobuildthemofstonefromourownquarries;andsotodisposethemthatfuturearchitectsmightsocombineotherbuildingswiththemastoformanimpressivequadrangleontheupperpartoftheuniversityproperty。TothisplanMr。Cornellgavehisheartyassent。Itwasthenarranged，withhisfullsanction，thattheuniversitybuildingsshouldultimatelyconsistoftwogreatgroups:thefirstoruppergrouptobeaquadrangleofstone，andthesecondorlowergrouptobemadeupofbuildingsofbrickmorefreelydisposed，accordingtoourfutureneedsandmeans。Althoughthisplanhasunfortunatelybeendepartedfrominsomeminorrespects，ithasingeneralturnedoutwell。
Havingcalledanumberofprofessorsandseenfoundationslaidfor``MorrillHall，’’IsailedinAprilof1868
forEurope，inordertostudytechnicalinstitutions，topurchaseneededequipment，andtosecurecertainprofessorssuchascouldnotthenbefoundinourowncountry。
ThusfarmyknowledgeofhighereducationinEuropehadbeenconfinedalmostentirelytotheuniversities;
butnowIwentcarefullythroughvarioustechnicalinstitutions，amongthemtheEnglishAgriculturalCollegeatCirencester，theAgriculturalExperimentStationatRothamstead，theFrenchAgriculturalCollegeatGrignon，theConservatoiredesArtsetMtiersatParis，theVeterinarySchoolatAlfort，theGermanAgriculturalCollegeatHohenheim，theTechnicalSchoolandVeterinaryCollegeatBerlin，andothers。Astoequipment，whereverIfoundvaluablematerialIboughtit。
Thuswerebroughttogetherforourlibraryaverylargecollectionofbooksinalltheprincipaldepartments;physicalandchemicalapparatusfromLondon，Paris，Heidelberg，andBerlin;chemicalsfromBerlinandErfurt;theonlyduplicateoftheroyalcollectionofcerealsandgrassesandthegreatcollectionofBritishpatent—officepublicationsfromtheBritishimperialauthorities;theRaumodelsofplowsfromHohenheim;theBrendelplantmodelsfromBreslau;themodelsofmachinemovementsfromLondon，Darmstadt，andBerlin;theplasticmodelsofAuzouxfromParis;andotherapparatusandinstrumentsfromallpartsofEurope，withdiagramsanddrawingsfromeveryinstitutionwhereIcouldfindthem。Duringthreemonths，fromfundsfurnishedbytheuniversity，byMr。Cornellpersonally，and，Imaybeallowedtoadd，frommyownpersonalresources，Iexpendedforthesepurposesoversixtythousanddollars，asumwhichinthosedaysrepresentedmuchmorethaninthese。
Astonon—residentprofessors，IsecuredinLondonGoldwinSmith，whohadrecentlydistinguishedhimselfbyhisworksasahistorianandasregiusprofessorofhistoryatOxford;andIwassuccessfulincallingDr。
JamesLaw，who，thoughayoungman，hadalreadymadehimselfanameinveterinaryscience。Itseemedtomanyacomicaljuxtaposition，andvariouswitticismsweremadeatmyexpenseoverthestatementthatIhad``broughtbackanOxfordprofessorandaScotchhorse—doctor。’’
Butneverwereselectionsmorefortunate。GoldwinSmith，byhishighcharacter，hisbroadanddeepscholarship，hisdevotionnotonlytohisprofessorshipbuttothegeneraluniversitywork，hisself—denialinbehalfoftheuniversityanditsstudents，renderedpricelessservices。Heboreallprivationscheerfullyandbravedalldiscouragementsmanfully。Neverweretherebetterhistoricallecturesthanhis。
Theyinspiredusall，andtheimpulsethengivenisstillfelt。So，too，Dr。Law，inhisfield，wasinvaluable，andthiswassoonfeltthroughouttheState。OfhimIshallspeaklater。
CHAPTERXX
THEFIRSTYEARSOFCORNELLUNIVERSITY——1868—1870
Onthe7thofOctober，1868，cametheformalopeningoftheuniversity。ThestruggleforitscharterhadattractedmuchattentioninallpartsoftheState，andalargebodyofspectators，withaboutfourhundredstudents，assembledattheCornellLibraryHallinIthaca。
ThoughthecharterhadrequiredustobegininOctober，therehadseemedforsometimeverylittlechanceofit。Mr。CornellhadbeenabsentinthewoodsoftheupperMississippiandontheplainsofKansas，selectinguniversitylands;IhadbeenabsentforsomemonthsinEurope，securingplansandequipment;andas，duringourabsence，thecontractorforthefirstmainbuilding，MorrillHall，hadfailed，theworkwaswretchedlybehindhand。Thedirectroadstotheuniversitysitewereasyetimpracticable，fortheCascadillaravineandthesmalleronenorthofitwerestillunbridged。Thegroundswereunkempt，withheapsofearthandpilesofmaterialinalldirections。Thegreatquantitiesoffurniture，apparatus，andbookswhichIhadsentfromEuropehadbeendepositedwhereverstoragecouldbefound。TypicalwasthecaseofthelargeHoltzelectricalmachinefromGermany。Itwasinthosedaysanovelty，andmanywereanxioustoseeit;butitcouldnotbefound，anditwasonlydiscoveredseveralweekslater，whenthelastpotsandpanswerepulledoutofthekitchenstore—roominthecellarofthegreatstonebarrackknownasCascadillaHouse。Allsortsofgreatlyneededmaterialhadbeendelayedinsteamshipsandonrailways，orwasstuckfastincustom—housesandwarehousesfromBerlinandParistoIthaca。Ourfriendshadtoiledheroicallyduringourabsence，butthelittletown——thenmuchlessenergeticthannow——hadbeenunabletofurnishtheworkrequiredinsoshortatime。Theheatingapparatusandeventhedoorsforthestudents’roomswerenotinplaceuntilweeksafterwinterweatherhadsetin。Tocomplicatemattersstillmore，studentsbegantocomeataperiodmuchearlierandinnumbersfargreaterthanwehadexpected;andthefirstresultofthiswasthat，ingettingreadyfortheopening，Mr。Cornellandmyselfwerewornout。Fortwoorthreedaysbeforemyinaugurationbothofuswereinthehandsofphysiciansandinbed，andonthemorningofthedayappointedweweretakenincarriagestothehallwheretheceremonywastotakeplace。
ToMr。Cornell’sbriefspeechIhavealludedelsewhere;
myownpresentedmyideasmoreatlength。Theyweregroupedinfourdivisions。Thefirstoftheserelatedto``FoundationIdeas，’’whichwereannouncedasfollows:
First，thecloseunionofliberalandpracticalinstruction;
second，unsectariancontrol;third，alivingunionbetweentheuniversityandthewholeschoolsystemoftheState;
fourth，concentrationofrevenuesforadvancededucation。
Theseconddivisionwasthatof``FormativeIdeas’’;andunderthese——First，equalitybetweendifferentcoursesofstudy。InthisIespeciallydevelopedideaswhichhadoccurredtomeasfarbackasmyobservationsaftergraduationatYale，wheretheclassicalstudentsbelongingtothe``collegeproper’’weregivenasortofsupremacy，andscientificstudentsrelegatedtoaseparateinstitutionatconsiderabledistance，andthereforedeprivedofmuchgeneral，andevenspecial，culturewhichwouldhavegreatlybenefitedthem。Indeed，theyseemednotconsideredashavinganysoulstobesaved，sincenoprovisionwasmadeforthematthecollegechapel。Second，increaseddevelopmentofscientificstudies。Thethirdmaindivisionwasthatof``GovernmentalIdeas’’;andunderthese——
First，``theregularandfrequentinfusionofnewlifeintothegoverningboard。’’HereasystematthattimeentirelynewintheUnitedStateswasproposed。Insteadoftheusuallifetenureoftrustees，theirtermwasmadefiveyearsandtheyweretobechosenbyballot。Secondly，itwasrequiredthatassoonasthegraduatesoftheuniversitynumberedfiftytheyshouldselectonetrusteeeachyear，thusgivingthealumnionethirdofthewholenumberelected。Third，therewastobeasystemofself—governmentadministeredbythestudentsthemselves。Astothisthirdpoint，Imustfranklyconfessthatmyideaswerevague，unformed，andfinallychangedbythelogicofevents。Asthefourthandfinalmaindivision，Ipresented``PermeatingIdeas’’;andofthese——First，thedevelopmentoftheindividualmaninallhisnature，inallhispowers，asabeingintellectual，moral，andreligious。
Secondly，bringingthepowersofthemanthusdevelopedtobearusefullyuponsociety。
Inconclusion，Ialludedtotwogroupsof``EliminatedIdeas，’’thefirstofthesebeingthe``IdeasofthePedants，’’
andthesecondthe``IdeasofthePhilistines。’’Astotheformer，Itookpainstoguardtheinstitutionfromthosewho，inthehighereducation，substitutedatesforhistory，gerund—grindingforliterature，andformulasforscience;
astothelatter，Isoughttoguarditfromthementowhom``GainisGod，andGunnybagshisProphet。’’
Attheclose，referringtoMr。Cornell，whohadbeentooweaktostandwhiledeliveringhisspeech，andwhowasatthatmomentsittingnearme，Ialludedtohisnobleplansandtotheopposition，misrepresentation，andobloquyhehadmetthusfar，andindoingsoturnedtowardhim。Thesightofhim，ashethussat，lookingsoweak，soweary，sobroken，forafewmomentsutterlyincapacitatedme。I
wasmyself，atthetime，inbutlittlebetterconditionthanhe;andasthererushedintomymindmemoriesoftheprevioustendaysathishouse，whenIhadheardhimgroaninginpainthroughalmosteverynight，itflasheduponmehowutterlyhopelesswastheuniversitywithouthissupport。Myvoicefaltered;Icouldforamomentsayno—
thing;thencamearevulsion。Iaskedmyself，``Whatwillthisgreataudiencethinkofus？’’Howwillourenemies，someofwhomIseescatteredabouttheaudience，exultoverthisfalteringattheoutset！Afeelingofshamecameoverme;butjustatthatmomentIsawtwoorthreestrongmenfromdifferentpartsoftheState，amongthemmyoldfriendMr。SedgwickofSyracuse，intheaudience，andMr。
SageandMr。McGrawamongthetrustees，evidentlyaffectedbymyallusiontotheobloquyandinjusticewhichMr。Cornellhadmetthusfar。Thisrousedme。ButIcouldnolongerread;IlaidmymanuscriptasideandgavetheendinginwordswhichoccurredtomeasI
stoodthenandthere。Theywerefalteringandinadequate;
butIfeltthatthevastmajorityinthataudience，representingallpartsofourcommonwealth，werewithus，andIaskednothingmore。
Intheafternooncameexercisesattheuniversitygrounds。ThechimeofninebellswhichMissJennyMcGrawhadpresentedtoushadbeentemporarilyhunginawoodentowerplacedverynearthespotwherenowstandstheporchofthelibrary;and，beforethebellswererungforthefirsttime，apresentationaddresswasdeliveredbyMr。FrancisMilesFinch，sincejusticeoftheCourtofAppealsoftheStateanddeanoftheUniversityLawSchool;andthiswasfollowedbyaddressesfromthesuperintendentofpublicinstruction，andfromournon—
residentprofessorsAgassizandGeorgeWilliamCurtis。
Havingagainbeentakenoutofbedandwrappedupcarefully，Iwascarriedupthehilltohearthem。Allthespeecheswerefine;but，justattheclose，Curtisburstintoaperorationwhich，inmyweakphysicalcondition，utterlyunmannedme。Hecomparedthenewuniversitytoanewlylaunchedship——``allitssailsset，itsriggingfullandcompletefromstemtostern，itscrewembarked，itspassengersonboard;and，’’headded，``evenwhileIspeaktoyou，evenwhilethisautumnsunsetsinthewest，theshipbeginstoglideoverthewaves，itgoesforthrejoicing，everystitchofcanvasspread，allitscolorsflying，itsbellsringing，itsheart—stringsbeatingwithhopeandjoy;andIsay，Godblesstheship，Godblessthebuilder，Godblessthechosencaptain，Godblessthecrew，and，gentlemenundergraduates，mayGodblessallthepassengers！’’
Theaudienceapplauded;thechimesburstmerrilyforth;butmyheartsankwithinme。Afeelingof``goneness’’
cameoverme。Curtis’ssimilewassoperfectthatIfeltmyselfindeedonthedeckoftheship，butnotsomuchinthecharacterofits``chosencaptain’’asofaseasickpassenger。Therewasindeedreasonforqualmishfeelings。
HadIdrawnapictureoftheshipatthatmoment，itwouldhavebeenverydifferentfromthatpresentedbyCurtis。Mymindwaspervadedbyourdiscouragements——
byarealizationofMr。Cornell’sconditionandmyown，thedemandsofourthoughtlessfriends，theattacksofourfanaticalenemies，theinadequacyofourresources。Thesenseofallthesethingsburstuponme，andtheviewaboutuswasnotreassuring。Notonlyweretheuniversitybuildingsunreadyandthegroundsunkempt，butallthatpartofourdomainwhichisnowdevotedtothebeautifullawnsabouttheuniversitychapel，BarnesHall，SageCollege，andotherstatelyedifices，wasthenaraggedcorn—fieldsurroundedbyrailfences。NooneknewbetterthanI
thegreatdifficultieswhichweresuretobesetus。
Probablynoshipwaseverlaunchedinaconditionsounfittobravethestorms。Evenourlesserdifficulties，thoughtheymayappearcomicalnow，werebynomeanscomicalthen。
Asarule，Mr。Cornellhadconsultedmebeforemakingcommunicationstothepublic;butduringmyabsenceinEuropehehadwrittenalettertothe``NewYorkTribune，’’
announcingthatstudentscouldsupportthemselves，whilepursuingtheirstudiesonehalfofeachdayintheuniversity，bylaboringtheotherhalf。Inthisheshowedthatsympathywithneedyandmeritoriousyoungmenwhichwasoneofhismarkedqualities，buthisproclamationcostusdear。Hemeasuredtheearnestnessandenduranceandself—sacrificeofothersbyhisown;hedidnotrealizethatnotonemaninathousandwas，intheserespects，hisequal。Asaresultofthis``Tribune’’letter，amultitudeofeageryoungmenpressedforwardattheopeningoftheuniversityandinsistedonreceivingself—
supportingwork。Nearlyallofthosewhocouldofferskilledlaborofanysortwewereabletoemploy;andmanygraduatesofwhomCornellUniversityisnowproudsupportedthemselvesthenbyworkingascarpenters，masons，printers，accountants，andshorthand—writers。Butbesidestheseweremanywhohadneverdoneanymanuallabor，andstillmorewhohadneverdoneanylaborrequiringskill。Anattemptwasmadetoemploytheseingradingroads，layingoutpaths，helpingonthefarm，doingjanitors’work，andthelike。Someofthemweresuccessful;mostwerenot。Itwasfoundthatitwouldbecheapertosupportmanyoftheapplicantsatahotelandtoemployday—laborersintheirplaces。Muchoftheirworkhadtobedoneoveragainatacostgreaterthantheoriginaloutlayshouldhavebeen。TypicalwasthehuskingofIndiancornupontheuniversityfarmbystudentlabor:itwasfoundtocostmorethantheresultantcorncouldbesoldforinthemarket。Theexpectationsoftheseyouthwerenonethelessexuberant。Oneofthem，whohadneverdoneanysortofmanuallabor，askedwhether，whilelearningtobuildmachineryandsupportinghimselfandhisfamily，hecouldnotlayupsomethingagainstcontingencies。
Another，ateamsterfromaWesternState，cametoofferhisservices，and，onbeingaskedwhathewishedtostudy，saidthathewishedtolearntoread;onbeingtoldthatthepublicschoolinhisowndistrictwastheplaceforthat，hewasveryindignant，andquotedMr。Cornell’swords，``Iwouldfoundaninstitutionwhereanypersoncanfindinstructioninanystudy。’’Others，fairlygoodscholars，butofdelicatebuild，havingappliedforself—supportingemployment，wereassignedthelightestpossibletasksupontheuniversitygrounds;but，findingeventhisworktoosevere，wrotebitterlytoleadingmetropolitanjournalsdenouncingMr。Cornell’sbadfaith。OnecameallthewayfromRussia，beingabletomakethelaststagesofhisjourneyonlybycharity，andonarrivingwasfoundtobeutterlyincapableofsustainedeffort，physicalormental。
Themostdefinitepartofhisaims，asheannouncedthem，wastoconverttheUnitedStatestotheRusso—GreekChurch。
Addedtotheseweredreamersandschemersofmorematureage。Themailswereburdenedwiththeirlettersandourofficeswiththeirpresence。Somehadplansfortheregenerationofhumanitybyinventingmachineswhichtheywishedustobuild，somebydevisingphilosophieswhichtheywishedustoteach，somebywritingbookswhichtheywishedustoprint;mostbytakingprofessorshipswhichtheywishedustoendow。Theinevitablepoliticianalsoappeared;andatthefirstmeetingofthetrusteestwonotoriouspartyhackscameallthewayfromNewYorktotellus``whatthepeopleexpected，’’——whichwasthenominationofsundryfriendsoftheirstopositionsinthenewinstitution。AseverestrainwasbroughtuponMr。Cornellandmyselfinshowingcivilitytothesegentlemen;
yet，aswewereobligedtodenythem，nosuavityonourpartcouldstaytheinevitableresult——theirhostility。Theattacksofthedenominationalandlocalpressesintheinterestsofinstitutionswhichhadfailedtotearthefundinpiecesandtosecurescrapsofitwerethuslargelyreinforced。Everandanoncameonslaughtsuponuspersonallyanduponeveryfeatureoftheinstitution，whetheractual，probable，possible，orconceivable。Oneeminenteditorialpersonage，havingvainlysoughtto``unload’’amemberofhisstaffintooneofourprofessorships，howledinalongarticleattheturpitudeofMr。Cornellinlandmatters，screamedforlegislativeinvestigation，andforyearsafterwardneverneglectedanopportunitytostrikeablowatthenewinstitution。
Somedifficultiesalsoshowedthemselvesinthefirstworkingofouruniversitymachinery。Inmy``planoforganization，’’aswellasinvariousaddressesandreports，Ihadinsistedthattheuniversityshouldpresentvariouscoursesofinstruction，generalandspecial，andthatstudentsshouldbeallowedmuchlibertyofchoicebetweenthese。Thisatfirstcausedseriousfriction。Ithasdisappeared，nowthatthepublicschoolsoftheStatehaveadjustedthemselvestotheproperpreparationofstudentsforthevariouscourses;butatthattimethesedifficultieswereinfullforceandvigor。Oneofthemosttroublesomesignsofthiswasthechangingandshiftingbystudentsfromcoursetocourse，whichbothinjuredthemandembarrassedtheirinstructors。TomeetthistendencyInotonlyaddressedthestudentstoshowthatgood，substantial，continuousworkonanyonecoursewhichanyoneofthemwaslikelytochoosewasfarbetterthanindecisionandshiftingaboutbetweenvariouscourses，butalsoreprintedfortheiruseJohnFoster’sfamous``EssayonDecisionofCharacter。’’Thistractatehaddonememuchgoodinmystudentdaysandatvarioustimessince，whenIhadallowedmyselftolingertoolongbetweendifferentcoursesofaction;andInowdistributeditfreely，theresultbeingthatstudentsgenerallymadetheirelectionbetweencourseswithincreasedcare，andwhentheyhadmadeitstoodbyit。
Yetforthesedifficultiesingettingthestudentbodyunderwaytherewerecompensations，andbestofthesewasthecharacterandbearingofthestudents。Therewere，ofcourse，sundryexhibitionsofboyishness，butthespiritofthewholebodywasbetterthanthatofanysimilarcollectionofyoungmenIhadeverseen。Onereasonwasthatwewerehappilysparedanylargeproportionofrichmen’ssons，butthemainreasonwasclearlythepermissionofchoicebetweenvariouscoursesofstudyinaccordancewithindividualaimsandtastes。Inthiswayafarlargernumberwereinterestedthanhadeverbeenundertheoldsystemofforcingallalikethroughonesimple，singlecourse，regardlessofaimsandtastes;andthusitcamethat，evenfromthefirst，thetoneatCornellwasgiven，notbymenwhoaffectedtodespisestudy，butbymenwhodevotedthemselvestostudy。Itevidentlybecamedisreputableforanystudentnottobereallyatworkinsomeoneofthemanycoursespresented。Therewerefewcasesreallycallingfordiscipline。Iprizedthisfactallthemorebecauseitjustifiedatheoryofmine。I
hadlongfeltthatthegreatestcauseofstudentturbulenceanddissipationwastheabsenceofinterestinstudyconsequentuponthefactthatonlyonecoursewasprovided，andIhadarrivedattheconclusionthatprovidingvariouscourses，suitedtovariousaimsandtastes，woulddiminishthisevil。
Asregardsstudentdisciplineintheuniversity，Ihaddweltinmy``planoforganization’’upontheadvisabilityofadeparturefromthesysteminheritedfromtheEnglishcolleges，whichwasstillwidelyprevailing。IthadbeendevelopedinAmericaprobablybeyondanythingknowninGreatBritainandGermany，andwasfarlesssatisfactorythanintheselattercountries，forthesimplereasonthatinthemtheuniversityauthoritieshavesomelegalpowertosecuretestimonyandadministerpunishment，whileinAmericatheyhavevirtuallynone。Theresulthadbeenmostunfortunate，asIhaveshowninotherpartsofthesechaptersreferringtovariousstudentescapadesintheolderAmericanuniversities，someofthemhavingcosthumanlife。Ihadthereforetakenthegroundthat，sofaraspossible，studentsshouldbetreatedasresponsiblecitizens;
that，ascitizens，theyshouldbelefttobedealtwithbytheconstitutedauthorities;andthatmembersofthefacultyshouldnolongerbeconsideredaspolicemen。Ihad，duringmycollegelife，knownsundrycollegetutorsseriouslyinjuredwhilethusdoingpoliceduty;Ihaveseenaprofessordrivenoutofaroom，throughthepanelofadoor，withbooks，boots，andbootjackshurledathishead;andeventherespectedpresidentofacollege，adoctorofdivinity，whilepatrollingbuildingswiththejanitors，subjectedtooutrageousindignity。
Fortunatelythecausesalreadynamed，towhichmaybeaddedathleticsports，especiallyboating，sogreatlydiminishedstudentmischiefatCornell，thatcasesofdisciplinewerereducedtoaminimum——somuchso，infact，thattherewerehardlyeveranyofaseriouscharacter。Ifeltthatthenandtherewasthetimetoreiteratethedoctrinelaiddowninmy``planoforganization，’’thataprofessorshouldnotbecalledupontobeapoliceman，andthatifthegroundsweretobepoliced，propermenshouldbeemployedforthatpurpose。Thisdoctrinewasreasonableanditprevailed。TheCornellgroundsandbuildings，underthecareofapatrolappointedforthatpurpose，havebeencarefullyguarded，andneverhasamemberofthefacultybeencalledupontoperformpoliceduty。
Therewereindeedsomecasesrequiringdisciplinebythefaculty，andoneofthesewillprovokeasmileonthepartofallwhotookpartinitaslongastheyshalllive。
Therehadcometousastalwart，sturdyNewEnglander，somewhatabovetheusualstudentage，andshowingconsiderableaptitudeforstudiesinengineering。Variouscomplaintsweremadeagainsthim;butfinallyhewassummonedbeforethefacultyforaverysingularbreachofgoodtaste，ifnotofhonesty。Theentireinstructingbodyofthatdaybeinggatheredaboutthelongtableinthefacultyroom，andIbeingattheheadofthetable，theculpritwassummoned，entered，andstoodsolemnlybeforeus。Variousquestionswereaskedhim，whichheparriedwithgreatingenuity。Atlastonewasaskedofaverypeculiarsort，asfollows:``Mr。————，didyou，lastmonth，inthevillageofDundee，YatesCounty，passyourselfoffasProfessor————ofthisuniversity，announcingalectureanddeliveringitinhisname？’’Heansweredblandly，``Sir，IdidgotoDundeeinYatesCounty;
Ididdeliveralecturethere;IdidNOTannouncemyselfasProfessor————ofCornellUniversity;whatothersmayhavedoneIdonotknow;allIknowisthatatthecloseofmylectureseveralleadingmenofthetowncameforwardandsaidthattheyhadheardagoodmanylecturesgivenbycollegeprofessorsfromallpartsoftheState，andthattheyhadneverhadoneasgoodasmine。’’I
think，ofallthestrainsuponmyrisiblefacultiesduringmylife，thisanswerprovokedthegreatest，andtheremainderofthefacultywereclearlyinthesamecondition。
Idismissedtheyouthatonce，andhardlywasheoutsidethedoorwhenaburstoftitaniclaughtershookthecourtandtheyouthwastroublednomore。
Farmoreseriouswasanothercase。Theusualgood—
naturedbickeringbetweenclasseshadgoneon，andasaconsequencecertainsophomoresdeterminedtopayoffsomeoldscoresagainstmembersofthejuniorclass，atajuniorexhibition。Todothistheyprepareda``mockprogramme，’’which，haditbeenmerelycomic，assomeothershadbeen，wouldhaveprovokednoillfeeling。
Unfortunately，somemiscreantsucceededinintroducingintoitallusionsofadecidedlyRabelaisiancharacter。Theeveningarrived，alargeaudienceofladiesandgentlemenwereassembled，andthisprogrammewasfreelydistributed。
Theproceedingwasfelttobeanoutrage;andI
servednoticeontheclassthattherealofoffenderoroffenders，iftheywishedtopreventseriousconsequencestoallconcerned，mustsubmitthemselvestothefacultyandtakeduepunishment。Unfortunately，theywerenotmanlyenoughtodothis。Thereupon，tomyowndeepregretandinobediencetomysenseofjustice，Isuspendedindefinitelyfromtheuniversitythefourofficersoftheclass，itspresident，vice—president，secretary，andtreasurer。
Theywereamongtheverybestmenintheclass，allofthemfriendsofmyown;andIknewtoacertaintythattheyhadhadnothingdirectlytodowiththearticlesconcerned，thattheutmostwhichcouldbesaidagainstthemwasthattheyhadbeencarelessastowhatappearedintheprogramme，forwhichtheywereresponsible。Mostbitterfeelingarose，andIsummonedameetingoftheentirestudentbody。AsIenteredtheroomhisseswereheard;thetimehadevidentlycomeforagrapplewiththewholebody。Istatedthecaseasitwas:thatthefourofficerswouldbesuspendedandmustleavetheuniversitytownuntiltheirreturnwasallowedbythefaculty;thatsuchanoffenseagainstdecencycouldnotbecondoned;
thatIhadunderstoodthattheentireclassproposedtomakecommoncausewiththeirofficersandleavetheuniversitywiththem;thattothisweinterposednoobjection;
thatitsimplymeantlessworkforthefacultyduringtheremainderoftheyear;thatitwasfarmoreimportantfortheuniversitytomaintainacharacterfordecencyandgooddisciplinethantohavealargebodyofstudents;andthat，ifnecessarytomaintainsuchacharacter，wewouldcertainlyallowthewholestudentbodyinalltheclassestogohomeandwouldbeginanew。Ithendrewapicture。
Isketchedamemberoftheclasswhohadlefttheuniversityonaccountofthisdisciplineenteringthepaternaldoor，encounteringaquestionastothecauseofhisunexpectedhome—coming，andreplyingthatthecausewastheoutrageoustyrannyofthepresidentandfaculty。I
pictured，then，thefatherandmotherofthehome—comingstudentaskingwhatthecauseorpretextofthis``tyranny’’
was，andIthensaid:``Idefyanyoneofyoutoshowyourfatherandmotherthe`mockprogramme’whichhascausedthetrouble。Thereisnotoneofyouherewhodaresdoit;thereisnotoneofyouwhowouldnotbeturnedoutofhisfather’sdoorifhewerethustoinsulthismother。’’
Atthistherecamearoundofapplause。IthenexpressedmypersonalregretthatthepenaltymustfalluponfourmenwhomIgreatlyrespected;butfallitmustunlesstheoffendersweremanlyenoughtogivethemselvesup。TheresultwasthatatthecloseIwasgreetedwitharoundofapplause;andimmediatelyafterwardthefourofficerscametome，acknowledgedthejusticeofthediscipline，andexpressedthehopethattheirsuspensionmightnotgobeyondthatterm。Itdidnot:atthecloseofthetermtheywereallowedtoreturn;andfromthatday``mockprogrammes’’ofthesortconcerned，whichinmanyAmericancollegeshadbeenachronicevil，neverreappearedatCornell。Theresultofthisactionencouragedmegreatlyastothereliancetobeplacedonthesenseofjusticeinthegreatbodyofourstudentswhendirectlyandproperlyappealedto。
StillanotherthingwhichIsoughttopromotewasareasonabledevotiontoathletics。Myownexperienceasamemberofaboating—clubatYalehadshownmewhatcouldbedone，andIthinkoneofthebestinvestmentsI
evermadewasingivingaracing—boattotheCornellcrewonCayugaLake。ThefactthatthereweresomanystudentstrainedsturdilyinruralhomesinthebracingairofwesternNewYork，whooneveryworking—dayofcollegelifetrampeduptheUniversityHill，andonotherdaysexploredtheneighboringhillsandvales，gaveusabodyofmensuretodowellasathletes。AttheirfirstcontestwiththeotheruniversitiesontheConnecticutRiveratSpringfieldtheywerebeaten，buttheytooktheirdefeatmanfully。Sometimeafterthis，GeneralGrant，thenPresidentoftheUnitedStates，onhisvisittotheuniversity，remarkedtomethathesawtheraceatSpringfield;
thatouryoungmenoughttohavewonit;andthat，inhisopinion，theywouldhavewonitiftheyhadnotbeenunfortunatelyplacedinshallowwater，wheretherewereeddiesmakingagainstthem。Thisremarkstruckmeforcibly，comingasitdidfromonewhohadsokeenajudgmentineverysortofcontest。Iboreitinmind，andwasnotsurprisedwhen，ayearortwolater（1875），theCornellcrews，havingmetatSaratogaLakethecrewsfromHarvard，Yale，andotherleadinguniversities，wonboththefreshmananduniversityraces。ItwashumorouslychargedagainstmethatwhenthenewsofthisreachedIthacaIrangtheuniversitybells。Thiswasnotthefact。Thesimpletruthwasthat，beinginthemidstofabodyofstudentswhenthenewscame，andseeingthemrushtowardthebell—tower，Iwentwiththemtopreventinjurytothebellsbycarelessringing;theringingwasdonebythem。Iwillnotdenythatthevictorypleasedme，asmanyotherssincegainedbytheCornellcrewshavedone;butfarmoretomethanthevictoryitselfwasaletterwrittenmebyaprominentgraduateofPrincetonwhowasatSaratogaduringthecontest。Hewroteme，ashesaid，notmerelytocongratulatemeonthevictory，butonthefinewayinwhichourstudentstookit，andthemanlyqualitieswhichtheyshowedinthehouroftriumphandduringtheirwholestayatSaratoga。Thisgavemecourage。
FromthatdayIhaveneverfeltanyfearsastothecharacterofthestudentbody。OneleadingcauseofthesuccessofCornellUniversity，inthemidstofallitstrialsandstruggles，hasbeenthecharacterofitsstudents:
workingastheydounderasystemwhichgivesthemaninterestinthestudiestheyarepursuing，theyhaveusedthelargelibertygrantedtheminawayworthyofallpraise。