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Show ANDREW D. WHITE, MAN OF REMARKABLE DISTINCTION Inboth academic and public service, Andrew Dickson White attained remarkable re-markable distinction. He "was one ol the founders and the first president of Cornell University, in which Institution Insti-tution he largely reformed educational standards, and ho' rendered valuable public service for many years as the American diplomatic representative in Germany and Russia. In his autobiography, Dr. While said that in the founding and maintaining of Cornell University he thought he had done his best work and, 'he said, "by the part I have taken in that, more than by any other work of my life, I hope to be judged." His interest in the establishment of a new university univer-sity came largely through revolt against the -conservative sectarian influences in-fluences and restricted curriculums of other Institutions. The idea seized him during the Civil War period when he was a professor of history in tho University of Michigan, and the idea was a great American university, "where any person could find instruction instruc-tion in any study." It should begin, ho said, by taking hold'of tho chief interest in-terest of the country, which is agriculture, agricul-ture, and should rise step by step until it met all the wants of the hour. Cornell was founded In 1867, bearing bear-ing the name of Ezra Cornell, an older man, of Quaker birth and breeding, who shared Mr. White's enthusiasm for a new university, and who. with a fortune made in Investment in the electric telegraph, wns casting about for a worthy public use for his money. The two men had been thrown together togeth-er in the New York state senate in tho discussion of the act passed by Congress Con-gress in 1862 for the endowment of higher educational Institutions throughout the country by grants of public land, by which Now York state was to come Into possession of nearly a million acres. The two men had differed dif-fered in the question as to whether the property acquired by the federal grant should bo divided, but when the offer was made by Mr. Cornell of $500,000 for the endowment of a great university If the state would transfer to it the public land and would locate the Institution in his own home town of Ithlca, and when this offer was accepted,-it' was- the young Mr. White who was invited to become one of tho founders and fho first president of Cornell. lie personally contributed ?300,000, and later founded tho school of history and political science, bearing bear-ing his name, giving to it his historical histori-cal library of over 40,000 volumes. Born In New York Dr. White had been born in New York state, at a little village by the classic name of Homer. November 7, 1832, the son of Horace White, who was one of the pioneers in Western railroad building. For his higher education edu-cation young White went to Geneva, now Hobart College, but aftor a year there, ho went to Yale where the T3e Forest gold medal was awarded to him for his oration on "The Diplomatic History of Modern Times," upon his graduation ih 1853, and it wns only a few months later that T. II. Seymour, tho then Democratic Governor of Con-netlcut, Con-netlcut, took him to St. Petersburg (Potrograd) s an attache to the American legation. After this foretaste fore-taste of diplomatic life, Mr. White returned re-turned to this country to become professor pro-fessor of history at Michigan, whore ho remained for seven 'years. Ho established estab-lished a wide reputation for his work at Ann Arbor, and It was his own admission ad-mission that his plans for Cornell were worked out along the modern lines he had seen begun at Michigan. Recalled to New York In 1S63 by the death of his father at Syracuse, Mr. White elected to remain in his native na-tive state, whero he became activo In Republican politics. He was a member mem-ber of tho New York state legislature for several years which he devoted to the preparation of measures for better common schools; the organization of the State Normal Schools and in pushing push-ing through the charter for Cornel University. In hi? presidency of Cornell, he also assumed the duties of professor of history his-tory and used his influence successfully success-fully in attracting Goldwln Smith, James Russell Lowell, George William Curtis,- Bayard Taylor and other able 0 men to service at Ithlca. Much of tho time Dr. White himself was absent, soeklng the Inspiration of new Ideas, I observing other universities or perhaps I In service of his country; but always he brought credit to Cornell. Ho was one of the 'special commissioners by President Grant to inquire Into the condition of Santo Domingo. Though tho youngest member, ho was tho conservative con-servative element of the commission and It was In deference to his declaration declara-tion that the commissipn's report should stick to facts that no recommendation recom-mendation for annexation of Santo Domingo Do-mingo was made. Ambassador to Germany At tho call of President Hayes in 1879, Dr. White went as minister Id . Germany and in 1S92 to Russia, on the nomination of President Harrison, and finally as ambassador to Germany, on the nomination of President McKInley. serving in Berlin through the period of the Spanish -American war and until 1902. He made his presenco felt ""In Germany by his scholarly and sympathetic sympa-thetic appreciation of German life and is credited with having done much toward to-ward clearing the rather strained sit-' sit-' uation which existed between Germany and the United States during the war against Spain. Some of the public service posts he held, In addition to those named, were as member of the Venezuelan Commission, Com-mission, as Commissioner to the Paris Exposition and as a member of the; International Peace Conference at The i Hague in 1899. In all tho advantages of wide tra-; vol he enjoyed, Dr. White pursued systematically sys-tematically his historical study and Was the author of numorous historical I works, particularly interpreting Euro-, I pean history to American readers. He' j was recognized as a thinker of much (directness and force. His "Conflict Between Science and Religion," "Sev- en Great Statesmen in the Warfare of j Humanity with Unreason," "Democracy "Democ-racy and Education" and his auto-j blogprahy are some of his books other, than historical. As an octngenarian, which he became be-came on November 7, 1912, Dr. White was still In possession of all his facul-1 ties and though retired from active service he was till a publlcit whose opinions were widely recognized Hej was among those who firmly believed that the European war would lead to the establishment of an International I tribunal of permanent working value. 1 In his autobiography, Dr. White, made rather remarkable confession that If he were starting life anew, he I would enter, not educational, or poll-1 tical, or diplomatic life, but journal- j ism. Speaking of the time of his graduation grad-uation at Yale, he said: "There wero indeed nt that time eminent editors, I like Weed, Croswell, Greeley, Raymond and Webb, but few college-bred men' thought of journalism as a profes- j slon. Looking back upon all this, I feel certain that, were I to begin lifcj again with my present experience, that would be the career for which I would j endeavor to fit myself. It has in It; at present many admirable men but! far more who are manifestly unfIL Its capacities for good or evil are cnor-1 mous yet the majority of those at present in it seem to mo like savages who havo found a watch. 1 1 can think of no profession in which young men! properly fitted gifted with ideas and ! Inspired by a real wish to do something some-thing for their land and time can more certainly do good work and win distinction." |