Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/409

 POPULISM IN A STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION 395

Regent Kelley in his plans for teaching "the new school of political economy." In a lengthy resolution offered by Mr. Hoffman, the board ordered in place of the established Friday lectures by members of the faculty in rotation, the introduction of thirteen lectures on political economy to "treat of the subject consecutively, commencing with the primary concepts of the science." "The principles maintained by the advocates of land nationalization, public control of public utilities, and the reform of the financial and monetary system shall be fairly stated and candidly examined, with a view of leading the student to grasp the principles involved in the science of production and distri- bution without bias or prejudice." This resolution was adopted after much debate in caucus over a proposition to reorganize the college upon the basis of the "new school of political economy" with the Industrialist, the weekly paper published by the faculty, as an advocate.

In June 1894, the president and faculty were directed to so rearrange duties and positions as to fill the position of the pro- fessor of physics, who had been granted leave of absence, "and leave vacant instead some full chair which shall include political economy." This took from my duties the teaching of political economy, in which I had taken pride as a teacher because of utmost freedom of discussion from all points of view, though my personal opinions did not accord with those of the board. At the same time the committee on employe's was authorized to open correspondence " for the purpose of securing a competent professor to fill the chair of political economy." Regent Hoff- man undertook the correspondence, and at the suggestion of Mr. B. O. Flower, then editor of the Arena, invited Professor T. E. Will to meet the board in July at the expense of the college. Professor Will was a Harvard graduate, who after two years of experience in college work at Appleton, Wis., had lost his place, and was lecturing as opportunity offered in Boston upon social and economic questions.

Professor Will was installed in September, 1894, to teach political economy in the course, including the thirteen lectures