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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1908)
THE DAILY NEBKASKAN f WILLIAM J. BRYAN fOR UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR? Nebraska Statesman Suggested to Succeed E. Benjamin Andrews Whose Resignation Has Been Announced THOUGHT BOARD Of REGENTS MAY POSSIBLY CONSIDER HIM EOR THIS HIGH POSITION People Who Are Interested In The Welfare of Our Great State Institution Speculate On Snccessor To The Executive Who Has Been a Great factor In Building lip Nebraska's Leading School and Putting, It In The Front Rank of State Universities of The Country Will the university repents, In look ing for a successor to Chancellor E. Benjamin Andrews, whose resignation is announced to take effect January 1, 1909, consider William J. Bryan of Fairvlow for the headship of the state school? Suppose that they should tender the position to the man who has three times been the choice of a great mi nority of the people for the presidency of the United States, would Mr. Bryan accept the offlco? In case the. offer should bo made and accepted, what sort of a chan cellor would Mr. Bryan mako? These and similar question are of moment to Nobraskans interested in the success of their Btato university resignation was announced last Sat urday. One gontleman who Ib con nected with the university affairs in Kuch a manner that he has hoard much of tho gossip as to who the new chancellor will bo stated yostorday that he had heard Mr. Bryan nomi nated for tho placo moro than any other man. Thero seems to bo a gen oral Idea that Mr. Bryan would make a good executlvo If ho woro selected and accepted. The question revolves lather about the possibility of his election by tho board of regents and his willingness totako tho position. It is said that at least a part of Iho board of regents will favor a westorn man for tho chancellorship. In the past tho university has in fact KSmSk&zKi if WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN In view of the suggestion mado re peatedly during the past three days that William Jennings Bryan might consent to become executlvo head of the University of Nebraska. With mere suggestion as the only traceable foundation for rumor, .What chance Is there that the regentB would chose Mr. Bryan to become head of tho Btato's great institution of higher. education? Considering the fact that Mr. Bryan is still leader of the politi cal party atwhose behest ho haBthroe times mado the race for the presi dential chair, what chance Is thero that he would relinquish this leader ship for tho chancellorship of the university? That these questions are pertinent is evidenced by the fact that mention of Mr. Bryan'B name .In connection with tho university vacancy has been frequent since Chancellor Andrews' drawn Its strongest men from tho east, but conditions have changed since -the last selection of a chief executlvo and it 1b possible that a western man would bo favored, other things being equal. This being the case, Mr. Bryan's chances of selection by tho regents might not be small. That he possesses at the same time western Ideas com bined with a world-wide experience Ib a great advantage. -Having all the characteristics ' of iho "western man, yet Mr. Bryan Is capable "of taking his place with the most advanced easterner. Not only this, but his ex perience and hlB fame are world-wide. Ho has been a guest of foreign na tions and has not failed when called upon to take his place with tho .great, men of other countries. i . Would Ht AceeptT If Mr. Bryan .wore approached by. the regents with a tondor of tho uni versity leadership it romalnB to bo seen whether or not ho would accept tho place. That ho can still bo the leader of tho democratic party is not questioned. That acceptance of tho chancellorship of tho university would practically mean his withdrawal from politics is also almost certain. Whether tho power over a party which can scarcoly bo hoped to over again nominate him for tho offlco of his ambition would bo greater in Mr. Bryan's regard than the opportunity to enter a Held of broad usefulness in tho educational world is a mattor ol conjecture. It is highly Improbablo that Mr. Bry an can ever be president of tho Unltod States. All that continued manipula tion of politics can moan for him 1b the power to partially control a party which has already done its utmost for him and which can hardly offer him further reward. On the other hand, the chancellorship of tho University of Nebraska offers .ah opportunity for ireat constructive work, something which Mr. Bryan haB never yet boon fortunate enough to accomplish to any extent. Nor would tho acceptance of tho offlco mean Mr. Bryan's with drawal from tho public oye. It would oven add to tho power of his utter ances by removing them from roach of prejudicial allegations. Lectin such as Mr. Bryan has boon known to deliver on moral and economic topics would have a vastly greater influence coming from the chancellor of a great university than from tho boss' of a p611tlcal party. Howover all speculation as to a pos- olblo successor to Chancellor Andrews is scarcoly bettor than guesswork. The board of regents, if they have any one in view, aro saying nothing about ii and probably will not do so until the offor Ib made and accepted. Tho sug gestion of Mr. Bryan's name, so far as can be learned, has come entirely from outside sources and Its effect on tho regents is problematical. M Andrews' Great Work. In withdrawing from tho chancellor- Ship on January 1 Chancellor Andrews will closo a porlod In tho course of his life's history, which has boon fraught with groat consoquences for the University of Nebraska. Since Mr. Andrews accepted the headship of the school In August of 1900 tho spaco at the campus devoted to study, has been almost doubled, the state farm has been re-created, appropriations have been doubled and tho University of Nebraska has attracted wide attention by tho quality of Its work and tho character of Us professors and grad uates. Since Chancellor Andrews gave up the superlntendency of the Chicago city schools for the place at the Ne braska the university has mado great material advance, It Is .within these last eight years that the Administration building, Brace hall, the Museum, and tho Temple have been build and the work onthe Engineering building in poso in building up tho campUB has been followed. Financially the univorslty has mado wonderful progress since 1900. Tho amount of money devoted to tho var ious uhos of the school has doublod sinco Dr. Andrews took up tho task of building up tho state Institution. One evidence of tho chancellor's ac tivity is to be found In tho. increased appropriations for tho stato farm. Al though an eastorn man of extreme culture, Dr. Andrews roallzod that Ne braska was an agricultural state and he foresaw that tho stato muBt edu cate Us young men In tho mothods of scientific agriculture. Ho wont about tho matter with characteristic onorgy and the reBult haB been tho creation accuracy of decision and, action. It 1r safe to say that tho university haB never had In tho ranks of its faculty or admlnlBtratlvo force a man of so great a personality, of such loyal on orgy, and of such corablnod classical culturo and practical oxocutivo powor. Chancellor Andrews la foarloss In his convictions. Ho novor stops to oxplalu. Ho does things and lots the results of his acts oxplaln their Jus tice. It was bocauso of his bravo disregard of sontlmont and projudlco that tho univorslty was enablod to so cure from Stanford universities Pro fessors Ross and Howard, both of whom proved thomsolvos groat men lit tho educational world. Evon since ho has boon at tho hoad of tho unl- i E. BENJAMIN ANDREWS augurated. In the same tlmo practically all the buildings ,of permanent valub at tho Btate farm have been erected. Under Dr. Andrews a consistent pur of the stato farm In Is present form. The' New Colleges. When Chancellor Andrews camo to Nebraska there was no college of medicine. Now the school of medicine Is ono of tho most actlvo and valu able departments of tho university. It was Dr. Andrews who picked Dean Roscoo. Pound for tho head of the law school, which selection resulted in tho creation of a systematic law depart ment. Chiefly by InBlstonBO of tho chancellor the regents established tho Collogo of Education, which, In Its first term, has enrolled over 300 students. Another now department la that of, pharmacy, which was Instituted only last fall. : All of these things have been se cured only after indofatlgable effort. Chancellor Andrews Is a tireless work er with a wonderful 'qulcknoff fnd vorslty Chancellor Andrews has In slBted that.Hho university' was the place for free discussion by tho think ing men of the country. Because of this policy the university has secured the services pi men who havo ad vancod thought on radical lines and whose presence has done much to raise the univorslty to ltjj high stand ard. Cultured Schslar. Chancellor Andrews Is a scholar of tho old school. Ho knows his classics as tho small boy knows his alphabet. Verse-after verso 6f Greek and Latin composition Is at his tongue's end. His broadness of education Is Bhown by the various professional chairs which he, occupied at 'different; times. Ho bag" been professor of history, of political economy, of finance, of moral philosophy -and of homeletlea. Hl ean A,