Princeton University - Bric A Brac Yearbook (Princeton, NJ)

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the same privilege. McCosh fostered the idea, and engineered grants of money to aid in founding of a school for graduate study. Fellowships were granted to out- standing students; soon McCosh ' s highest hopes were fulfilled. As the gi ' aduate body continued to expand each year, Princeton was on the way to becoming truly a uni- versity. In 1887 James McCosh tendered his resignation to the trustees. He had served Princeton for 19 years and was several years above three score and ten. The trustees expressed profound regret in ac- cepting his decision. As one considers the multiple achieve- ments of Dr. McCosh, it is strange that the one great deed which he effected did not actually become a reality in his administra- tion. He had made Princeton a university. Despite his continued urgings, backed by the alumni, the trustees refused to take the necessary measures to make the change. Yet McCosh could take reasonable con- solation in the fact that his accomplish- ments had made it a university in actuality. The graduate school, the schools of Science and Art, the higher degrees, the enlarged library, the new buildings, the improved faculty, and the more intellectual student body all pointed to the consolidation of the college. McCosh had pointed the way which Princeton must take and had set her upon the path. He had responded to the vitality which was shaping the nation and had shaped Princeton accordingly. To him, more than anyone else, belongs credit for making a great university out of a strug- gling college. The trustees insisted that McCosh ' s successor be a Presbyterian minister, ac- cording to the unbroken tradition of Princeton history. Thus, Francis L. Pat- ton was elected over the protests of the alumni. Patton was a professor in both the college and the Theological School, but vas neither a Princeton graduate nor even an American citizen. It was upon these lat- ter two points that the opposition centered its attack. Patton, however, soon won over his opponents. He frankly discussed the ob- jections and answered each in detail. When he pointed out the pride with which Princeton men looked upon Witherspoon and McCosh, and added that they were not citizens either, the alumni came to his sup- port. By showing great interest in athletics and extra-curricular affairs, Patton en- deared himself to the undergraduates. Patton ' s greatest accomplishments lay in the expansion of the physical plant, and a conglomeration of architectural monu- ments arose on the campus. Dod Hall was built first, followed by Brown Hall. Alex- ander Hall went up as a graduation and assembly building. To further the note of incongruity, the Grecian halls of Whig and Clio were constructed. Several members of the faculty and alumni noted with considerable anxiety the lack of uniformity among the campus buildings. Dean Andrew West suggested that the Gothic motif be adopted. This plan was sanctioned and as a result Blair and Little Halls were constructed along Gothic lines. These were followed by the library addition, which went up in the place of the Philosophical Building. Old grads called it the crime of ' 96, but the new library was generally recognized as a valu- able addition to the college. The present- day infirmary was constructed and named for McCosh ' s wife, Isabella. To complete the growing need for expansion, a large modern gymnasium was built, and stood until the fire in 1944 destroyed it. The faculty continued to shine in the reflected glory of McCosh ' s administration. Patton did little to add to its membership 23

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and it remained unchanged for several years after McCosh ' s resignation. He at- tempted to loosen the curriculum and change the emphasis from classics to broad liberal subjects. He succeeded in this to a great extent, thus eflFecting the first major change in curriculum in over a century. Cries of country club were aired throughout Patton ' s term, and not without reason. The ditty which went: ' Tis better to have gone and loafed Than never to have gone at all. was in wide circulation at the time. It was almost impossible to flunk a course. Things got so bad that when the administration threatened to raise the requirements in an Economics course, a small riot broke out. The country club theory received a further boost by the workings of the club system. The clubs, by now, were well established. However, there was a cut throat method of elections, and many even refused to join the clubs rather than be- come a party to such a system. The social emphasis put on the clubs assumed an un- due importance. The clubs almost ruined themselves through their actions in this period. Hazing, too, played a big part in un- dergraduate life. Freshmen were the par- ticular victims of upperclass pranks. A favorite trick was to place a freshman on the parapet of the library and then throw snowballs at him from below. When one freshman was almost drowned in the canal as the result of a hazing, the time for cor- rective action was ripe. The undergradu- ates met in Alexander Hall, of their owti volition, and voted to stop further hazing. The freshmen were still forced to abide by certain rules of conduct, though; they could not appear on the street after nine o ' clock, nor wear a fedora, nor smoke a pipe! At the time that hazing was being settled, the great battle with Pawnee Bill took place. PaA -nee Bill ' s Wild West Cir- cus was parading through town to dram up a following before going out to the cir- cus ground. The route passed by two blocks lined with Princeton students. Some- one threw a rock which hit a cowboy named Big Mouth. He lashed out with his whip, hitting several students. This started a free- for-all for which the students were mys- teriously prepared. The circus crew was scattered, but rallied for a charge in the best wild west fashion. The students ' line held, though, and Pawnee Bill retreated to the circus grounds under a shower of rotten eggs and cannon crackers. The current was going strong against the cou ntry club tide in other respects. The honor system blossomed in 1893. It was a success from the start. In one of the few cases of an early violation, one man was seen furtively glancing at notes. The president of his class leaned over and said, Tear up your paper and flunk this. He did. The students were beginning to have a greater voice in college affairs. Already the Princetonian was a highly respected organization. Its editorials had a deep ef- fect on both the faculty and the students. Student government developed, due partly to the urgings of the Prince in the nine- ties. Class organization came first, to be followed later by more imiversal under- graduate governing boards. ' IX- While the change in undergraduate life was taking place, the position of the graduate student was likewise coming into consideration. The faculty had long en- visaged a separate graduate school, the functions of which would, however, corre- late with those of the general college. To achieve this end, Patton sought to increase the endowment. It was at this time that Andrew Fleming West espoused the grad- 25