Haverford College - Record Yearbook (Haverford, PA)

Page 13 text:

by social and political pressures in Pro- tean forms and that those forms are most insidious which are the subtlest? We, both faculty and students, must keep this freedom clearly in view, for it is from you students of Haverford Col- lege and similar institutions that our leaders come. I do not know younj; people who passively let themselves be educated. They do not always want to learn, to be sure, not always to obey. But one thing the good ones among them want: to be led! 1 implore you, do not let yourselves be misled into seeming splen- dor and do not seclude yourselves in a shining, self-righteous ivory tower when so much hidden sorrow is looking to- ward us for help, when so much mature leadership is needed. Don ' t belong to the thousands of whom it is said that they are ' afraid of the world. nor to the few of whom it is said that they don ' t care for the world. Education is the strongest enemy of ignorance and false nationalism, the champion of inter- nationalism and freedom. IMPRESSIONS OF HAVERFORD by Levi Arnold Post Professor of Greek, Emeritus An old man. according to Horace, is given to citing the good old days. I can remember when Lancaster Pike was a toll road full of bumps and dust, and there were no tarred or concrete roads anywhere. We still tramped three miles through farms to Darby Creek for a swim or to camp all night on the bank. The skating pond was a cow pasture in the spring and the milk was redolent of garlic. There were colored waiters to serve us in the dining room. Every student thrilled to the voice of F. B. Gunimere making old English poetrv sing and throb with the spirit of adventure. Everv student learned from Rufus Jones to shuck off the husk and find the kernel of life. Every student had to pass the mathematics tests of Leigh Reid, who still has a house on the campus. Soccer was played in the winter and cricket, not baseball, in the spring. The student council was not yet launched and there was no Haverford etcs. The President ran the college, with the help of a registrar, who also kept store and taught drawing, a dean who was professor of phvsics. and two stenographers. There were no depart- ments of psychology, political science, or sociology. e felt no respon- sibility for other nations or other minorities, ' ar was incredible. We idolized athletes and hazed freshmen. There was no dancing, no contact with Bryn Mawr. no serious music, no drama club, and no organized publicity. How much bigger and better we all are now. And that includes me.

Page 12 text:

, A, .• IMPRESSIONS OF HAVERFORD by Alvin H. Hansen Visiting Professor of Economics I have the impression that Haverford is essentially a big family . Contact between students and faculty is intimate and close. The students come largely from the same social strata and from the eastern seaboard. This makes for uni- formity rather than diversity. I have the impression that it might be a good thing for Haverford to give more scholarships aiming directly at greater diversity, both as to social status and geographical dis- tribution. In a small college the student learns easilv from his professors: in a large uni- versity he is thrown more heavily on his own resources, and he is likely to seek help from discussion and argument with other students. The university student is forced to work his way out, or else to puzzle it out through long, often erron- eous, arguments with other students. Dis- agreement and controversy often emerge in keen and aggressive thought. At Hav- erford discussions tend perhaps to be a bit too friendly . . . IMPRESSIONS OF HAVERFORD by Ottoniar Rudolf Instructor in German Teach, exhort, pray! If they listen, it is well: if they don ' t, learn to bear it. Truth rises before us: let him who dares, take hold of it; and we will ap- plaud. Such were the words of a president of a European university in the year 1711, forerunner of that phil- osophy of education which Haverford College many years later accepted as its own. This College believes in the dignity of the human individual and therefore ac- cepts the challenge of leading him fearlessly and uncompromisingly to truth and wisdom. It puts man back where he belongs — above politics, above economics and industr . even above the state itself. He makes him- self master of these man-made institu- tions again. Only men with free minds can assume leadership, can understand the challenge which the world presents. Are we above provincialism, national- ism, chauvinism at Haverford. realizing that even in a free community such as this there is ever lurking the danger [hat this freedom can be whittled away

Page 14 text:

s IMPRESSIONS OF HAVERFORD by Sir Charles and Lady Pamela Snow We had heard a good deal about Haverford before we arrived but we didn ' t expect to be as charmed as we were in fact. As you all know, but we didn ' t know until we came, the campus is one of the most visually attractive anywhere; like a Rowlandson landscape, with just a framework of formal elegance under its easiness. And to us, who, like most English people, like strolling about on foot, it Was an amenity to be able to walk to faculty houses round the cricket pitch. Incidentally, one of the reasons why Haverford is better known in England than any other liberal arts college, is its cricket history. We spent some time meditating on what you call the crease (we call it the wicket), and wondering whether you could grow good turf there again. But, of course, people matter more than campuses, even the most alluring of campuses. We were specially lucky in our hosts. We had a great deal of intellectual exchange; we were able to see you at work; we witnessed some splendid teaching; and, what is best of all, we could talk face to face with a number of students. With all this, we were so impressed that we have speculated since whether our own country wouldn ' t benefit considerably from the introduction of some liberal arts colleges. At present this is an institution we just do not possess. It might very well be the answer to some of our most difficult problems.