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of the quest of gain； is always at hand and strenuously effective
in the community's life； and therefore dominates their everyday
habits of thought for the time being。 This tone…giving dominance
of such a workday interest may be transient or relatively
enduring； it may be more or less urgently important and
consequential under the circumstances in which the community is
placed； or the clamour of its spokesmen and beneficiaries may be
more or less ubiquitous and pertinacious； but in any case it will
have its effect in the counsels of the 〃Educators；〃 and so it
will infect the university as well as the lower levels of the
educational system。 So that； while the higher learning still
remains as the enduring purpose and substantial interest of the
university establishment； the dominant practical interests of the
day will； transiently but effectually； govern the detail lines of
academic policy； the range of instruction offered； and the
character of the personnel； and more particularly and immediately
will the character of the governing boards and the academic
administration so be determined by the current run of popular
sentiment touching the community's practical needs and aims；
since these ruling bodies stand； in one way or another； under the
critical surveillance of a lay constituency。
The older American universities have grown out of underlying
colleges； undergraduate schools。 Within the memory of men
still living it was a nearly unbroken rule that the governing
boards of these higher American schools were drawn largely from
the clergy and were also guided mainly by ecclesiastical； or at
least by devotional； notions of what was right and needful in
matters of learning。 This state of things reflected the ingrained
devoutness of that portion of the American community to which the
higher schools then were of much significance。 At the same time
it reflected the historical fact that the colleges of the early
days had been established primarily as training schools for
ministers of the church。 In their later growth； in the recent
past； while the chief purpose of these seminaries has no longer
been religious； yet ecclesiastical prepossessions long continued
to mark the permissible limits of the learning which they
cultivated； and continued also to guard the curriculum and
discipline of the schools。
That phase of academic policy is past。 Due regard at least
is； of course； still had to the religious proprieties the
American community； by and large； is still the most devout of
civilized countries but such regard on the part of the
academic authorities now proceeds on grounds of businesslike
expediency rather than on religious conviction or on an
ecclesiastical or priestly bias in the ruling bodies。 It is a
concessive precaution on the part of a worldly…wise directorate；
in view of the devout prejudices of those who know no better。
The rule of the clergy belongs virtually to the prehistory of
the American universities。 While that rule held there were few if
any schools that should properly be rated as of university grade。
Even now； it is true； much of the secondary school system；
including the greater part； though a diminishing number； of the
smaller colleges； is under the tutelage of the clergy； and the
academic heads o* these schools are almost universally men of
ecclesiastical standing and bias rather than of scholarly
attainments。 But that fact does not call for particular notice
here； since these schools lie outside the university field； and
so outside the scope of this inquiry。
For a generation past； while the American universities have
been coming into line as seminaries of the higher learning； there
has gone on a wide…reaching substitution of laymen in the place
of clergymen on the governing boards。 This progressive
secularization is sufficiently notorious； even though there are
some among the older establishments the terms of whose charters
require a large proportion of clergymen on their boards。 This
secularization is entirely consonant with the prevailing drift of
sentiment in the community at large； as is shown by the uniform
and uncritical approval with which it is regarded。 The
substitution is a substitution of businessmen and politicians；
which amounts to saying that it is a substitution of businessmen。
So that the discretionary control in matters of university policy
now rests finally in the hands of businessmen。
The reason which men prefer to allege for this state of
things is the sensible need of experienced men of affairs to take
care of the fiscal concerns of these university corporations； for
the typical modern university is a corporation possessed of large
property and disposing of large aggregate expenditures； so that
it will necessarily have many and often delicate pecuniary
interests to be looked after。 It is at the same time held to be
expedient in case of emergency to have several wealthy men
identified with the governing board； and such men of wealth are
also commonly businessmen。 It is apparently believed； though on
just what ground this sanguine belief rests does not appear； that
in case of emergency the wealthy members of the boards may be
counted on to spend their substance in behalf of the university。
In point of fact； at any rate； poor men and men without large
experience in business affairs are felt to have no place in these
bodies。 If by any chance such men； without the due pecuniary
qualifications； should come to make up a majority； or even an
appreciable minority of such a governing board； the situation
would be viewed with some apprehension by all persons interested
in the case and cognizant of the facts。 The only exception might
be cases where； by tradition； the board habitually includes a
considerable proportion of clergymen：
〃Such great regard is always lent
By men to ancient precedent。〃
The reasons alleged are no doubt convincing to those who are
ready to be so convinced； but they are after all more plausible
at first sight than on reflection。 In point of fact these
businesslike governing boards commonly exercise little if any
current surveillance of the corporate affairs of the university；
beyond a directive oversight of the distribution of expenditures
among the several academic purposes for which the corporate
income is to be used； that is to say； they control the budget of
expenditures； which comes to saying that they exercise a
pecuniary discretion in the case mainly in the way of