Provost From Pennsylvania

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30823, 7 August 1965, Page 1

Provost From Pennsylvania

How does the American University of Pennsylvania come to have an officer with the Scottish title of Erovost and what does e do? “It came straight from Scotia nd, he is the academic head, and he does some teaching to keep his hand in,” said Dr. David Goddard in Christchurch last evening. Dr. Goddard is the Provost of the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Goddard said even that description might be confusing to a New Zealander. Indeed, the variety of titles used bv American university leaders and the variety of different duties performed by officers with the same title sometimes confused Americans. “I’d better go back a bit in history.” he said. The first provost was D. M Smith, who came frcm Scotland. and “got together with Benjamin Franklin" in 1754 to found the academy which became the College of Philadenhia and then the Universitv of Pennsylvania after the Revolutl. n. Smith was the

first head and took the title provost. Dr. Goddard is the twentieth provost. “But I am not the head, only No. 2,” he said. From 1754 until 1930 the provost was the “boss” at Pennsylvania but then a president was appointed.

What did he do? Well the president <-nd the provost cut up between them the responsibilities of the chancellor and vice-chancellor of a British or Commonwealth univer-

sity, said Dr. Goddard. The president was executive (particularly financial) head and the provost was educational head though their duties often interlocked. Both were full time and both were the heads, make no mistake, taking precedence on ceremonial occasions even over the chairman of the board of trustees. Like to Teach

Yet both president and provost liked to teach. Dr. Goddard still takes a share of first-year classes in his old subjects of botany and biology and the president takes some first-year physics. Dr. Goddard said they both felt *■■>3 “keeps us in touch” apart from the fact that it was a Pennsylvania tradition. Dr. Goddard is visiting the University of Canterbury in a new .radition. It began with the association of the two universities in establishing jointly the Mount John Astronomical Observatory in South Canterbury, developed with the present visit to Professor Reavis Cox of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and Finance to advise on marketing education, and is likely to be extended. Dr. Goddard gives first credit to Professor F. B. Wood of his astronomy department, who has been in Canterbury for about a year. “He wanted to establish an

observatory in the Southern Hemisphere. In October, 1961, I’d just been appointed and he came to try me on. I don’t think he expected any response. I told him that if he could find a New Zealand institution of high intellectual record which would provide on-the-spot support and take over if we ever pulled out I would go along with him. “Canterbury was chosen. We exchanged drafts of what we thought the agreement should take. We agreed very quickly. Your Chancellor (Mr C. H. Perkins) has visited us, your Vice-Chancellor (Dr. L. L. Pownall) has called, and your Registrar (Mr G. G. Turbott) will in September, all in the course of overseas visits. Pleasant Relationship “It is an extraordinarily pleasant relationship that we have,” said Dr. Goddard. The fruits would be enjoyed by both universities. Under the astronomer in charge at Mount John (Mr F. M. Bateson) Pennsylivania students would come to Canterbury, advanced Canterbury students would go to Pennsylvania, a year from now Professor William Protheroe would succeed Dr. Wood as visiting’ professor, and so it would go on, possibly also in other fields. Dr. Goddard will visit the University of Canterbury next week and also Mount John.