HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT

It is perhaps particularly important in these days when the academic institutions of more than one country have been crippled by persecution, that our anniversary be utilized to demonstrate to the nation at large the significance of all our colleges and universities. We hope that the events of this three hundredth year of Harvard's existence may awaken in many minds a consciousness of the necessity of preserving that great scholarly tradition of education and free inquest which first came to these shores three centuries ago.

If we are to plan for the future, we must plan in terms of men.

As compared with the past, we appear to be entering a static period in our social history. This being the case, the problem we now face as a nation is not one of expanding to any great degree our facilities for handling college and university students. It is rather that of improving the selective machinery in our school system which should sort out those who can profit most by four years of colleges and a subsequent professional training.

In any university today there are two great obstacles to stimulating teaching and imaginative research. The first is the present division of the faculty into a multitude of special departments which have all too little contact with each other. The second is a lack of flexibility which manifests itself particularly when new appointments or promotions are to be made.

Certainly those interested in employing college graduates would be very glad to have some knowledge of each candidate's ability to put his thoughts on paper.

Last spring over six hundred of the present Freshman Class were give individually careful and detailed advice about their program in College.

All the recent changes in our curriculum have been in the direction of recognizing individual variations.