Hillsdale College - Winona Yearbook (Hillsdale, MI)

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quite a large number are rich by the use of attainments there secured. eHow much owest thou, my Lord? Of course, no mathematical statistics can be given upon this subject: but it is the belief of the writer after an acquaintance with the institution from the first, that but very few of the 12,000 who havebeen students of Hillsdale College are now living without some financial profits from that source, and that there are now in the possession of those students more than 351,200,000 which will never be used or needed for the personal com- forts of life. Not only is the college of financial value to the public and its students, but to the friends of these students. There are hundreds and thousands who are better situated and richer because of the college life of students in time past, and this will continue and in- crease as the years go by, and posterity will be richer as well as better by the experience of ancestors in Hillsdale College. But all these financial values must be considered in their rela- tions to higher ends. The material universe was created for mind. and all values become yalueless if not ultimately appropriated for the development and culture of the mind, and the satisfaction of its wants. The first demand of the intellect is knowledge, the first demand of the affection is society or associates, and the first demand of the conscience is law and duty. VVhatever meets these intuitive, continuous and eternal demands of the mind constitute the true riches. Financial values are only investments in the supreme work of mental and moral culture. Stocks in business corporations are not estimated by the millions invested-and perhaps lost-but by the success in reference to ultimate ends. The real value of colleges and universities are not to be estimated by the magnitude of build- ings or endowments, but by the increase of mental power and moral force. If Hillsdale College has done as much for the good of the world as similar institutions, in proportion to investments of time and money, its friends have no reason to complain. But if, as firmly believed by those best acquainted with its work, it has accomplished much more for the increase of intelligence. mental force and moral culture, in proportion to its means and labor, than other schools upon an average from highest to lowest, then may its friends rejoice and with renewed energy put forth still greater efforts in their noble work. 29

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the college, in addition to what is expended by those attracted to this location, who, but for the college, would live elsewhere. The growth of Hillsdale city since 1853 cannot be attributed exclusively to its college. but in view of its lack of water power, manufacturing enterprises, mining interests and opportunities for speculation, we must conclude that the college has been the cause of at least one-half of its steady growth. lf one-half of its public prohts could be turned into the college itself it would increase its funds more than one mil- lion of dollars. But even the financial value of the college is largely a matter of individual experience. Actions caused by animal instinct have about the same merit as the animals. Knowledge and mental power if- the great work of the college, and every fact learned, and every degree of mental power acquired increases ability for the increase ol personal or public values financially, as well as otherwise. Even the most simple manual labor may be performed with higher mo- tives, more ease, and greater success by educated man than by others. And in proportion as the mental elements enter into human actions do they become valuable to society and profitable to the actor. Divinity, Law and Medicine, once termed the learned pro- fessions, have ceased to be the only ones deserving of that appella- tion. Soldiers and statesmen, teachers and editors, poets and mu- sicians, sculptors and architects, manufacturers and merchants, scientists and philosophers, are now just as devoted to their profes- sions, and need quite as much learning as clergymen, lawyers or doctors. Mental labor is quite as useful as manual labor, and re- ceives compensation accordingly. Learning and education is valu- able capital, whether used judiciously or not. A man may own a gold mine and never use it, or millions of bank stock and use it to his injury. So one may possess much unemployed mental power and suffer for what he might acquire, or apply his knowledge without moral principle and be only a learned fool. Or he may employ his education in the most simple labor profitably to himself and others. Or he may use his education for more general purposes, with cor- responding salaries or consequences. lt is undoubtedly true that one-half of all the past students of Hillsdale College have found their education profitable Hnancially, and at least Eve thousand are at work where their education is indispensibly necessary: and that 28

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