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

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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

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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

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Dr. Carlson, Physiologist, says: HI prefer research work to eatingf' I-le was born in Sweden, raised on a farm, went through the grade schools there, taking manual training, came to America at fifteen, went to night school to learn English, worked as a carpenter's assistant for a year and a half and saved three hundred dollars and went to college in Rock Island. I-le has not always thought of physiological research as his life work. In college, I was interested in everything,-even football, then 1 took to Philosophy, then I found that the most tangible thing in Philosophy was Psychologyg and finally found that the most tangible thing in Psychology was Physiology, and I chose my profession as a graduate. Of course, the conventional standard of success is financial, and therefore no research man is successfulg but we must each set his own standard of what is worth while in life, and disregard the standard of the majority. For me, the dynamic side of the phenomenon of life is of the greatest interest, that interest cannot be described or taught, it can be found only in the work itself, and I feel that if one has added to the knowledge of the physiological processes, something is left behind after he is gone, and that he has not lived in vain. il... lVlr. Allen, the tall, gray man of the German department, an intriguing mixture of slang and poetry, tells us that professors should realize that the class is not the object, but life itselfg they should not bother the students with attendance, papers, marks, but just let the students be around the workshop, get interested, and develop themselvesf' I-le tells the story of his own classes: I like to fool along with a class for a week or ten days until finally some bright person - spokesman for the class - comes and says: 'Well, aren't we going to write any papers?' And then I say, 'Do you want to write a paper?' And he says: 'I don't know that I dog but in other courses like this I always have' All right, write me a paper then.' 'Aren't you going to assign a subject?' 4 Do you want me to assign a subject?' 'Well, yes., 'Then come to my office and talk to me for two or three hours and tell me about your home, and your parents, and your schooling, and your points of viewg and then I'll tell you what I want you to write about.' , 'Oh, really, if you donlt mind, I'd rather not take all that trouble --I -' 'All right, then, sometime when you have something to write about and want to write it, simply and honestly, I shall be glad to have the paper from you. Good-by.' U Mr. Millis of the school of Commerce and Administration - a man drily humorous, very keen, very busy, who since l904 has devoted himself to the investigation of labor problems, and the training and directing of investigators, finds that: The conclusion is forced upon one that progress in the relations between employers and workers comes as a result of an educational progress. Experience shows that there are fundamental principles to be observed in such matters. These have been emerging and taking the form of a common law of industry. Experience shows more strikingly that Page T7.Ut?Hfj'-7114116