Washington and Lee University - Calyx Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

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T would seek to ascertain the moral worth of the man, his educational and intellectual stan lards, and the stimulating and uplifting influence of his character upon his conteni})oraries and the subsequent University life. In the case of Presidents Lee and Wilson, he would find these intangiljle re- sults or influences to l)e worth more to the University than its entire material endowment. From the standpoint of the real wealth of Washing- ton and Lee, he could no more compare them to the concrete advance in the University ' s equipment made by these men than he could compare the value of Esau ' s birthright with the mess of pottage for which he sold it. The tangible results of Presidents Lee and Wilson ' s lives to Washington and Lee could be estimated fairly well. The intangible endowment which flowed from their association with it, would be found to he valuable beyond comparsion, but, at the same time, more or less indefinable and incalculable. If such is the case in estimating the work of men who have passed out of ' sight, how much more difficult it is to appreciate the work of those who still go about among us ? Even the tangible result of their labor may be incomplete, the intangible influence of their lives oftentimes disputed. The nearness of the individual may destroy the range of our vision and his work may be better than we estimate, or, on the other hand, personal feeling may so color our judgment as to lead to over-estimation and undeserved praise. Fortunately, however, the task is not so hard as regards the sub- ject of this appreciation. Many of us have known Mr. Willis for a number of years and others have sat in his lecture room and have come under his personal influence. Under his direction, we have seen the Economic dept. gradually assume, form and grow to its present proportions. Moreover, we have known, or at least, have thought that we knew the forces which weiv constraining Mr. W illis and the ends toward which he was .striving. A brief discu.ssion of the.se aims and forces, together with a review of Mr. Wil- lis ' training and personality, will bring clearly to mind the significance of his work at Washington and I ee. First, as to the training and personality of the man. Henry Parker Willis was born Aug. U, 1874, at Weymouth, Massachusetts. After re- ceivin g his early education in the .schools of Racine, Wisconsin, he entered W ' estcrn Reserve I ' niversitv. From that institution he went to the Uni- versity of Chicago where he received his under-graduate degree in 1894. He was immediately appointed a Fellow in the Department of Political Economy at Chicago and after two years spent in resident study, he received

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: ' HEN a man has passed along life ' s lii ;h vay to the mile- stone which records the farthest point, it is difficult for those who come after him to look back over the road which he travelled and estimate the worth of iiis achieve- ments, even if his journey has embraced the allotted maxi- mum of three score and ten years and has been marked by ceaseless strug ;le and high endeavor. A man ' s life-work cf)nsists not only of those things which are visible to the eye, which can be handled by the hands, and which may even be approximately measured by the intellect. The results are both tangible and intangible. In the case of our large industrial corporations it is their intangible possessions or assets which are the most remunerative and which yield the largest return. So it is with a man ' s life. The intangible features of his work, which are exceedingly hard to estimate, are probably the most |)rofitable and the most valuable of his benefactions to the generations which follow him. If the demand were made for a critical estimate of Gen- eral Robert E. Lee ' s work as President of Washington and Lee University, surely a conclusion would not be reached by ascertaining how the enroll- ment of students or the money endowment of the University increased dur- ing (lencral Lee ' s administration or as a result of his efforts. Likewise, if a jmlgment was to be formcfl of President Wilson ' s administration, it would not be sufficient to inquire how many new buildings were erected, what additions were made to the equipment of the chemical and physical labora- tories, and what were the accessories to the library during President Wil- son ' s term of office. The truth-seeking investigator would not merely col- laborate these tangible expressions of a man ' s life, and declare Such was the man ' s work, such was the man, such was his value to the University. He would review these tangible evidences, but he would go further. He y )| w

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k a special appoiiitiiieiit to tlic Ariiiour-Craiio travelliii;j; fellowsliip and con- tinued his studies al)road, |)i-in(ipally at Lei|)zii; ' , Vienna and Paris. During the year ISitT he returned to tliis country and the I ' liiversity of Chicago conferred upon him the degree of I ' ll. 1). In the foUowing academic year lS!)7-18!)iS, Mr. Wilhs was assistant to the Monetiiry Commission of the Inihanapohs Convention antl assisted Prof. Laugidin in preparing the Hejiort of the Monetary Commission. Siiortly afterwards he was selected hy former President Wilson to found the new Department of Economics and Politics at Washington and Lee University. No better summary of Mr. Willis ' character and previous training at the time he took up his work in Lexington can he found than in a letter of Prof. J.Laurence Laughlin.Head of the Dept. of I ' olitical Economy, at the University of Chicago, to President Wilson, a portion of which is to he found in President AVilson s report to the Hoard of Trustees of Washington and Lee for the year 18()7-18!) S. I have known him (Mr. Willis), wrote Prof. Laughlin, for several years, f[uite intinuitely, finding in him one of the ablest young men in our subject of my ac(|uaintance. He uses German, French, and Italian readily; and was early trained thoroughly in the classics. Hut as an enthu- siastic student and [ihenomenal worker I do not know his e(|ual. He has obtained his doctorate nuujiHt ciun lauilc afte! three years graduate study here and abroad, and has produced already more than most men at thirty. He is sensitive, high minded and conscientious to a fault. His tendency is to overwork ; but he is certain to make a strong reputation for him.self . He is the most intellectually honest and sincere man I know. This letter is also interesting in that succecfling years have verified its predictions and for the additional reason that the jjersonal qualities of Mr. Willis, which caught Prof. Laughlin s attention during his as.sociation with him, were those which have been most manifest in Mr. AVillis ' work here. Hut, in addition, to the possession of this unusual personality and to the etiuipment of exceptional preliminary training, another factor mu.st be taken into account before the full significance of Mr. Willis ' work may be grasped. This factor, local in a sense, consisted of the personal influence of former President W ' ilson. The views of President Wilson on educational prol)lems are well known. His ideas relative to the functions of a Ihiiversity in a Democracy are treasured and constantly put forward l)y those public-minded citizens who