Presidential addresses and state papers, Volume 4 (of 7)Roosevelt, Theodore
History
Presidential addresses and state papers, Volume 4 (of 7)
Roosevelt, Theodore
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; United States -- Politics and government -- 1901-1909
In Bishop Lawrence’s introduction—an introduction which touched me
deeply, not only because of the words used, but because of the high
value which I put upon the friendship of the man using them—he spoke of
the effort that I am making for peace throughout the world. Of course
I am for peace. Of course every President who is fit to be President
must be for peace. But I am for one thing before peace; I am for
righteousness first, and then peace. I am for peace, because normally
peace is the best instrument wherewith to obtain righteousness. But,
Mr. Agassiz, when you and those like you faced 1861, you had to win
peace by war, and you rendered us forever your debtors, because when
the choice was between what was peaceful and what was right you chose
what was right.
A great university like this has two especial functions. The first is
to produce a small number of scholars of the highest rank, a small
number of men who, in science and literature, or in art, will do
productive work of the first class. The second is to send out into the
world a very large number of men who never could achieve, and who ought
not to try to achieve, such a position in the field of scholarship, but
whose energies are to be felt in every other form of activity; and who
should go out from our doors with the balanced development of body, of
mind, and above all of character, which shall fit them to do work both
honorable and efficient.
Much of the effort to accomplish the first function, that of developing
men capable of productive scholarship, as distinguished from merely
imitative, annotative, or pedagogic scholarship, must come through the
graduate school. The law school and medical school do admirable work in
fitting men for special professions, but they in no shape or way supply
any shortcomings in the graduate school any more than does the college
proper, the college of the undergraduates. The ideal for the graduate
school and for those undergraduates who are to go into it must be the
ideal of high scholarly production, which is to be distinguished in
the sharpest fashion from the mere transmittal of ready-made knowledge
without adding to it. If America is to contribute its full share to
the progress not alone of knowledge, but of wisdom, then we must put
ever-increasing emphasis on university work done along the lines of the
graduate school. We can best help the growth of American scholarship
by seeing that as a career it is put more on a level with the other
careers open to our young men. The general opinion of the community
is bound to have a very great effect even upon its most vigorous and
independent minds. If in the public mind the career of the scholar
is regarded as of insignificant value when compared with that of a
glorified pawnbroker, then it will with difficulty be made attractive
to the most vigorous and gifted of our American young men. Good
teachers, excellent institutions, and libraries are all demanded in a
graduate school worthy of the name.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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