THE LIBERAL GIFT

In endowing a chair of Poetry, Mr. C. Chauncey Stillman has made a bequest whose worth and importance can not be too highly valued. The establishment of such a professorship is a notable contribution to the intellectual and spiritual life of the University, for the incumbents of the Chair will doubtless be men whom Harvard heretofore could not afford to secure and for whom there has been no provision in the academic system. It is unlikely that if Mr. Stillman had not had the imagination, as well as the generosity, to create such a foundation, no provision for just such a Professorship would ever have been made. The further arrangement whereby the professor appointed shall deliver a series of public lectures upon Poetry and the provision for their subsequent publication considerably enhance the value of the carefully planned gift.

As a grateful tribute to Professor Norton, the nature of this memorial is peculiarly felicitous. Professor Norton did great things for Harvard and for Harvard men; President Eliot once said that he had the most profound influence on students of any man in the history of the University; he was a man of the broadest and most liberal sympathies. The very comprehensive interpretation of Poetry, therefore, is altogether in keeping with his spirit which felt the essential poetic harmony of the various arts. In the present educational era where men are tempted to specialize or at best to concentrate largely on one field of knowledge, the establishment of certain courses where the student may have a better opportunity to "see life steadily and see it whole" is more than welcome.

Many acknowledgements of the greatness of Charles Eliot Norton's personality have been made. The gift of Mr. Stillman, however, ranks as one of the finest, for it is a very splendid testament to the enduring influence of his character upon his pupils and all who came in contact with him. To the donor of this endowed memorial, Harvard again is indebted for his continued devotion and generosity.