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Show '104. Laing. Professor Laing is a receptive candidate. He is fifty-one years of age, was born in London, Ontario, Canada- received his high school training in London, Ontario, and his early university training at the University of Toronto, where he received his A. B. in 1891 and five years later secured his Ph. D. at Johns Hopkins. In 1896-7 he attended the American School of Classical Studies in Home and in 1911-12 8 served as Annual Professor of the same school. Dr. Laing has written, translated or edited a large number of works, principally on Latin subjects, a bibliography of which is attached hereto. In this field, the eminence of his scholarship is unquestioned and my best information and my personal impression is that his general scholarship is of a high order. His first teaching was done at Bryn Mans, 1897 to 1899, where he was instructor in Latin. From there he went to the Uni- versity of Chicago, where he has served continuously since, and now holds the position of Professor of Latin and Chairman of the Latin Department, having five members in his faculty . He is at the present time Editor of the University Press, and is what is termed "Faculty Adviser". Beyond this, he seems to have had no university administrative experience. Dr. Laing in 1915 married a daughter of President Judson, but has no children. He is a Protestant in religion, is at present receiving $7,200.00 as regular salary for nin 6 month's work and during the summer usually earns one or two thousand dollars additional. He suggested that the salary for the President of the University of Utah should be at least $10,000100. In stature Dr. Laing is about medium height, stockily built, is rather aggressive in manner, talks to the point, would not be inclined to compromise, especially upon principle, would have fair tact, and is somewhat generous in habits and tastes. To me, Dr. Laing looks at least as old as his years and yet he is not over-serious, but inclined to be jovial and is friendly in his attitude towards others. I am just in receipt of a letter from him in which he says, "It was a very great pleasure to meet you and I shall be glad to hear of any further developments in the matter of the presidency of the University. From what you told me, I can see there is a great opportunity there for a fine piece of work". Franklin Bobbitt, Professor of Education of the Uni- Bobbitt. versity of Chicago, had been suggested to us by Commissioner Claxton. I find him to be fifty years of age, to have had no special administrative experience, not strong as a public speaker, possessing a poor voice, and, notwithstanding he has fine scholastic attainments and high collegiate honors, I deemed it not worth while to seek a‘direct interview with him. At washington, D.C. I conferred at length with Commissioner P.P. Claxton and together we canvassed each candidate listed in addition to a number of others suggested by Mr. Claxton. By this conference I was able to eliminate some of the possibilities. Those who stood out strong with Mr. Claxton were Edward 0. Sisso Henry Lester Smithwl Thomas B. Briggs, FrederickP . Keppell ?abandoned because no |
