The Rochester AlumniArAlumnae Reuiew DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE GRADUATES AND UNDER-GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER Published quarterly, in February, May, August and November by the University of Rochester for the Associated Alumni and the Alumnae Association at the Cayuga VOL. XIII, o. 2 Press, Ithaca, . Y. Editorial Office, 15 Prince St., Rochester 3, . Y. Co-editors: FEBRUARY, 1952 Charles F. Cole, '25, and Warren Phillips, '37. Application for second class reentry pending at Ithaca, . Y. President de Kiewiet Given Historic Martin B. Anderson Desk ALTHOUGH the mystery of its disappearance from Anderson Hall many decades ago is still unsolved, the historic desk of Martin B. An­ derson, Rochester's first president, has been returned to the University. It was discovered, under unex­ plained circumstances, in the engi­ neering department of Cornell Uni­ versity, where it i known to have been for some 30 years. How it got there is conjectural. It was identi­ fied by a brass plate with the inscrip­ tion: Working desk of Martin B. Ander­ son, LL.D., First President of the University of Rochester. When Cornelis W. de Kiewiet, act­ ing president of Cornell, became president of Rochester, some of his colleagues at Ithaca who knew of the desk's presence on the Cornell cam­ pus, decided that it should be pre­ sented to him and returned to Roch­ ester. They had it restored to its or­ iginal condition, and the d sk, a large and handsome double-sided one of chestnut, with top and drawer mouldings stained walnut, now President de Kiewiet checks through his brimming engagement book at his "new" 100-year-old desk in his Babcock House study. The desk, beautifully restored, was adorns President de Kiewiet's study the working desk of Martin B. Anderson, first president of the University, and has at Babcock House. just been returned from Cornell, where it has been for some 30 years. When or When 'the desk arrived at his how it left Rochester has not been explained. home, it was accompanied by a note from the donors, which said: note that it is a 'working desk.' " tional setting under the British Cor­ "This desk does not have the rep­ When the desk was removed from onation Chair in Westminster Abbey utation of the Stone of Scone, but the Rochester campus, or by whom, not long ago by some Scotch super­ we want the fifth President of the it is not known. Like the famed patriots and later returned, the An­ University of Rochester to have it tone of Scone, aforementioned derson desk is now back where it be­ with our warmest best wishes. Please which was removed from its tradi- longs. 2 Education Challenged To Attach HSpirit of Fatalism" Intellectual Fortitude Vita' to Progress, Dr. de Kiewiet Declares in Philadelphia Address THERE must be a "grand alli­ fortitude that comes from the mind ance of science and the humanities" and not from stubborness, or desper­ To increase the effectiveness of if higher education is to fulfill its ation or hate. America's effort to survive the mod­ responsibility in these times of na­ ern crisis, the nation must develop tional and world crisis, it is the firm Fatalism, Cynicism Decried and use the mental and physical resources of women ,to a greater conviction of President de Kiewiet. "The generation of young men extent than ever before, in the opin­ He gave eloquent expression to whom we are planning to induct ion of President de Kiewiet. his views in an address on "Our into.our army of four million men In his address on "Our National National Resources of Skill and Wis­ possesses the grim knowledge that Resources of Skill and Wisdom" in dom" at the annual meeting of the we have called men to battle twice Philadelphia, he said: American Association for the Ad­ only to stumble helplessly into a \\There is one major act of eman­ vancement of Science at the Uni­ new world of anger and frustration. cipation yet to be completed in our versity of Pennsylvania on December They will not accept the outbreak society. We have to examine with 30. of a third catastrophe with the op­ a fresh and urgent strenuousness timism of 1917 or the righteous in­ 'whether the secondariness of wom­ dignation of Pearl Harbor ... As New Thinking Needed an is exorably dictated by her phys­ an historian I know that the crisis "I know of no more serious task iology and the deepest social neces­ is great. As an educator I insist most for that branch of politics which we sities or whether we must not in our solemnly that this is not a generation call education than to move against crisis untie the bonds which tradi­ that will march because it is told to the spirit of fatalism which is so tion has placed upon her, in order do so. It is a generation loaded down clearly discernible in colleges and that she may emerge more freely with the grim recognition that it universities", President de Kiewiet into the world of thought, of deci­ lives in a shrinking prison between declared. "Above all do we have sion, and of action ..• one disaster and the next. Are they need for thoughts that have never "The manpower shortage and in­ to look forward to the great test of been thought before, a reassessment flation have ioined forces to compel their lives with fatalism and cyni- of our place in the world, a fresh the utilization of the mental and Clsm• ?.... justification of our purposes, a re­ physical resources of the nation's women. The fuller autonomy of statement of our political arrange­ Humanities Are Basic ments in language adequate to the woman as a human being, her living world ... By the side of sci­ "If the future shape and course greater mobility in the world of ac­ entists in their laboratories, techni­ of American society mean as much thm, easier and more complete cians at their drafting tables, men at as its present security then we must access to the whole range of educa­ their machines, there must be a cor­ insist that education concern itself, tional opportunity - these achieve­ responding activity in the world of more than ever before, with the past ments should be wisely and plan­ thought and aspiration. and future-the past expressed as fully sought if we are to bear up achievement housed in our laws and under our historic load." institutions, the future conceived as Not a "Lament" the vessel containing the purposes "This is not an appeal for equal for which we may train our students treatment for the humanities, nor and build our armaments. of history, we cannot hope to hold the lament of displaced intellectuals "The humanities which give a the present sympathy of our allies, and academic minorities. It is a knowledge of man and an under­ nor enter upon the opportunities of prayer that as we add to our standing of his potentialities, are the yet another peace ... Science and strength we add also to our wisdom, basic disciplines for today's educa­ machinery give us power. It is the that as we assure ourselves of suffi­ tion. Without one of the humanities, humanities that give us the incen­ cient armaments we also acquire a namely a reflective and wise grasp tive and the will. For education to 3 be adequate to our crisis the demand "In the armed forces, even at the of intellectual effort is a common is inexorable that sufficient talent be very top, there still prevails too stiff military fault. At the risk of being left free to inform men with the an insistence that because all must accused of advocating that a war ideas of the past, to create in them can be fought with the instruments serve, all must serve alike ... The the power of comprehending the of peace, I would, nevertheless, military mind has achieved a greatly living world, and to create in them maintain that our chances of carry­ increased understanding of the role the will to command the future. ing our precious load of western of fundamental and applied science culture through to better days would Great Aspirations Vital in national defense. It still shows be improved if there were a more "At the moment in our history signs of what may be called anti­ realistic understanding of the role of when we are compelled to build up intellectualism ... But a lack of skill and wisdom even in an age of science and technology beyond the discernment of the nature and vq,lue conflict". needs of peace, we are equally com­ pelled to sustain the life of thought beyond the needs of war. My plea is for the encouragement, even in Basil R. Weston111t Appointed to Head the midst of grave physical danger, 1951 Alumni-Alumnae Fund Driue Committee of those activities of the mind and spirit which give an attractive and helpful aspect to our national life, BASIL R. Weston, '21, insurance ter, Nancy Weston Kennedy, was in now and in the future ... agency head and prominent in the the Class of 1946. His brother, Ger­ "We cannot relinquish those stud­ Rochester Ad Club, Chamber of ritt Weston, is a ' 17 alumnus, and ies which teach that the glory of Commerce and other civic groups his sister, Margaret Weston, was humanity in its existence on earth for many years, will head the 1952 graduated in 1924. is its power to transcend the mere ­ Alumni-Alumnae Fund committee General Insurance Agent animal routine of survival, that we for the annual drive which will be­ may aspire to become in the future gin with a dinner on April 17.