University of Chicago - Cap and Gown Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

Page 25 text:

The question often comes to me, 'What place does real recreation have in the educational program? If we have leisure time, how do we use it? Do we distinguish the activities which really refresh body, mind, and spirit, from the activities which leave one fatigued, or have not made imperative a change of thought? Theoretically we know the Value of play, of the play that relaxes and recreates, but do we make any practical application of that knowledge? An hour of real recreation a day might make us a bit less serious-minded, but would it make us any less studious? For real recreation one does not need to be a prospective football player. Play is a matter of desire, of opportunity rather than strength. And play must be social to refresh. We do not play alone - 'the more the merrier' is especially true in recreative play. I look forward to the time when the desire for recreation on the part of the student body shall be so great that laboratories and classrooms will close at 4:30 in the afternoon, and 'Facultyi and student together have an hour of recreation as a necessary part of a complete educational program. A friendly man in his sunny office in the Botany building-Professor Coulter greets us with a smile and is ready to turn from his work to discuss the undergraduate. I always think that there are three things a student should do, he says. First, every student ought to be in some activity. Of course a danger lies in taking on too many, but we must not be hermits. Secondly, every student ought to be in some centrifugal activity, something whereby he can be of service to people. A reasonable amount of social work is part of one's social equipment for life. And thirdly, every student ought to work with interest in his studies. It is the interest which counts, isn't it? We believe that the interestis a bigger end than the subject itself, and therefore we try to stimulate the student into working on account of his interest and not for his credit. A student who balances these three things has a good program. Don't you think so? I-le smiles his smile again, and we agree with him. Professor W. E.. Dodd, a Virginian of extra- ordinary gentleness tempered by strong convictions, an investigator who presents his conclusions with a sort of embarrassed eloquence, a teacher equally inspiring to graduates and undergraduates, submits a word on the relation of historical study to general education: History is a method and a discipline, an inex- haustible storehouse of story, romance, comedy, and tragedy. lts method and discipline are but the order- ing of facts and thinking upon the meaning of things, both past and present, not memorizing dates and facts. History is as much an opportunity for the developing of one's power of close reasoning as ever mathematics has beeng and the very process of historical thinking brings home to one the most surprising and important information. The opening of the store- Page Twenty-:ez'e1z

Page 24 text:

associations, and holding various advisory positions. As a teacher Dr. Stieglitz's lectures - 4 are lucid and logical, and he is equally successful with elementary and with advanced students. His scientific interests have passed on to his childreng both son and daughter are physicians of great promise, and both are married to physicians. Dr. Stieglitz is an ardent golfer and photographer. With all of these interests - scientific, adminis- trative, both local and national, teaching and writing, sport and art-one might imagine that he would have no time for personal contact with studentsg but he is never too busy to consider care- fully and sympathetically each student's problems, and his helpful interest in his students, affairs won him the title by which he is known - the students' friend. Mr. Gale, the big, kind dean, thinks that a man is not a good specialist if he does not know something outside his own lineg he can not meet people if he is not rounded. One ought to know something of the modern languages, the social sciences, biology, and the physical sciences Physics and Chemistry. Un medieval times, knowledge of Greek and Latin literature was the mark of educationg later, philosophy was the mark, but this is the age of science, and no matter what one does, he ought to know something about science.j Mr. Gale thinks the University should primarily be for graduate research, but he does not believe in the elimination of the undergraduates. He thinks only the intellectual incapables should go - say, those who get below C their first year. And he thinks also that the poor teachers should be taken out: HA professor should be either a crackerjack research man or an excellent teacher. H The undergraduate of today? Much the same as in my time. My favorite rec- reation? Golf. What should I rather have than anything else? Plenty of money for the Ogden School of Graduate Research. And for further information about me, fwith a twinklel 'see my good friend, Mr. Linn., H Miss Talbot, our little Dean of Women, says that all through childhood, girlhood, and young womanhood her training has been fitting her for some educational position. Wheir she began preparing for college, she had to be tutored privately, as no public school in Boston taught girls Greek or advanced Latin, and these advanced studies brought estrangement from girlhood friends - she was dropped socially. However, Miss Talbot graduated from Boston Universityg traveled someg on returning home reestablished her old acquaintanceships through a Literary Clubg became a trustee of her own University, helped found the association now known as the American Association of University Vlfomeng was very busy as its Secretary for thirteen years and then its President, taught at Wellesley Collegeg and upon being asked to help organize the University of Chicago, came west in September, l892, to work with Mrs. Palmer, bearing in her pocket a bit of Plymouth Rock which a friend had given her as a friendly talisman. Miss Dudley, director of women's Physical Culture, who can joke and scold and philosophize with equal effectiveness, talks here on a subject that is very near to her - Recreation: Page 7-ZL'f'7lfj 51..1'

Page 26 text:

house is easv, the entertainment when once within passes all imagination and the whetting of one's mind upon historical subject matter for a single quarter works a change in students that everyone sees. History is lifeg it is abundant in exampleg it enables one to judge current events and problems with patience and accuracy. I cannot understand students when they say that history is 'dry.' It is so much more interesting, when properly studied, than rnost novels that I seldom divorce myself from the sources of history long enough to read even a Wells or an Arnold Bennettf' The only mathematician in America who is a Corresponding Member of the French Academy of Sciences, Professor Dickson, has shown mathematical ability from the time he was a youngsterg he graduated from the University of Texas with the highest record ever held thereg was attracted to our University for his doctorateg studied abroad with famous mathematiciansg and has been here since 1900. I give myself to my research and my classes, he says in a quiet voice that sug- gests his wide, even, logical mind. I have had to cut out nearly all Faculty meetings and University functions. Occasionally this has been misunderstood to mean lack of interestg but I have stuck to it, considering it the University's duty and privilege to let me develop as a research man. And so I urge all young men to stand out against the drift, if they feel they must do so, to save their own abilities. By closely following this program of his, Mr. Dickson has been able to do a prodigious amount of workg he has published a large number of books and papers which represent original contributions, and now at forty-nine years of age he is recognized as one of the foremost men of science in the country. ' Professor F. R. Moulton represents himself as having had great adventures. When I was a boy, in the wilds of central Michigan, I read of Caesar and Hannibal, of Columbus and the Cabots, of De Soto and Balboa, of Pere Marquette and La Salle, and of other explorers and heroes of our histories, and said, 'My, they had the real life. Why couldn't I have lived in their day.' 'lAt seventeen I entered a preparatory school and the adventures of the intellectual life begang at twenty-three I began teaching in the University and soon had the unparalleled privilege of associating with three men who were preeminent in their lines: Dr. T. C. Chamberlin, the foremost geologist of our time, Dr. Michelson, one of the very few who may be called a genius, and Dr. E. H. Moore, one of the greatest masters of the logic of mathematics in the world. The intellectual adventures I have had with these explorers of the physical and logical universe have surpassed in interest and satisfaction any I might have had with the heroes of my boyhood days. And then, also, I have taken some excur- sions alone into the dynamics of globbing clustersg the theory of infinitely many variables, and other amusing regions. I-like students immensely, particularly the undergraduates whose minds have not been entirely spoiled by education. I always enjoy giving them glimpses into the wonder- ful domains explored by the human mind, and sometimes I even enjoy abusing them a little. Page Twrlitj'-ciglrt