the higher learning in america-第50部分

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or　by　fear　of　losing。　personal　prestige　among　the　ignorant；　even



though　he　has　no　substantial　ground；　personal　or　official；　for　so



yielding　to　current　prejudice。　Such　appears　to　be　the　state　of



the　case　in　these　instances；　where　the　exigencies　of　university



politics　afford　no　occasion　for　strategic　compromise　with　the



worldly…wise；　which　pointedly　suggests　that　the　like　threadbare



motives　of　unreflecting　imitation　and　boyish　make…believe　may



also　have　unduly　much　to　do　with　academic　policy；　even　in　that



common　run　of　cases　that　might　otherwise　have　best　been　explained



as　an　effect　of　shrewd　strategy；　designed　to　make　terms　with　the



mischievous　stupidity　of　an　underbred　laity。







　　　　But　any　discussion　of　motives　necessarily　has　an　invidious



air；　and　so　can　not　but　be　distasteful。　Yet；　since　this　executive



policy　can　be　explained　or　understood　only　as　the　outcome　of



those　motives　that　appeal　decisively　to　the　discretionary



officials；　it　is　necessary　to　pursue　the　inquiry　a　degree　farther



at　this　point；　even　at　the　cost　of　such　slight　odium　as　may　not



be　avoided；　and　at　the　risk　of　a　certain　appearance　of　dispraise。



It　is　perhaps　needless　to　say　that　this　question　of　motivation　is



not　gone　into　here　except　as　it　may　serve　to　exhibit　the　run　of



the　facts。　The　run　of　the　facts　is　not　intelligible　except　in　the



light　of　their　meaning　as　possible　motives　to　the　pursuit　of　that



policy　of　which　they　are　the　outcome。



　　　　On　the　above　considerations；　it　follows　that　the　executive



heads　of　these　competitive　universities　are　a　picked　body　of　men；



endowed　with　a　particular　bent；　such　as　will　dispose　them　to　be



guided　by　the　run　of　motives　indicated。　This　will　imply　that　they



are；　either　by　training　or　by　native　gift；　men　of　a　somewhat



peculiar　frame　of　mind；　　peculiarly　open　to　the　appeal　of



parade　and　ephemeral　celebrity；　and　peculiarly　facile　in　the



choice　of　means　by　which　to　achieve　these　gaudy　distinctions；



peculiarly　solicitous　of　appearances；　and　peculiarly　heedless　of



the　substance　of　their　performance。　It　is　not　that　this



characterization　would　imply　exceptionally　great　gifts；　or



otherwise　notable　traits　of　character；　they　are　little　else　than



an　accentuation　of　the　more　commonplace　frailties　of　commonplace



men。　As　a　side　light　on　this　spiritual　complexion　of　the　typical



academic　executive；　it　may　be　worth　noting　that　much　the　same



characterization　will　apply　without　abatement　to　the　class　of



professional　politicians；　particularly　to　that　large　and



long…lived　class　of　minor　politicians　who　make　a　living　by



keeping　well　in　the　public　eye　and　avoiding　blame。（4*）



　　　　There　is；　indeed　more　than　a　superficial　or　accidental



resemblance　between　the　typical　academic　executive　and　the



professional　politician　of　the　familiar　and　more　vacant　sort；



both　as　regards　the　qualifications　requisite　for　entering　on　this



career　and　as　regards　the　conditions　of　tenure。　Among　the　genial



make…believe　that　goes　to　dignify　the　executive　office　is　a



dutiful　protest；　indeed；　a　somewhat　clamorous　protest；　of



conspicuous　self…effacement　on　the　part　of　the　incumbent；　to　the



effect　that　the　responsibilities　of　office　have　come　upon　him



unsought；　if　not　unawares；　which　is　related　to　the　facts　in　much



the　same　manner　and　degree　as　the　like　holds　true　for　the



manoeuvres　of　those　wise　politicians　that　〃heed　the　call　of　duty〃



and　so　find　themselves　〃in　the　hands　of　their　friends。〃　In　point



of　fact；　here　as　in　political　office…seeking；　the　most　active



factor　that　goes　to　decide　the　selection　of　the　eventual



incumbents　of　office　is　a　tenacious　and　aggressive



self…selection。　With　due；　but　by　no　means　large；　allowance　for



exceptions；　the　incumbents　are　chosen　from　among　a　self…selected



body　of　candidates；　each　of　whom　has；　in　the　common　run　of　cases；



been　resolutely　in　pursuit　of　such　an　office　for　some　appreciable



time；　and　has　spent　much　time　and　endeavour　on　fitting　himself



for　its　duties。　Commonly　it　is　only　after　the　aspirant　has



achieved　a　settled　reputation　for　eligibility　and　a　predilection



for　the　office　that　he　will　finally　secure　an　appointment。　The



number　of　aspirants；　and　of　eligibles；　considerably　exceeds　the



number　of　such　executive　offices；　very　much　as　is　true　for　the



parallel　case　of　aspirants　for　political　office。



　　　　As　to　the　qualifications；　in　point　of　character　and



attainments；　that　so　go　to　make　eligibility　for　the　executive



office；　it　is　necessary　to　recall　what　has　been　said　in　an



earlier　chapter（5*）　on　the　characteristics　of　those　boards　of



control　with　whom　rests　the　choice　in　these　matters　of



appointment。　These　boards　are　made　up　of　well…to…do　businessmen；



with　a　penchant　for　popular　notability。　and　the　qualifications



necessary　to　be　put　in　evidence　by　aspirants　for　executive　office



are　such　as　will　convince　such　a　board　of　their　serviceability。



Among　the　indispensable　general　qualifications；　therefore；　will



be　a　〃businesslike〃　facility　in　the　management　of　affairs；　an



engaging　address　and　fluent　command　of　language　before　a　popular



audience；　and　what　is　called　〃optimism；〃　　a　serene　and　voluble



loyalty　to　the　current　conventionalities　and　a　conspicuously



profound　conviction　that　all　things　are　working　out　for　good；



except　for　such　untoward　details　as　do　not　visibly　conduce　to　the



vested　advantage　of　the　well…to…do　businessmen　under　the



established　law　and　order。　To　secure　an　appointment　to　executive



office　it　is　not　only　necessary　to　be　possessed　of　these



qualifications；　and　contrive　to　put　them　in　evidence；　the



aspirant　must　ordinarily　also；　to　use　a　colloquialism；　be　willing



and　able　to　〃work　his　passage〃　by　adroit　negotiation　and　detail



engagements　on　points　of　policy；　appointments　and　administration。



　　　　The　greater　proportion　of　such　aspirants　for　executive　office



work　their　apprenticeship　and　manage　their　campaign　of



office…seeking　while　engaged　in　some　university　employment。　To



this　end　the　most　likely　line　of　university　employment　is　such　as



will　comprise　a　large　share　of　administrative　duties；　as；　e。g。；



the　deanships　that　are　latterly　receiving　much　attention　in　this



behalf；　while　of　the　work　of　instruction　the　preference　should　be



given　to　such　undergraduate　class…work　as　will　bring　the　aspirant



in　wide　contact　with　the　less　scholarly　element　of　the　student



body；　and　with　those　〃student　activities〃　that　come　favourably



under　public　observation；　and　more　particularly　should　one　go　in



for　the　quasi…scholarly　pursuits　of　〃university　extension〃；　which



will　bring　the　candidate　into　favourable　notice　among　the



quasi…literate　leisure　class；　at　the　same　time　this　employment



conduces　greatly　to　assurance　and　a　flow　of　popular　speech。



　　　　It　is　by　no　means　here　intended　to　convey　the　assumption　that



appointments　to　executive　office　are　currently　made　exclusively



from　among　aspiring　candidates　answering　the　description　outlined



above；　or　that　the　administrative　deanships　that　currently　abound



in　the　universities　are　uniformly　looked　on　by　their　incumbents



as　in　some　sort　a　hopeful　novitiate　to　the　presidential　dignity。



The　exceptions　under　both　of　these　general　propositions　would　be



too　numerous　to　be　set　aside　as　negligible；　although　scarcely



numerous　enough　or　consequential　enough　entirely　to　vitiate　these



propositions　as　a　competent　formulation　of　the　typical　line　of



approach　to　the　coveted　office。　The　larger　and　more　substantial



exception　would；　of　course；　be　taken　to　the　generalization　as



touching　the　use　of　the　deanships　in　preparation　for　the



presidency。



　　　　The　course　of　training　and　publicity　afforded　by　the



deanships　and　extension　lectures　appears　to　be　the　most



promising；　although　it　is　not　the　only　line　of　approach。　So；



e。g。；　as　has　been　remarked　in　an　earlier　passage；　the　exigencies



of　academic　administration　will　ordinarily　lead　to　the　formation



of　an　unofficially　organized　corps　of　counsellors　and　agents　or



lieutenants；　who　serve　as　aids　to　the　executive　head。　While　these



aids；　factors；　and　gentlemen…in…waiting　are　vested　with　no



official　status　proclaiming　their　relation　to　the　executive



office　or　their　share　in　its　administration；　it　goes　without



saying　that　their　vicarious　discretion　and　their　special



prerogatives　of　access　and　advisement　with　the　executive　head　do



not　commonly　remain　hidden　from　their　colleagues　on　the　academic



staff；　or　from　interested　persons　outside　the　university



corporation；　nor；　indeed；　does　it　appear　that　they　commonly



desire　to　remain　unknown。



　　　　In　the　same　connection；　as　has　also　been　remarked　above；　and



as　is　sufficiently　notorious；　among　the　large　and　imperative



duties　of　executive　office　is　public　discourse。　This　is　required；



both　as　a　measure　of　publicity　at　large　and　as　a　means　of



divulging　the　ostensible　aims；　advantages　and　peculiar　merits　of



the　given　university　and　its　chief。　The　volume　of　such　public



discourse；　as　well　as　the　incident　attendance　at　many　public　and



ceremonial　functions；　is　very　considerable；　so　much　so　that　in



the　case　of　any　university　of　reasonable　size　and　spirit　the



traffic　in　these　premises　is　likely　to　exceed　the　powers　of　any



one　man；　even　where；　as　is　not　infrequently　the　case；　the



〃executive〃　head　is　presently　led　to　make　this　business　of



stately　parade　and　promulgation　his　chief　employment。　In　effect；



much　of　this　traffic　will　necessarily　b