Valedictory Address

“The Valedictory” University Monthly 32, 8 (June 1913): 330-335. (UA Case 68, Box 1)

May it please Your Honor; Mr. President and Members of the Senate, Mr.
Chancellor, Ladies and Gentlemen:—

The valedictories of the past few years have differed from those which preceded them both in form and intention. Previously this address couched in simple language, was designed to narrate the accomplishments of the past and to suggest both to the senate and students improvements for the future. No doubt as time went on new ideas become scarce, old subjects hackneyed; at any rate there has been a change in the type of valedictory, and latterly one marked by beautiful language and imagery has been the vogue. This year I propose to revert to the former custom and to state as simply and briefly as I can the improvements of the past year and to lay before your consideration some of our present problems and their possible solution.

The past year has been marked by advance and good fortune for the University of New Brunswick. The recently inaugurated lectures in law, which enable students to secure credit for one year at a law college, have been attended by a large number of students and have proved in every way eminently satisfactory.

The annual government grant upon which this institution so largely depends for its maintenance was increased at the last session of parliament by over $2,000; this additional revenue will be largely expended in necessary equipment and advances in salaries.

Two generous donations have been made to the university in the past year; Judge Barker bestowed one, the sum of $600, which will be used to further extend the library; the other, a scholarship of $100 a year, was the gift of Dr. A. P. Crocket.

Largely through the kindness of the senate the old grandstand on College Field has been replaced by a safer and more commodious structure, which with proper care should last many generations of students.

One change has occurred in the personnel of the faculty. Professor Gordon, who succeeded Professor Day in the chair of English and history, came to the university highly recommended; he has proved a valuable member of the faculty and has shown himself to be in the true sense a scholar and a gentleman.

In competition with other colleges the students have had fair though not brilliant success. We made a good showing in both football and hockey; ours was the only team to score against the football champions of the Maritime Provinces; in hockey we tied for second place in the intercollegiate league. For the third time in succession the debating team won on argument in the intercollegiate debate; for the second time in the last three years it lost the decision. The defeat is surely obvious; hard work and ability are indispensable, but unless they are accompanied by a graceful delivery will not secure success—to the debaters of next year, we say, work as determinedly; think as closely; but also train—and victory should be assured.

All the student societies have enjoyed a successful year. General meetings have been well attended and for the most part harmonious; debates have proved as strong a feature of college life as usual; mock parliament was again the source of much entertainment and of considerable profit. The social events of the year have been attended with the usual degree of success.

So much for the advances and activities of the past year; I wish now to speak of the needs of the university; these I conceive to be three in number.

The University of New Brunswick possesses advantages—natural and acquired—as great as those of any other college in the Maritime Provinces. The site of the university, an ideal city in the centre of the province, could not be improved; our grounds, our buildings, our equipment are excellent and are steadily being bettered; our curriculum and staff of instructors is admittedly as strong, if not stronger, than that of the competing colleges, yet in spite of all these advantages the attendance is not increasing, but is rather slightly falling off. When our class entered college, the number of students was one hundred and sixty, today it is but one hundred and fifty. The causes for this fact—for causes there surely are—I believe to be four:—

The University of New Brunswick is avowedly non-sectarian. A large percentage of possible students prefer a college of their own denomination. We can hold out no religious inducements and are consequently at a disadvantage in competing for students.

The second reason is more important; it can moreover be remedied—we don't advertise enough. Other universities devote a large sum each year to newspaper advertisement; means are also provided whereby professors can visit the high schools and make known the advantages their respective colleges afford. Almost all the money annually appropriated for advertising at our university is required for the college calendar. We would suggest therefore that if the college is to expand, a much larger sum be set aside each year for the purpose of bringing the university more fully to the attention of prospective students—that this be done moreover even though it necessitates curtailment of extension in other directions, for without students and many of them, the university cannot progress.

The third obstacle in the way of an increased attendance is the reputation, which students of this university have acquired for severe initiation. Every fall reports of our hazing proceedings are mooted in the newspapers of the province. A highly exaggerated opinion of their severity prevails in every section. As a consequence nervous parents, who would otherwise prefer to send their sons to our institution, select one of the rival colleges. To superficial observers I may seem to lay undue emphasis on this fact, but those who are trying to extend the popularity of the university, appreciate its very great importance. The remedy lies largely with the students; the only way to effectually combat the prevailing impression is to abolish initiation root and branch—a drastic suggestion some will say; possibly, but reflect: Is the game worth the candle? Do the fun and excitement, harmless though they may be in themselves, compensate for the injury the university sustains in consequence? The matter is worth serious consideration on the part of next year's students—we missed our opportunity for reform, how broad gauged and progressive is the class of 1914?

The final reason for our lack of students is old and much hackneyed, but nevertheless very important,—the absence of a residency. Schoolboys, if they think of such matters, conceive college to be a place where you live as well as study—where the social life and advantages are equally as important as the contents of the curriculum or the personnel of the faculty. Consequently when students of the University try to induce High School pupils to come to the University of New Brunswick, they usually meet with the answer "I should prefer to go to a college with a residency;" and they generally do. Parents also favor the residential university because it affords greater opportunities for faculty restraint and supervision.

These then are the most important reasons for our lack of increased attendance—our first need. Now let me say a few words in connection with what we conceive to be our second need—a residency. The undergraduates, from observations they have made of other Maritime Province universities, believe that residency would mean for us:

1. Increase in our numbers for reasons I have just given; consequent athletic success and heightened prestige. Our teams selected from one hundred and twenty-five students at present contend against those chosen from three and four hundred—that we are not oftener successful in naturally not strange.


2. Residency would mean increased co-operation among the students and a greater diffusion of work— both essential elements for consistent success. Under present conditions student effort is scattered; the labor is borne by three or four men.


3. Residency would promote a more intense college spirit—a valuable asset—the natural result of closer intimacy and more concentrated endeavor

"But of what avail all this," it is remarked, "even though it be true? We have no means of providing a residency." In this regard permit a suggestion: four of the Maritime Province universities—Dalhousie, Acadia, Kings and Mount Allison—have very recently raised large sums for purposes of expansion by means of forward movements—through contributions solicited from graduates and friends. Why not a forward movement for the University of New Brunswick with a residency as its goal? Several objections may be made to this proposal; that such a movement would be without the denominational support which has been so largely instrumental in the success of similar schemes; that we have no large city interested in our welfare such a the other non-sectarian college Dalhousie had; that ours is a government institution and for that reason is cut off from assistance from other sources. All these objections contain a large degree of truth; on the other hand, I would urge that we have a large alumni—six hundred and fifty, no less—many very prosperous, all strongly attached, to their Alma Mater. Why not give them a chance? And again, the very fact that the University of New Brunswick is a state university should be incentive enough for all patriotic men of the province to lend us material and generous assistance. Why not give them a chance? The need is surely pressing.

Now I have already mentioned two of the most important needs of the university (1) more students; (2) a residency; there is a third, more professors. The engineering students are seventy-two in number and thus comprise, approximately, one-half the total student membership. Their instruction for the first two years is shared largely by almost all members of the faculty but in the last two years the greater part of the burden falls on one or two men—this makes it impossible for the work though of a high standard, to be as efficient as possible. We would suggest, therefore that an assistant professor of engineering be appointed, as soon as the resources of the university will stand the additional strain.

A similar condition of affairs exists in the department of forestry; each year since it was established there has been an increasing number of forestry students until this year there are twenty-two in all. The splendid positions which the senior foresters have secured will very probably induce more to enter that course next year. But at present we have but one professor in forestry subjects, the amount of work he has to cover is excessive and will steadily increase. An assistant professor of forestry is one of our most pressing needs.

A few words now on student problems:

The question of student levies has for a long time past caused much perplexity. Up to the present the students have themselves assessed and collected the money spent in their activities; but this system has resulted both in extravagant expenditure and in uncollected levies. Two plans have accordingly been suggested by means of which the defects of the present system might be remedied: One proposal has been to have the Registrar collect the levies with the regular college fees and, in consideration for this service to give the faculty supervision over student expenditure. A preferable scheme, however, would be to have the Senate share in the student expenses provided that those expenses be restricted to certain limits and be made under close faculty observation. Either of these plans would be very superior to that which is at present in vogue; we sincerely trust one of them will meet with favorable consideration from the Senate.

A few remarks about offices and elections to offices would perhaps be timely. In the presidencies of the different societies and in the captaincies of the different teams there is a training at once profitable and exacting. The tendency of late has been to place upon two or three men the duties which should be performed by many, to turn what, if properly distributed would be enjoyable privileges, into burdensome tasks. Nine out of every ten students could do the work if the responsibility were placed upon them—our advice therefore is spread your offices, give many the opportunity, eliminate overburdening and thus get better results.

Upon the real students of energy and ambition upon the men who follow knowledge for its own sake as well as for its rewards, there has recently come an epidemic for honors—the result partly of personal ambition, partly of competition. This malady is gradually losing its force and well it is that is so: Many subjects mean diversification of energy, the loss of concentration, the development of superficiality; especially is this true because upon those who carry the heaviest courses usually falls the greater bulk of student responsibilities. The true student, who is seeking the greatest benefit and satisfaction from his course, should take the first two years to discover his bent; he should then pick his course and concentrate, know his subject thoroughly, live with it, in this way he will develop the genuine student attitude and will enjoy to the full studious satisfaction.

To the undergraduates as a body we would say this: Make your criterion “the welfare of the university.” If you set up such a standard, by far the greater number of your problems will solve themselves automatically; all strife between the faculty and yourselves will cease; the demagogue will lose his power.

In conclusion a word to you, fellow classmates. After four years of effort, pleasant perhaps to some of us, toilsome and irkesome to others; we have at last reached our goal; this is the day which hitherto bounded our horizon of thought; but as we have been passing through the final stages of our course the idea has gradually, with ever increasing intensity forced its way borne that there is another field of endeavor awaiting us—one where the toil is more excessive, competition keener, but where the incentives and rewards are more substantial and permanent. We, a class of forty men and women, leave academic halls for the sterner work of the mart and the forum, the plain and the forest, each according to his calling, at a most fortune time in our country's history. Up to the present Canada has been, in a stage of preparation when toil has been severe, rewards doubtful and not over abundant; now, however, the preparatory stage is past, Canada and her people are entering upon the full enjoyment of their marvellous natural dowry; nowhere in the world today are there such opportunities for ability and resolution.

But in such a country when the rewards are great the dangers are likewise acute; dangers of materialism, ο shortsightedness and corruption. The inherent duty of University men and women lies in combating those pernicious tendencies; they must preserve the ideal; they must teach that the present profitable should always be weighed against the welfare of the future; the whole object of the past four years has not been to instill knowledge—that has been a secondary aim,—but rather to provide scope; to inspire ideals; we are consequently versed in theory, ignorant of practice; the next few years will bring us close to the practical, let us see to it that we retain the outlook which only the broad theory can give.

We are fortunate in our alma mater; the University of New Brunswick is an institution of proud traditions; among her graduates are counted men of the finest calibre, of world-wide reputation. In our hands rests her fame for the future; let us make sure it be not sullied but if possible further extended and elevated.

Lastly as "Sapere Aude," the motto of this university were the first words to greet us when we entered these halls and for some have contained a source of inspiration throughout our course, so now as we stand assembled together perchance for the last time, let us impress those words "Sapere Aude"—dare to learn— in our minds, enshrine them in our hearts and if in the future, though we shall no longer be students of a university, we live in accordance with their command, success should be assured.