Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 52

more difficult to find than money. Wisdom is needed to adjust plans and aims to means; to find the highest and best things; to aim only at just what can be well accomplished; to keep out of the way secondary, inferior and outside matters, that the money and the labor may all count upon the vigor and efficiency of the few great, central objects; and that the character of the institution may be steady, growing, and permanent.

The living force of the college is the teacher, and the power of the institution rests in the hands of each instructor, in his own line of work. Do not be deceived. The good professor is not necessarily the famous man, the great speaker, or the great writer, or the master of books, or the very learned man, or the popular man. The teacher is simply to manage his class and his subject, by patient and skillful work, so that the young men will themselves work patiently and diligently upon it and take an interest in it, and acquire as much as possible, in a given time, of the subject and of the best discipline that belongs to it, and of its relation to other things. His mind cannot be on other matters. The only hope and ambition of the good teacher is to make great and good men of his students. As to being popular, he will strive to deserve the approbation of all good men, and then take whatever comes. That is all any man can properly do. As to being a great and distinguished professor, for students to talk about, what does that amount to? He prefers that students talk about their studies and take great interest in them. And just in proportion to his quiet and steady contact and labor with his class, will be his value to the college. As to educating young men - and your institute is no place for children or small boys; let them be tutored at the high school till there is an incipient and growing manhood in body, mind and character. As to the teacher's educating his students, it is out of the question. But he will aid, direct and stimulate, so that the student shall educate himself, and stand forth with that self-conscious power, independence and individuality, which is the best type of the American citizen and the highest type of the educated man.

You are too modest in your hopes of this new institution. It will, indeed, fit young men better for the practical work of the various industrial pursuits of the region, and more than that. Aim at nothing short of the highest and noblest results, and why may you not hope for reasonable success in that, as well as in any less elevated purpose? Certainly. Let this be the model institution of the region. Let its plan, methods, aims and spirit pervade and elevate the whole educational system around you. Let its culture, directly and indirectly, in due time, ennoble every person in the region. This can be done. It should be done, and by a single half-century of faithful work, advance this growing population conspicuously beyond their age.

The assembled friends of the new school were eager to learn -what manner of man was he who had been chosen as its

webmaster@wpi.edu

Last Modified: Fri Jul 30 11:15:25 EDT 1999