UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 456, 19 March 1948, Page 8

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

By

RICHARD LAWSON

L.H.

D.

(Melb:-

Professor Emeritus | *

UT the women persevered. The’ hardness and loneliness of their life, the necessity for makeshifts, the impossibility of evading their lot, and the realisation that nobody was better off than anybody else brought to the surface unrealised qualities of courage, humour and kindness. It was because of, rather than in spite of, their petticoats, that the pioneer women were successful. Though the carriage and pair had become a bul-~ lock sledge on a muddy track, and the mansion a. two-roomed house of clay, the original reason for their having left Scotland was never forgotten. In the bush and hills, and on the seashore, the women of the °40’s practised the virtues befitting their garb and symbolic of the civilisation they were determined to create, and though, sometimes, they may have ruefully smiled at themselves, we, their descendants, have no words in which to express our gratitude, our admiration and our affection,

HE ideals of any community may be gauged by the nature and quality of the institutions which it supports, Apart from religion; foremost amongst the institutions of Otago is its Universityforemost in size, foremost in influence. It is impossible to assess the value of a seat of higher learning, for its influence goes on ificreasing at compound interest. All graduates who become parents become necessarily thereby small centres of culture in some special branch of knowledge or skill or in that wider play of mind which arouses intellectual curiosity in all things human. It seems hardly credible that a University which came to birth in 1871 should in the space of less than eighty years have sent out into thé community of New Zealand about 4,500 graduates, and more than 1,000 non-graduates who had gained diplomas. Many of these-mining experts, doctors, scholars-have gone out to various parts of the Empire. Indeed if the Spirit of the University could speak it might utter the words of Vergil’s heroQual regis in terris nostri non plena laboris! (What region of the earth is not full of our labour!) And though "labor" is not quite the same in both cases, the sentiment has a general appropriateness, Naturally the University began with an Arts Faculty, with chairs of Classics,

Natural Philosophy, Philosophy (and Political Economy) and Chemistry, under the guidance of four professors. To-day there are nine faculties-Arts and Music, Science, Mining (1871), Law (1872), Medicine (1872), Dentistry (1907), Home Science (1909), Commerce (1911) and Theology (1946). The four professors have increased to 23, reinforced with more than 200 lecturers and part-time teachers. And as an essential part of this growth the 81 students of the opening year had mounted to 2,400 in the year 1947-and this does not include external students. To show that development is still proceeding it may be mentioned that the University has just established a course in Physical Education leading to a Diploma. It has to be remembered that in the first three years of its existence the University was autonomous; and in that time conferred one degree. All degrees ere now conferred as from the University of New Zealand under a_ federal scheme. Whether there will be a resumption of autonomy remains to be seen-there is certainly some talk of it. Restoration of autonomy could hardly increase local patriotism and generosity -these began in the founding of the University and have continued without abatement. The latest gift is that of Sir Thomas Hunter to foster research in the Dental School. Other fine gifts have been given for special purposes, or money has been raised by public subscription to found chairs and to support tesearch in Medicine, Science, and Economics. The total benefactions received by the University amount to well over half a million pounds. * % * ¥ PECIAL mention must be made of the Presbyterian Church, which, until quite recently, maintained four chairs. The total

contribution from this source has been £134,450. Otago of course was a Scotch settlement and naturally offered a home to religion and education. Names frequently heard still are those of some of the members of the first University Council, the Rev. Thomas Burns, D.D. (the first Chancellor), the Rev. O. M. Stuart, E. B. Cargill, and the Hon. Major Richardson, M.L.C. (Vice-Chancellor). The names of the first four professors too are frequently heard-John Shand (Natural Philosophy), G. S. Sole (Classics), O. MacGregor (Philosophy and Political Economy), and J. G. Black (Chemistry), It is claimed for Otago that in its autonomous period it was first among Empire universities in admitting women to all its classes. It is also claimed that the first student to enrol was Mr. (Sir) | Robert Stout; though I have been as- | sured by a Dunedin lady that her father | was the first. The records, I believe, are missing. Naturally in a young University the emphasis has been, where Cardinal Newman asserted it should be-on teaching and advancing higher learning. But a new era is at hand-that of research. This will mean that extra staff must be employed-especially in Science and in the four special schools-Mining, Dentistry, Medicine, and Home Science. Interest in the University is as great as ever; hence the flow of benefactions is not likely to cease, especially as Otago graduates have contributed so much to the welfare of the Province and indeed the whole Dominion. At the same time no effort must be spared to support and advance the old humanities-for these are the essentials for the culture of the human spirit. There seems no reason why both should not exist in mutual (continued on next page)

Otago Centennial

STRANGERS WITHIN THE GATES —

(continued from previous page) sympathy. In conclusion I may mention the latest development-the imminent appointment of a salaried Vice-Chancel-lor-good evidence of continuing vitality. And so, Floreat Academia Otagoniensis! *