DePauw University - Mirage Yearbook (Greencastle, IN)

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Department of' History When Fustel de Coulanges wrote MI-Iistory is no easy science, he expressed the firm conviction of Doctor An- drew Stephenson, who for fourteen years has been at the head of the Historical Department in DePauw Univer- sity. Doctor Stephenson has at all times clung tenaciously to the principle that if a student e11ters his department he wants to master the subject. If tl1is supposition is per- missable, the conclusion naturally follows that he wants to work. In the Doctor's words, 'GI-Ie must use his head, and not his feet? Under Doctor Stephenson's regime, the Historical De- partment has become one of the strongest in the Univer- sity, but it is by no means the most popular. This is con- sidered a compliment by Doctor Stephenson, illld in no sense a derogatory statement of affairs. The classes in European History, which the Doctor has dubbed tthis Baby class, because this is required of all those who wish to enter the department, are sometinies very large, but Dr. Stephenson has a way of singling out those who 'tget the motionf' As a result, the more advanced classes are not so large. Tlieimodus oyzcwmrlfi, or the system used in the depart.- ment, IS' not entirely original. The lectures de- livered in the class 1'0011l a1'e enforced bv collat- eral 1'eading, which is demanded of everv stu- dent. Fifteen hundred volumes of thd best works bearing upon the periods of history dis- cussed in the lecture have been gathered into the historical seminarium. This departinental, library 1S supported by an assessment of 581 a term, exacted by the University, and by fines which the Doctor assesses for missing books. '4This is a democratic institution,,' declared Doctor Steph- enson, uand upon the same principle that taxes are levied, the whole class is responsible for a book that is taken from the library.', These fines are assessed at the end of each term and the books are then 1'eplaced. Twenty-one courses are offered in this department: Three in European History, three in English Constitu- tional and Political History, three in United States Con- stitutional History, three in Historical, seminary course, three in Church History, which covers the period from the founding of the church to the establishment of the Papacyg three in Roman Law, and three in French Rev- olutional and Nineteenth Century History. The courses, with the exception of the European History courses, are given in alternate years. European and English History are required for a major in the department. ' Doctor Stephenson was graduated from DePauw Uni- versity in the class of 1882, was superintendent of the Public Schools ill Sparland, Illinois, for two years, taught Latin and Greek for four years in Upper Iowa Universityg was for two years instructor in history in Johns Hopkinsg associate professor in history at the Wvcs- leyan University, Middletown, Connnecticutg obtained the lcctureship on Medieval History at Bucknell, Pennsylvaniaq spent summer vaca- tions as historical student at Harvard and at Bodlean Library, Oxford, in England, and since 1895 has been at the head of the IIistor- ical Departnient in DePauw University. Doc- tor Stephenson now has a six-volume work on 'tThe History of Liberty, in the hands of the printer. Page 15

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Department of. Greek Are you a lover of the beautiful? And would you know the SOLIPCQ of beauty? Then study Greek. Do you like poetry? And would you know the home of poetry? Then, again, study Greek. Are you interested in lan- guage? And do you desire to find a perfect language? To you comes the answer: Study Greek. iVould you have mental discipline? Do you want. a keen, logical, analyt- ical, and, above all, an accurate mind? Then, by all means, study Greek. For it is these things that the Department of Greek stands for at DePauw. To make you a Greek scholar, to enable you to appreciate Grecian poetry, oratory, philos- ophy and beauty-that is one of the things intended. But, secondarily, if you do not care for this and want training in sound and precise thinking, then the department gives you opportunity for such training. While the physician, the engineer, the lawyer or the business man will find the study of this language val- uable, yet it will be of ample value to the teacher and to the minister. The teachers, especially those who do not intend to specialize in the sciences, should have at least a working knowledge of Greek. To obtain higher degrees i11 literature, language and philosophy in many universities, the students must have Greek credits. And to this class the depart- ment administers. Ministers, too, are given special attention. lt is trite to say a preacher should study Greek. It has come to be an essential in his professional Page 14 training. The department is of especial value to such students. Dr. Swahlen gives such students especial atten- tion and has his course arranged for their benefit. The charge is often made that the Greek language is hard. That is not true at DePauw. That it takes study and hard work to master the language is, of course, true. But any student of ordinary persistence and intelligence can easily master it. Doctor Swahlen has a system of instruction that eliminates all the difficulties. His maps, outlines and charts, and his clear and lucid lectures make the study of this most perfect language interesting, in- structive and pleasant. Doctor Swahlen may well be called the grand old man of the DePauw faculty. He has followed the profession of the teacher for forty-two years, and twenty-two of these years have been spent at DePauw University. His par- ents were of German descent, and the Doctor is an accom- plished German, as well as Greek, scholar. From the University of Pennsylvania Doctor Swahlen received both his master and doctoris degree. In 1867 he was elected to the chair of Greek and German at McKendree College, Lebanon, Illinois, and in 1873 became president of the same school. Doctor Swahlen, in 1887, was elected president of Kansas VVes- leyan University and professor of Greek at DePauw. He accepted the last named position, and although he has had many attractive offers, he has preferred to remain with the school.

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epartment of Latin In keeping with the American spiritf' our universities have been obliged to undergo a process of evolution in order to keep apace with the progressive tendency of the times. The college curriculum does not make the same demands upon the present-day youth that it did upon his grandfather. ln the days of our forefathers no college course was complete without a thorough training in classic language and literature, but the utilitarian spirit of today has tended to crowd these studies from the list of required wo1'k and put them on the schedule as elective subjects. The present commercial age would stigmatize that knowl- edge which cannot be employed in obtaining immediate material gain as ttdeadv or ttuselessf' This spirit, to- gether with the wonderful advances lately made in the physical and social sciences, has tended to turn to other channels the energy formerly expended in the pursuit of classical training. The discipline in scholarly methods, the key to a treasure house of rich literature, the extended etymological training, all of which are the re- ward of a study of ancient languages, are over- looked in the mad rush of a materialistic age. ln the midst of these evolutionary ten- dencies, DePauw University may point with pride to a Latin Department whose popular- ity is undiminished among the students. Dr. Page 16 Edwin Post, the able head of this department, suc- ceeded Dr. Lewis L. Rogers in 1879, and with the excep- tion of two years, absence in Europe, has been directly in charge of it since that time. A man of scholarly tastes, Dr. Post is not only well versed in knowledge pertaining to his department, but is an English scholar as well. He not o11ly successfully carries out the three-fold purpose of enabling students to read ordinary Latin at sight, of acquainting them with as much Latin literature as possi- ble, and ol? inculcating a knowledge of ltoman civiliza- tion and social life, but also drills them in methodical habits of study and imparts lifelong methods of syste- matic workmanship. There are at present more than 100 students in the department. The Simison Latin Library contains many rare and valuable volumes selected by Dr. Post, with his usual sagacity and care, and excellent opportunities are thus afforded for the Seminarium classes and students doing graduate work. Dr. Post is ably assisted in his work by Dade 'Bee Shearer, A.l3., a g1'aduate of Northwestern ,Univer- sity. Miss Shearer came to DePauw Univer- sity at the beginning of the fall term in 1907, and has proven herself very efficient in promulgating the work according to the plan and methods of the head of the depart- ment.