1908 Fredericton Encaenia
Alumni Oration
Delivered by: Peterson, William
Content
"Alumni Oration" University Monthly 27, 7-8 (May-June1908): 186-187. (UA Case 67a, Box 1)
The Alumni Oration was delivered by Principal Peterson of McGill University, and was a strong plea for technical education. We regret that we are unable to give the full text of his admirable address. The following is a summary as given by the St. John Telegraph:
"At the outset he referred to his visit to Fredericton at the time of the University Centennial and mentioned the fact that he had on that occasion been honored by a degree.
The expenditure on a university, he said, was one of the best investments a country could make, as it was sure to yield a return tomorrow in efficient service and national greatness.
Before coming to Fredericton he had devoted some attention to the report of the chief superintendent of education for New Brunswick and noted with pleasure that the salaries of teachers had been raised and an increased grant had been given to the University.
He spoke of the action of Andrew Carnegie in establishing an additional pension fund of $5,000,000 for the teachers in state-supported universities having an annual income of $100,000 who were entitled to share in this fund. Judging by the report submitted by the Chancellor he thought the University of New Brunswick could easily expend that amount.
He considered it most important to have departments of electrical engineering and forestry in order to equip the students for the work of developing the vast resources of the province. In fact he believed that it would be a good thing to make the University a great school of technology in New Brunswick.
He spoke of the great advantages a small University possessed over a large one, and pointed out that they could succeed in directions where the large colleges failed. More intimacy among students is possible in small colleges and the professors, being usually good teachers, exercise influence over their pupils, which can not be found in large colleges.
He dwelt upon the great advance made by science in the past twenty years, and he pointed out there was room for still greater development in the way of the broadening of human thought. It was important that a college should turn out scholars and thinkers, men who will assist in the making of a nation greater. The true University will always give great prominence to the principles of high learning and to social and national problems. No one can contribute more to national stability than the scholar. It is all very well to be equipped for living in the present but we should have a brief history outline of the movement which has brought the world up to the standard of today. Only a small gift of historical imagination is needed by those who are not historians to realize the historical march of progress. Of all institutions the modern University is the one that can least afford to forget the past in its forward march.
The speaker referred to the application of science to industry, as the essence of technical education, and went on to say that in the Western University two-thirds of the student body were enrolled in the department of applied science.
He said it was quite evident that but for the generosity of Sir Wm. Macdonald, Canada would lie farther behind in technical education than it is. He thought the only way to benefit industry by education is to furnish the most sound, scientific training in the colleges.
He spoke of the great progress made in Germany along the lines of technical education and claimed that the example of that country was one worthy of emulation.
Principal Peterson also spoke of the great importance of agricultural knowledge and in this connection referred to what was being done for the training and development of teachers at Macdonald College. He believed that the work of training the teachers was one of the most important functions in connection with modern education. There are few people, he said, who realize how much the future of the country depends upon the teachers in elementary schools.
In closing his remarks, Principal Peterson spoke a few words of advice to the graduating class. He hoped that they would take the knowledge they had acquired with them into the active duties of life. They should not think that having graduated from college there was nothing left for them to learn, but they must always be students. In going out in the world they were simply entering a wider curriculum."
The Alumni Oration was delivered by Principal Peterson of McGill University, and was a strong plea for technical education. We regret that we are unable to give the full text of his admirable address. The following is a summary as given by the St. John Telegraph:
"At the outset he referred to his visit to Fredericton at the time of the University Centennial and mentioned the fact that he had on that occasion been honored by a degree.
The expenditure on a university, he said, was one of the best investments a country could make, as it was sure to yield a return tomorrow in efficient service and national greatness.
Before coming to Fredericton he had devoted some attention to the report of the chief superintendent of education for New Brunswick and noted with pleasure that the salaries of teachers had been raised and an increased grant had been given to the University.
He spoke of the action of Andrew Carnegie in establishing an additional pension fund of $5,000,000 for the teachers in state-supported universities having an annual income of $100,000 who were entitled to share in this fund. Judging by the report submitted by the Chancellor he thought the University of New Brunswick could easily expend that amount.
He considered it most important to have departments of electrical engineering and forestry in order to equip the students for the work of developing the vast resources of the province. In fact he believed that it would be a good thing to make the University a great school of technology in New Brunswick.
He spoke of the great advantages a small University possessed over a large one, and pointed out that they could succeed in directions where the large colleges failed. More intimacy among students is possible in small colleges and the professors, being usually good teachers, exercise influence over their pupils, which can not be found in large colleges.
He dwelt upon the great advance made by science in the past twenty years, and he pointed out there was room for still greater development in the way of the broadening of human thought. It was important that a college should turn out scholars and thinkers, men who will assist in the making of a nation greater. The true University will always give great prominence to the principles of high learning and to social and national problems. No one can contribute more to national stability than the scholar. It is all very well to be equipped for living in the present but we should have a brief history outline of the movement which has brought the world up to the standard of today. Only a small gift of historical imagination is needed by those who are not historians to realize the historical march of progress. Of all institutions the modern University is the one that can least afford to forget the past in its forward march.
The speaker referred to the application of science to industry, as the essence of technical education, and went on to say that in the Western University two-thirds of the student body were enrolled in the department of applied science.
He said it was quite evident that but for the generosity of Sir Wm. Macdonald, Canada would lie farther behind in technical education than it is. He thought the only way to benefit industry by education is to furnish the most sound, scientific training in the colleges.
He spoke of the great progress made in Germany along the lines of technical education and claimed that the example of that country was one worthy of emulation.
Principal Peterson also spoke of the great importance of agricultural knowledge and in this connection referred to what was being done for the training and development of teachers at Macdonald College. He believed that the work of training the teachers was one of the most important functions in connection with modern education. There are few people, he said, who realize how much the future of the country depends upon the teachers in elementary schools.
In closing his remarks, Principal Peterson spoke a few words of advice to the graduating class. He hoped that they would take the knowledge they had acquired with them into the active duties of life. They should not think that having graduated from college there was nothing left for them to learn, but they must always be students. In going out in the world they were simply entering a wider curriculum."
Addresses may be reproduced for research purposes only. Publication in whole or in part requires written permission from the author.