Prof. Davis Reviews May Illustrated

The contents of the Harvard Illustrated Magazine for May are what is known as "timely." Twenty pages are given to nine articles on President Eliot. The first, telling of the Man, is by Professor Palmer, whose seat is now next to the President's at the Faculty table; the next telling of the Administrator, by Professor Taussig; another, on the President and the College, by Dean Hurlbut; on the President and Education, by Professor Hanual a hearty voice from the South comes from President Craighead of Tulane; a foreigner's view is given by Visiting Professor Kuehnemann; the President as an Ethical Teacher is described by Dean Hodges; and the President's courage is told by Editor Thayer of the Graduates' Magazine. These articles contain several portraits; as a Freshman in 1849; a Senior in 1853; the young President in 1873; and finally in his president prime of life. Two other articles are: "The Cattle Route to Europe" by R. A. Martin '11, and "The Cosmopolitan Movement" by Robinson 1L., and Sammons Sp.

A curious feature of the nine presidential articles is the scarcity of personal anecdote; nearly everything is said in the generalized form of "characterizations"; the well-known story of an early Faculty meeting in the Medical School, quoted from Dr. Holmes' life in Thayer's two pages, is the only exception. Evidently another series of articles, with a larger spice of personal reminiscence, might follow this one. Some of the chapters might be: the President as a summer housekeeper, by a native of Mt. Desert; the President as a guest at Harvard Clubs, by old graduates all over the country; how I have changed my opinion about the President, by certain Harvard non-graduates; the President as a receiver of gifts, by the givers; and the President as host to foreign visitors, from all over the world. Then might come another series, giving the student of today some more definite idea of the changes in this single administration of forty years. It would be well to read something further about the steps in the rise of standard with increase of numbers; of the tenfold increase of officers, all of whom are now appointees of the present administration; and of the growth of University income from $20,000 to $2,000,000. But the nine articles already give a good picture; a record of active patience upholding steadfast purpose; of absolute honesty of speech in unselfish service.