The Archives of The University of Notre Dame 607 Hesburgh Library Notre Dame, IN 46556 574-631-6448 [email protected] Notre Dame Archives: Alumnus This book is BOt i6 Ve ©6c taken from the Librarv Notre Dam ALUMNUS •J^EV. JOHN F. O'HARA, C^.C, PH.B., 'U Dynamic President Inspired Prefect Pioneering Dean Constant Friend January, 1935 74 The 'J^otre 'Dame cAlumnus January, 1935 The above selection from the to Notre Dame, with all of the alumni Rhymes in Season of the famed Pro­ benefits that have been defined as CCMMCNT fessor Stace, is intended as a pleas­ ramifications of this program, and which we believe you thoroughly un­ ant and anaesthetizing prelude to derstand. more serious words. "THE JANUARY THAW" If you won't get over-confident, you BY JUSTIN THYME This is January, 1935. did a swell job last Spring, and just "I've seen thousands and thousands • repeating that would be worth all the of Januaries, and I never saw one Circumstances have once more pre­ effort. However, let's see if we can't without a thaw yet."—Lady of Very vented the Alumni OfBce from en­ kick a few of the points after touch­ Uncertain Age. joying the advantages of time in down this year. promoting the program of student RECITATIVO contacts. The new course in aeronautical en­ Let others sine the joys of Spring gineering announced for 1935-36, ten­ Or Autumn's glories feebly bring Therefore, the Spring again looms tatively, ought to be one of the finest Before our satiated gaze. with its terrifying amount of detail. weapons in the hands of the field Familiar with their works and ways. force Last spring it seemed that the Such worn-out themes suit poets raw: It calls for all of the leniency for so-called "popular" demand in high I sing the January thaw, omissions and efficiency of comissions schools revolved about aeronautical AMA you possess. engineering, radio engineering, and journalism. The cold snap is o'er and the breezes We plan again to contact as many From southerly regions blow; of the Clubs as possible, not so much No longer the wayfarer freezes Notre Dame has a splendid course Though the earth be still covered with snow. from the OfBce staff this year as with various personalities from the cam­ in journalism, long tried and proved For soon shall tbii snow-Kirift be melted true by its graduates. Its texture enables the boys pus who may be of more interest to To mould that soft missle, which pelted. the Clubs and schools. The pompous too often annoys. The radio engineering foundation, Vital, however, to this program, while not definitely outlined as a The snow with its ice-fetters busted * and of immeasurable significance in "course" is here for the study, with Descends from the roof with a rush. view of the expanse of territory, is a background that reaches back into The boys from the lake come disgusted Prof. Greene's wireless successes. Unable to skate in the slush. ." the program of student contacts through alumni interviews. The newly announced course fills ^ The r in this word adds nothing to its We shall call upon you freely. All the popular program with no sacrifice force, but rather detracts from it: so that of the obstacles are understood. But of. tiiose fundamentals of education energetic persons usually omit it, and the poet the nearer we can come to achieving which Notre Dame has always stood has judiciously followed their example. this program, the greater the service for. THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION of The University of Notre Dame Alumni Headquarters, Main Floor Administration BIdg., Notre Dame, Indiana DISTRICT GOVERNORS District 19. James H. Bach. '07, San Diegb. California District 20. Keene Fitzpatrick. '13, San Francisco, California District 1. Timothy 1*. Galvin, '16. Hammond, Indiana District 21. James L. Hope, '11, Astoria. Oregon District 2. James H. Brennan, *20. Chicago, Illinois District 22. Louis P. Harl, '16, Paris, France District 3. Hev. M. L. Moriarty, '10, Qevelaild, Ohio District 4. Daniel Coughlin, '22, Waseca. Minn. District 5. Joseph F. Sanford, '21. Muskeeon, 3Iichigan District 6. John Purcell, '26, Fanwood, New Jersey ALUMNI BOARD District 7. William A. Daunt, '08, Long Island City, New York FKAKK C. WALKER '09---------- Honorary President District 8. I«o Kelley, '22. Syracuse. New York TIMOTHY P. GALVIN, 'is------------- President District 9. Charles Grimes, '20, Providence, Rhode Island BERXARD J. VOLL, '17---------- First Vice-President District JO. Forest Fletcher, '12, Lexington, Va. GBATTAN T. STAJfFOlD, '04-------- Second Vice-President District 11. Matthew M. O'Brien, '31. Tampa, Fhi. JAMES B. ARMSTRONG, '25--------- Secretary-Treasurer District 12. Edward H. Pfciffer, '22, Louisville, Kentucky WILLIAM R. DOOI£Y, '26---------- Assistant Secretary District 13. Hobert Evans, Jr., '28, Vicksburg, Mississippi ROBERT E. LYNCH, 'OS-------------- Director District 14. .Tames P. Swift. '24, Dallas, Texas HUGH A. O'DONNELL, '94------------- Director District IS. Edgar F. Moran, '17, Tulsa. Oklahoma FRED L. STEERS, 'Ii --------------- Director District 16. R. Gerald Jones, '22, Dixon, Illinois JAMES E. DEEBV, 'lo--------------- Director District 17. Thomas C. Kasper, '21, Brookings, South Dakota M. HARRY JIIUEB. 'lo -------- - • (ex officio) Director District 18. Robert Fox, '01, Denver Colorado JAUES S. KEARNS, '34---------- (one year) Director The Notre Dame Alumnus JAMES E. ARUSTBONG, *25, The matnixtne is published monthly durinf: the scholastic year by the Alumni Association Uember of the AmeriesB of the University of Notre Dam^ Notre Dame. Indiana. The subscription price is S2.00 Alumni ConndL Editor a year; the price of stnsle copies is 25 cents. The annual alunmi dues of $5.00 inehMfo a year's subscziption to THE ALtJHNCS. Entered as second-class matter JanuJiry 1, WiLUAM R. OOOLETt •26. 1923, at the jwst office at Notre Dame, Indiana, under the Act of March 3, 1879. All Member of Natl. CiUboUe AtaoevUe Editor correspondence should be addressed to TTie Notre I)ame Alumnus. Box 81. Notre Dame. Ind. Ahmmi Federatloo VOL. XIII JANUARY, 1935 No. 4 // WHAT IS THE USE OF PHILOSOPHY TODAY?/ / Notre Dame Instructor Draws Brilliant Distinctions of Particular Appeal to the Amateur Philosopher or the Laymen Lured into Philosophical Defense. (Notre Dame alumni, particularly in dis- BY FRANQS E. MCMAHON, PH.D. accessible to man? No one dreams cussins: the value of philosophy with prospec- of asking the dollars and cents value ti%'e students or their parents, almost inevi­ Instructor in Philosophy of a mother's love? No one in his tably come into contact with the need for sane moments inquires about the util­ defining: that value. It is therefore with a ity of the Parthenon or of the Venus feeling: of offering such loyal champions a self) as liking him for his own sake. powerful weapon, as well as with the edi­ di Milo. It is just as irrelevant and No, absolutely no, philosophy is not irreverent to place a price upon torial satisfaction of presenting a splendid in­ "useful" in this sense. Philosophy be­ tellectual article per se, that the AUTMXCJS Philosophy. prints this article prepared for it by Dr. Mc- longs in the realm of ends, not means. Mahon. The author is a grraduate of De Paul It is something absolute, not relative. But the story is only half complete. and Catholic Universities, and studied at Lou- Other things are subordinated to If the professor has convinced the vain, Munich and the Angelico College in skeptical student that philosophy is Rome.—Ed.) superior to anything merely useful, They are still asking that question Football Banquet perhaps he ivill expound about its in­ in the classes in Metaphysics; "What direct value to the individual and Irrelevant to the article sur­ upon its importance in the history is the use of Philosophy?" And they rounding it, but very relevant are still astonished when the profes­ of the race. The story is told of a to its readers, announcement noted English philosopher. Viscount sor replies: "You're correct. It is of has just been made by Presi­ no use." You may be sure that the Haldane, that at the outbreak of the dent AVilliam F. Sheehan, '25, World War he was called from his professor, in saying this, is making that the FIFTEENTH ANNU- books to take charge of an important a mental reservation or tsvo. If he .4.L CIVIC TESTIMOOTAL post in the Ministry of War in Lon­ is a good Scholastic, he is making FOOTBALL B.A.NQUET, spon­ don. When his friends remonstrated an all-important distinctoin that we sored for the Notre Dame foot­ that, after all, he was very ignorant can dwell upon in a moment. Yet, the ball team of 1934 by the Notre of the work in question, and that professor is altogether sincere when Dame Club of the St. Joseph prudence would dictate his not accept­ he assures the somewhat cynical Valley, will be held in the East ing, he calmly replied: "My knowl­ young metaphysician that philosophy Hall of the University Dining edge of Kant and of Hegel will carry serves no useful function, that in so Halls at 7 o'clock on Tuesday, me through." Kant and Hegel were far as helping a man to make a liv­ Jan. 15, 1935. Tickets, t\vo dol­ as directly related to the tasks as­ ing, it is as valueless today as (for lars ($2) each, can be secured sumed as the Odes of Horace are to example) a course in Bond selling. from Herbert E. Jones, '27, Box the Mount Wilson Obervatory. Yet 71, Notre Dame, Ind. .\ table this learned man was aware that a -A.ttend for a moment, please, to seats 12 persons.