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,
