Clark University

The munificent gift of Mr. J. G. Clark to the City of Worcester for a new institution of learning, to be called Clark University, is well known throughout the country, and has ceased to be a prominent topic of conversation. The proposal to endow a university with land, books, etc., to the amount of nearly $2,000,000 was made about a year ago to the City of Worcester. The gift having been accepted by the city, it was an easy matter to obtain a charter from the legislature. A brief delay was experienced by the formation of the corporation and the choice of suitable plans for the different college buildings. As soon as the preliminary difficulties were overcome, active operations were begun on the main building. This took place early in the spring, and the first building of Clark University is near completion at the present time. The interior of the building will not, however, be finished until next spring.

As a college develops and increases its numbers but slowly, Mr. Clark and the corporation have wisely decided that this new building is sufficiently large and commodious for the present needs of the college, and that the rest of the buildings shall not be started until the increasing demands of a growing university make them necessary. This main building is situated in the midst of a beautiful expanse of country, consisting of some ten acres about a mile from the centre of Worcester. It is situated upon a gentle slope about 400 feet from the street, while at its side and in its rear are acres of land suitable for the location of any buildings deemed necessary in the future. The building is intended for lecture and recitation rooms; in the basement, however, is to be placed the gymnasium of the college, thus dispensing with a separate building for this purpose. The appearance of the building is not pretentious, but is strong and massive. It has been built more with an eye to strength and durability than with a view to architectural beauty.

The foundations and trimmings are made of light granite while the walls are made of pressed brick. It has four stories with a tower in the centre in which a clock is to be placed. The work is under the personal supervision of the founder, who devotes his entire time and attention to the welfare of the college. It is his intention to found this college after the method of the old European universities, although it will be modeled on the plan of no particular one. There will be a board of corporators, consisting of nine persons, who will have control of the funds, choice of instructors, etc. They will assist the founder in carrying out the plans already conceived by him, but will be free to perfect plans of their own. Many applications for positions on the board of instructors have already been received, some of them from men of ability abroad.

It is intended to furnish similar courses to those given by Harvard and Yale and a high standard of excellence for entrance is to be maintained. The tuition fee is to be of a like amount to those of neighboring institutions. The building of the professional schools which are to be added, is to be deterred until a year or so before the first class graduates. There are to be no dormitories, at least for the first two years. Mr. Clark believes that for the present none are needed, as he expects to draw his pupils mainly form the young men of Worcester who either do not care to leave home to attend college or whose means would not permit them to do so. He offers to such men the advantages of the larger colleges while the attendant expenses are much smaller. It is expected that the first freshman class will enter in the fall of 1888.