DePauw University - Mirage Yearbook (Greencastle, IN)

Page 25 text:

Departm'entof Greek REVEREND WILLIAM FLETCHER SWAHLEN. A. Mu Ph. D. EDWIN GIBSON. Assistant Notwithstanding the fact that this present age is one of extreme com- mercialism in which there is a swing of the pendulum from the stucly oi: the standard classics toward. the pursuit of scientiHc investigation and technieal knowledge which fetches the Almighty Dollarf yet the value of the classics remains as far as a factor in a weH-grounded mental development and Enished ecluc-ation. The Greek Department in DePauW University has always had its Share of the student body, sixty members being enrollexl in it for this year. Out of the present Senior Class twenty per cent. are majoring in Greek. some have maae it their minor and others have taken not less than one year of college work in the department. i The work is not requirerl for gracluation aml those who enter for it are presumecl to come out of a sincere inclination for mastery of the elements of the Greek language and literature. . The first two years. work embraces what is the hard part off: any language namely. a mastery and. an acute appreciation of syntactical relations. Similar work is pursued through the first year of the college courses with selectecl readings from Homert Herodotus ancl Thucydides. The remaining courses. of which there are nine. have to do'- with the literature of the language. The drama, hoth comedy and tragedy, and oratory aml philos- ophy are given careful and critical stucly for their great thought aml high literary excellence. our heritage from the greatest peo- ple of antiquity. a 'Dr. Swahlen is an earnest, conscientious teacher, anrl is highly respected and loved by everyone Who comes under his instruction. The influence of his life upon many young men anal women. who have sat in his class room. cannot he limited to time anti space. He has a knowledge of his work Which is so inspiring that his students are lecl anal not clriven. His educational preparation has been most roumiecl and. thorough, embracing the constructive influence of flve eclucational in- stitutions. In 1867 he was electea Professor of Greek and German in McKendree College. Leh- anon. Illinbis, and in 1873 was electeci president of the same institution. In 1887 he was chosen presiclent of Kansas Wesleyan University anti Professor of Creek in Depauw University. He accepted the latter position and enterecl upon his duty in SeptemberK 1887.

Page 24 text:

Department of Political Science PROFESSOR JAMES RILEY WEAVER. A. M., S. T. B. URING the last two decades. few D greater changes both in subject matter and universities. In these a hroacl more each year. while the practical phase of degree. the Formal and theoretical so uncluly varsity, while keeping pace with the general tremist in either airection. Although one of Science is a notetl example of conservative In 1881 Dr. Riclpath. then filling the chair in political philosophy. based on the text- Wooleeyhs International Lawt which he In 1886 Professor Weaver was elected to the Languages:q Which he filled till 1890, when by of History 3.11:1 Political Science. Then the introduced, being among the first institutions University courses. In 1893 the chair was . under Professor Stephenson. at which period institutions in society. if any. have shown anti method, than have our American colleges anal liberal culture has prevailetl more anJ education has wisely supplemental. in a markea prominent a few years ago. Depauw Uni- progressive movement, has not become an ex- recent growth. the Department of Political evolution in all these respects. of History. introduced two elective courses books of Waylancra Political Economy and taught until 1885. the periozi of his resignation. chair of Politic'el Philosophy and tModern a reassignment of work he was made Professor subjects of Sociology ancl Socialism were in the United States to offer these suhjects as clivided and History made a distinct department Professor Weaver further expanded 1115 department By adding Jurisprudence, Evolution of Economic Theory. and one year of advance work in the, Seminarium. The Department as now organized. comprises four distinct though somewhat closely correlated subjects, v1.2: one year of Sociology and Socialism: one year of Political Science proper. emhraciug Theory of the State Jurispruaence and International Law: one year of Economics. covering Political Economy. Taxation. Money and Banking. and the Evolution of the Economic 'Theory: and lastly one year of advance work in the Seminarium, viz: The investigation of original and unsettled political, social or economic problems. The unity of the departmental work is based on the science and philosophy of organized society in general. on which depenzls the Science and Philosophy of the State. or society politically organized. Then follows the more specializea applications of economical department that the scientiHc-philosophic undue empiricism on the one hancl and the other. The purpose of the depart- tific methorl of investigation, to guara to provide a practical training for pro- end the library or laboratory method suited to enable the student to become subjects. it being helcl by the head of the method is the only safeguard against too great philosophical speculation on ment is essentially to develop the scien- against aone-sided, biased judgment anti fessionalt public or private life. To this has been adopted. being pre-eminently self-directive in thought and research.

Page 26 text:

-Depc21rfmenit of English Literature FRANCIS CALVIN TILDEN. Ph. B.. A. M. T is a commonplace of today that the methocls of studying science have Been revolutionizea'in the last decade. It is less I generally known hut equally true that the methods 'of studying literature have been raclically changed in recent years. There was a time. not very far hack. when even the teacher of literature in college saw in literature nothing but arts something to create pleasure more or less lasting, something to he appreciated aesthetically and emotionally. Passages were to he committed to memory: beauty offom. phrase and thought were to he recognizea: hut as a Jepartment it was loohetl upon as distinctly inferiort as far as mental training went. to history. philosophy or the classic languages. In a way this view of literature is past. Or. one might say. rather. that this view of literature has been superceded by one that is broader ancl the arts. It still has, for teacher and student, the for being. But in aadition to that heauty it is deeper. Literature is still looked upon as one of beauty that Was once considered its only excuse beginning to he realizexl that literature is hoth . , history anti philosophy: history more suhtile than that Which deals with changing constitutions. philosophy more true than theories of Kant or Hume: a history anal philosophy hased upon the thought anti emotions of nations anJ inclividuals. The teacher of literature strives to do two things. He strives first to procluce a cultivated and appreciative taste for the best things in letters. He strives further to find. What all literature surely holds, the tendencies of thought. the customs and manners. the very essence of life of the time in Which the literature was produced. Literature is no longer a reading of beautiful lines and a Blind wanclering in a realm of unscientific criticism. It is a study. requiring all the acuteness of intellect that is requirecl of history and philosophy and asking further a continual exercise of the emotional nature not demanded by the other stuclies. Q At DePauw this view 01': literature has been very popular. The Jepartment has continually increaseti. ti11,in 1903t the room used for so many years proved too small. and the clepartment was given Philo Hall. The number of courses has increased till it is now possihle to talce. in the regular classes of the Jepartment, an undergracluate major. andin acldie tion sufficient graduate Work for a. Masterhs degree. I Professor TIIlaen, the heacl of the department, gracluatecl from Depauw in 1897. The tWO years following were spent in gradnate work at Harvard University. In 1900 he was elected to chair of English Language ancl Literature at South Dakota University. In the same year he was asked to become the head of the tiepartment of English Literature at DePauW. x .,4 x41. vr-