University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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14 THE JAYHAWKER The head man A Biographical Sketch of the Career of K. U. ' s Distinguished Chancellor by DEAN MOORHEAD OLIVER GOLDSMITH once said, There is an unspeakable pleasure surrounding the life of a. voluntary stu- dent. He might have added that this pleasure becomes doubly enjoyable when the student achieves national fame and recognition as a result of application to his studies. Were we to imitate O. O. Mclntyre and apply a one word descrip- tion to Chancellor Lindley, that word must of necessity be student, for through- out his interesting career Chancellor Lindley has been first of all a student. To those of us here at K. U., nominally at least in the guise of students, it is exceedingly interesting to trace Chan- cellor Lindley ' s studies and to discover how he progressed through a field of study which had a beginning very similar to the life in which we are all now participating. Chancellor Lindley ' s formal schooling began in Bloomington, Indiana. There, while working day and night in his father ' s drug store, he completed his preparatory work at the age of fourteen. Although Bloomington was the home of Indiana University, circumstances were such that Chancellor Lindley was at first unable to continue his schooling. For three years after graduation he worked in his father ' s drug store, waiting for the time when he hoped to enter the Uni- versity. But these three years were far from wasted. The over the counter acquain- tances acquired during this time were many and valuable. David Starr Jordan, then president of Indiana University, was a steady customer at the drug store, and with him the young clerk formed a strong friendship. At first their meetings outside of the store were brought about by Chancellor Lindley ' s waiting inside the gate of his home until Jordan passed and then, seemingly by coincidence, by his joining Jordan and happening to be going in the same direction. Whether or not Jordan ' s suspicions were aroused by the frequency of these coincidences, he welcomed them, for, naturalist and counsellor that he was, he always was glad to talk to the youth at his side, to acquaint him with nature, and to discuss with him the many problems of a young boy ' s life. Then, too, there was a shoe-maker an artist in friendship, Chancellor Lindley calls him whose shop was the meeting place of a little circle of men who loved knowledge and serious discus- sions. In this circle the young student found a place, learned literature by ear, and fostered the conversational powers which he now possesses. When at last he was able to enroll in Indiana University, Chancellor Lindley discovered that these three years of work had better suited him for college by furthering his general knowledge and by whetting his desire to study. Memory of the benefits of these years today causes Chancellor Lindley to counsel students not to be discouraged if a college education is postponed a few years. THE UNIVERSITY ' S MOST DISTINGUISHED STUDENT

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OCTOBER, 1935 13 HIS FAVORITE PASTIME

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OCTOBER, 1935 15 DR. LINDLEY WITH THE COUNCIL PRESIDENTS Once in the University, Chancellor Lindley plunged wholeheartedly into its activities, despite the fact that his posi- tion in school was not secure and that each class might be his last. The study of languages, of philosophy, and of psychology particularly interested him. He took Greek in order to be able to read P lato in the original; German, he enjoyed and showed such proficiency in its study that his instructor voluntarily hastened his progress by means of private r.ight lessons. Most of all, however, he enjoyed philosophy and psychology. The study of the inward and outward thoughts and actions of his fellow-beings seemed to form a most attractive field of study. Despite the fact that he was still work- ing in the drug store, the Chancellor found time to enter into a variety of school activities. He was interested in politics and in student self-government and participated in campaigns which doubtless were as feverish as are those which annoy K. U. students each year. Debating and literary societies were other interests, as was the lecture association which he and others completely reorgan- ized in order that it might be more bene- ficial. Baseball also attracted him. Curve balls were then a novelty, and the Chan- cellor, desirous of becoming a pitcher, spent many hours trying to get the proper ' break on a fast ball. Sports, however, were less prominent in colleges than now ! Their place was taken by a variety of college pranks. The mention of grave- yard hazing parties and inter-class fights brings a smile to the Chancellor ' s face, and he confesses that some of the pranks in which he participated need not be mentioned. One college episode deserves mention, however, for it resulted in an Indiana tradition. A group of Indiana students, Chancellor Lindley among them, had cut classes and was journeying to see the Purdue-Michigan football game. Among the hilarity attendant to such trips, it was mentioned that Indiana needed a new yell. After a bit of thought, someone shouted, Indiana, Gloriana, and Chan- cellor Lindley, more conscious of sound than of definition, added, Frangipani. The name was that of an Italian perfume, but it sounded well and was incorporated into the yell. The chant caught the fancy of other students and was adopted. Today, it is for Indiana University what the Rock Chalk is for Kansas, and this winter as you hear the chant Indiana, Gloriana, Frangipani, come in over the radio from Big Ten gridirons, remember that it is partially a result of Chancellor Lindley ' s knowledge of drug store products. While still a student at Indiana Uni- versity, Chancellor Lindley became regional president of his fraternity. This office led him into many Indiana colleges and broadened his even then wide circle of friends. Through this office, he became acquainted with Booth Tarkington, then a student at Purdue. Chancellor Lindley remembers Tarkington as a man of won- derful charm who even then showed evi- dence of the genius which has since made him famous. The busy days at Indiana came tem- porarily to an end in 1893 when Chan- cellor Lindley received his Bachelor ' s degree. He says of his early days at Indiana: It was a simple, social, wholesome life, and I had a tremendously good time. In fact I had stayed around there so long that I suspect they finally gave me my degree just in order to get rid of me. The best thing about my undergraduate days? The best thing is that while still a stu- dent at Indiana, I met the fellow-class- mate who has since become Mrs. Lindley. Evidently Indiana didn ' t give Chan- cellor Lindley his diploma in order to get rid of him, for W. L. Bryan, now president of Indiana, and Dr. Jordan, president at that time, asked that he remain as an instructor in psychology. Chancellor Lindley ' s school career and his previous business experience had opened the field of business to him, but he decided to remain in educational work to devote his life to further study and to constructive work in the lives of students. From instructor he rose to associate pro- fessor, and in 1902 he became professor of philosophy and psychology, and head of that department in Indiana University. Despite his many teachers ' duties, his studies continued. On leave of absence from Indiana he held a fellowship at Clark University for two years and obtained his Doctor ' s degree. After leav- ing Clark, he went abroad. At Jena, in the heart of the Goethe country, he studied in a school profoundly influenced by this great German philospher. Later he studied at Leipzig, and at Heidelberg he did research work under the famous Kraepelin. Soon afterwards, Chancellor Lindley published the results of this work in a German volume entitled Ueber Arbeit und Rube. Returning to the United States, he studied at Harvard under such noted psychologists as Wm. James, George Palmer, and Josiah Royce. Meanwhile he and Dr. Bryan had dis- covered Arthur Griffith then a world- famous 18-year-old mathematical prodigy. According to Chancellor Lindley, the best professors of mathematics in eastern universities would spend hours construct- ing problems which Griffith would require but seconds to answer. Dr. Bryan ' s and Chancellor Lindley ' s joint report upon their observations of this lad was presented at the convention of the National Psychology Association at Yale and later at the International Congress of Psychology in Paris. This work led to a later study of genius and of experts. Soon afterwards. Dr. Lindley became interested in the workings of the animal mind when confronted with puzzles. He studied both humans and the lower animals in connec- tion with this research and published a full account of his studies in a volume entitled The Psychology of Puzzles . This work preceded by a few years similar work of Binet who made considerable use of the material contained in Chancellor Lindley ' s research. This work was also extensively used by Professor Terman in the compilation of his famous intelli- gence tests part of which are now used by this university to determine the apti- tude of freshmen. In the Psychological Biography. Professor Terman acknow- ledges his indebtedness to Chancellor Lindley, both for his research and for his instruction. Chancellor Lindley also made practical application of his psychological studies. At one time he was employed to reor- ganize the personnel of the Ford Motor Plant at Indianapolis, and at another time he performed a similar task for the National Cash Register Company. His work at Indianapolis attracted the atten- tion of Henry Ford, and he was invited to confer with Mr. Ford at Detroit. There, in a full day ' s interview, Dr. Lindley spent what he considers one of the most interesting days of his life. In that conference, held some twenty years ago, Mr. Ford revealed to Dr. Lindley many of the progressive ideas which have (Continued on page 69)