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WHA

Spake ye of twilight, reapers? Look again!

Floats the bright orb, clear-edged, above the plain; And harvest's gold, not sunset's, crowns the vales. Listen! No signal from the nightingales,

No turret trembling to the vesper strain.

Look homeward! Lampless is the cottage pane;
And dellward! Not a spark the glow worm trails.
Plunge, plunge, the sickle deeper in the corn!

Day yet, glad day, its heart and hope are ours!
For us still beams the light that smiled at morn,
Unset, undimmed, on sheaf and blade and flowers.

Long be it ere it pass the fateful bourne,

And leave us, weeping to the sunless hours!

January 4th, 1909

-O. W. Firkins, '84

President Northrop was born September 30th, 1834, at Ridgefield, Connecticut. "Who's Who in America" devotes a very short paragraph to this man who has filled so large a part in the life of the great Northwest. Many men who have not had one-tenth his influence in building up the nation have been given many times the space President Northrop has in biographical dictionaries. There is a reason for this silence on the part of the makers of biographical dictionaries; President Northrop has never courted such publicity. He has made his impress upon the life of the University and the state and the nation, mainly through his spoken words and the influence of his personality. A brief outline of the main facts of his life include the fact that he graduated from Yale college in 1857; from the Yale law school in 1859, and received the degree of doctor of laws in 1886. In 1904 both Wisconsin and Illinois conferred upon President Northrop the degree of doctor of laws. and in 1905 South Carolina college also gave him the same degree. President Northrop was admitted to the bar of Connecticut in 1860 and served as clerk of the Connecticut house of representatives in 1861 and of the senate in 1862. He was editor of the New Haven Palladium in 1863 and became professor of rhetoric and English literature at Yale in 1863, holding that position until he came to the University of Minnesota in the fall of 1884. Between these few facts can be filled in the history of busy years in public service. Before the Civil War and subsequent to that time it is said that President Northrop probably made more public addresses in Connecticut than any other one man. These addresses were not written and have not been preserved. One of these addresses is worthy of very special mention. The legislature of Connecticut had been called together in special session to pass upon the question of whether Connecticut would accede to President Lincoln's demand for more troops for the prosecution of the war. There was a decidedly ugly sentiment prevalent and the question of whether Connecticut would stand by the president, was in serious doubt. A large number of the members of the legislature had gathered at a hotel in New Ha

ven and some one suggested sending for Northrop who was then engaged in editorial work on the Palladium. Mr. Northrop walked into the lobby of the hotel and began a speech which is said to be the most powerful speech he ever delivered. By the time he had finished the question of whether Connecticut would stand by President Lincoln was no longer open to question of doubt. His logic and his personality. carried conviction and won over those who were hesitating whether or not to stand by the president.

From the early days in his college life President Northrop has been known as a ready and convincing speaker. While in college he won everything offered in the way of oratorical prizes. The dominant traits of his speaking were then, as they are now, clearness and directness of statement and convincing logic; moreover, he put a personal feeling into what he had to say that was even more convincing than his logic. The personality of the man was behind everything that he said and carried weight beyond the mere logic of the words to which he gave

utterance.

During the years that he held the chair of rhetoric and English literature at Yale he was one of the most popular professors in that institution. His ready wit and clearness of vision and appreciation of literature and the ability to make others appreciate the beauties which he saw, all combined to make him a wonderful teacher. A little incident is related of President Northrop in connection with President Taft, who was at one time in his classes, which is characteristic of President Northrop's attitude toward his pupils. President Taft had written an essay of a good many pages and submitted it to Professor Northrop for his inspection. After reading it over Mr. Taft was called in and Professor Northrop said to him, "Is there anything in the first eighteen pages that are not found in the last two?" Mr. Taft owned up that there was not and was at once advised to cut out the first eighteen pages.

President Northrop's decision to come to the University of Minnesota was undoubtedly due to the pressure brought to bear upon him by

Governor Pillsbury. A committee of the board of regents, including Governor Pillsbury, went east to visit President Northrop and to offer him the presidency of the University. At that time President Northrop had no more intention of coming to Minnesota than he had of going to the moon, but Governor Pillsbury used his persuasive powers in a way that made an impression upon President Northrop and he agreed to visit the University and consider the matter further. At the time he visited the University, Governor Pillsbury held a reception for President Northrop and got together one of the most distinguished gatherings of Minnesotans ever brought together. President Northrop was made to feel the genuine warmth of a western reception. Each member of the party that evening, in passing President Northrop, to say goodnight shook him by the hand and told him they hoped that he would decide to accept. That reception clinched the matter and induced President Northrop to come to Minnesota.

Although President Northrop had been brought up and spent his life up to that time in the east, when he came to Minnesota he cut loose entirely from the east and cast his lot with the people of Minnesota. He has been from the first day of his arrival at the University to the present, a thorough Minnesotan. His home has been here, his interests have been here and he has been ever ready to respond to any call from any part of the state for any service he could render. No man in the state of Minnesota is known to more people and none more truly loved and revered.

Under President Northrop's leadership the University has grown from a little handful of students to an enrollment of five thousand. The men and women who have passed through the University in the twenty-six years he has been in charge of the institution have all felt the uplifting influence of this man and his personality, even though they may not have come into frequent personal contact with him. The door of his office is never locked and no one stands guard over it. Any student or any professor, or any citizen of the state of Minnesota or any other state for that matter, can reach the Presi

dent upon any subject he desires to bring to his attention at any time. Not only this, but President Northrop's home has been open to receive visitors at any time of the day or night and any one who has had anything that President Northrop could help him about has been a welcome visitor. Many and many times students, discouraged and ready to give up, have found in President Northrop a warm friend, a wise counsellor and a real helper. A little incident illustrating President Northrop's way of dealing with

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students will not be out of place here. One day President Northrop came upon a young lady who was attending the University who was the picture of utter dejection. Immediately he was touched with her evident misery and stopped to speak with her. He soon found that she was not only completely discouraged and ready to give up the struggle for an education, but was actually suffering from hunger, not having had anything to eat that day. President Northrop took her home with him, gave her a dinner, cheered her up, helped her to find work and made it possible for her to continue her college course. And what was better that all, he made her feel that he had a real interest

in her welfare and a desire for her success. This is but one of a multitude of incidents that might be cited of his personal interest in everything that concerns the welfare of the student body. Hundreds of students have gone to him for a loan of money when they were hard pressed and not one was ever refused. Not always has his confidence been rewarded the way it should have been, but if he has ever regretted his action in any case, no one has ever been the wiser concerning it. It is said by those who have had means of knowing conditions at various other institutions that there is not in the country to-day a college president who has such a hold upon the student body

the kindly intent of the artist and are perhaps average samples.

Note. The following sketch appeared first in the Gopher of 1901 and was written by Alice Jackson, a member of the Gopher board. Miss Jackson spent all her spare time for nearly nine months gathering the material for this study and had numerous interviews with the President, his family and friends and corresponded with many of his old classmates and Yale associates. The article was rewritten innumerable times and submitted for criticism to various friends for suggestions. This remarkable article is one of the best pieces of work that ever

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