Dormitory and club life and their relationship to university organization, Book

Within the last few years it has been suggested, at least on several different occasions known to the writer, that Harvard University, or perhaps more correctly Harvard College, should be divided into a number of smaller colleges. The suggestion has also been made, and very nearly acted upon, that the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology should be united with Harvard, or at least should become more closely affiliated with the latter institution. A certain degree of opinion against the affiliation was expressed by a very considerable number of undergraduates and graduates of both institutions. This was finally, however, largely overcome and negotiations between the two institutions entered into with one of the above ends in view. Unfortunately, however, it was determined that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would be unable to sell the land, on which the larger portion of its educational buildings were situated, for commercial or residential purposes. Since it was felt that propinquity was essential for any true affiliation between these two institutions further negotiations were not attempted.

The writer wishes to offer a concrete plan based on the former suggestion that Harvard be separated into a number of smaller colleges, and also a possible method of procedure by which a closer unity between Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology might be countenanced. He does this, moreover, in the belief that the community in which these institutions are situated should be willing to aid in the latter undertaking.

In addition to extending the advantage gained from sports from a small percentage to all students, by a division of the university into a number of colleges, another, perhaps greater one, might be looked for. Between the smaller American college and the larger university one must concede to the smaller institution the advantage gained by the closer mingling of all classes of students with one another. During the eighties, or at about the period of President Roosevelt’s graduation, this asset was still a true and valuable one to the two hundred students, more or less, in a single class. But this asset has been gradually dwindling with the increase in size of each successive class and nothing can rehabilitate it so perfectly as the division of the classes into smaller groups, which are determined not merely by social distinctions, but embrace in themselves, in each group or smaller college, every type of student character.

Would not the final outcome of this relationship, if each college were to determine a club and social life centered about a division of arts, science, or literature, tend toward the development of arts and science to a greater degree even than any system now in vogue among the European universities? Associative life not determined by mere social bonds is purposeful and stimulative to achievement and it was its fullest existence that was productive of the European Renaissance. In literature, arts or sciences it is the gradually upreared subconscious foundation which allows one to excel his fellows of a period, and it is the building of this subconscious element which is so woefully lacking, with the exception possibly of literature, in even our older American universities.

In Harvard undergraduate life competition in studies is too potent among a large number of men, among another, perhaps larger group, it is too little so. With this first class, or so-called university grinds, and also with a large number of students trained in technical schools, the subject masters the man, not the man the subject. The student in fact becomes too largely a mechanical part of his learning. With the second class of college men studies are mere play, the healthly competitive stimulus formerly found in classical work does not prevail.

Reinstate the healthful environment of competition (limited, however, most carefully in its quantitative nature) and one interwoven with a full under-graduate, social or club life among men who are going to follow the same life work, and we shall regain all the strength and beauty which no man can help but feel was attributable to the older classical work, and perhaps a little more, for we shall have the stimulus of life beyond the college walls.

If we limit a man’s competitive work and make half of his courses elective shall we not get the true benefits of the elective system combined with the stimulating effect of a large number of men competing in a definite work throughout their course? These benefits, the writer believes, formed the true foundation of the classical course. He believes that it was not the classical learning, but the healthy environment surrounding it, that still upholds this course with many.

Let us very briefly view possible physical changes which Harvard should have to undergo to make the division considered truly advantageous.

The site on which the present Technology buildings stand is one which the City of Boston might well be proud of for its city hall. If the site were used for this purpose certainly not more than one-third of the ground would have to be built upon. Under these conditions the Massachusetts Institute of Technology could dispose of its holdings and what more admirable location could be found for the Technology than the other side of the Charles River on the unoccupied ground lying east of Soldiers’ Field. Between the Charles and Massachusetts Avenue could be placed any necessary new dormitories.

A plan for one of these dormitories, which in itself should tend toward the success of the division of the university into smaller colleges, might comprehend a large quadrangle containing the bedrooms and studies, and each side of which might be given to a class. An inner quadrangle would contain four large class common rooms and as many class dining rooms. In the center might be placed a large swimming tank for the use of all four classes, and on the second floor of the inner quadrangle or wings, there should be placed five sets of club rooms as follows:

The Ancient and Modern Languages Clubs.
The Clubs of the Arts and Music.
The Clubs of History, Government, Economics, Business Service and Law.
The Clubs of the Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Philosophy.
The Engineering Clubs.

The freshmen dormitory will get men together but these men should not then in their later college years ^e allowed to go off and form little Utopian groups by themselves. They must meet all men in associative life throughout their college years to attain the depth of character acquired by contact with all types of men and to maintain the fullest competitive scholarship.

The dormitory described, the writer believes, represents an organic structure capable of maintaining such competition to its fullest extent during the under-graduate life. The fault with most Utopian systems is that they tend too greatly to eliminate competition. Is it not possible that therein lies the one fault with our present undergraduate life at Harvard? We must wish always to make this undergraduate life as beautiful as possible, but also to make the competition in scholarship associated with it as strong as possible.