PIONEER PROFESSOR TO RETIRE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 299, 14 September 1936, Page 10

PIONEER PROFESSOR TO RETIRE

Thirty-seven Years’ Work ■. i . VICTORIA COLLEGE’S ENGLISH CHAIR The retirement is expected to be announced shortly, t,o take effect from the end of the year, of Professor Hugh MacKenzie, M.A. (St, Andrews), of the chair of English language and literature at Victoria University College. Wellington, and one of the college’s four foundation professors. Professor MacKenzie’s retirement will sever another connection of the college wflth the year it opened, 1891), and the lone remaining member of the original professorial board on the staff will then be Professor J. Hankine Brown, M.A. (St. Andrews and Oxford), Hon. LL.D. (St. Andrews), of the chair of classics; The two other first professors were the late Professor R. C- Maclaurin, M.A., LL.D. (New Zealand and Cambridge), of the chair of mathematics, 1899 -to 1907, and professor of law and dean of the faculty of law, 1907, and Professor T. H. Easterfield M.A. (Cambridge), Ph.D. (Wurzburg), of the chair of chemistry and physics. Professor Maclaurin, who, after leaving Victoria College, achieved note as president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, died in 1920, and Professor Easterfield is lately retired from the position of director of the Cawthron Institute fop Scientific Research, Nelson. Professor MacKenzie was born at Ardross, Ross-shire, Scotland, in’,lB6l, and is a half-brother of the noted New Zealand Minister of Lands, the late Sir John McKenzie. In 1891 he married Miss Annie Catherine Stewart, the daughter of his first teacher. Professor MacKenzie commenced his education at Ardross School, and then went to the Tain Roy’al Academy and the Grammar School of Old Aberdeen,, where he won a scholarship in 1878. Career at St, Andrews. He entered the University of St. Andrews in 1881, and took fitst rank honours in rhetoric and English literature, 1881-82, first rank honours in logic and metaphysics in 1883-84, and in the theory, history and practice of education in 1885-86. He took the degree of master/of arts in 1886. Forthree years after graduating he further studied literature and philosophy under Professors T. 8, Baynes and S. P. Pattison, and took honours in advanced logic and metaphysics in 1889./ He lived in St. Andrews for 17 years, engaged in tutorial and journalistic work, was assistant master at St. Salvator’s private school, and was tutor to the Marquis of Bute when he was appointed to Victoria College. Chairman of the Victoria College professorial board in 1907-8, Professor MacKenzie has published numerous booklets on Celtic literature, and his other works‘ include “Task of Education and of Statesmanship," and “Defence of Secular Education.” On May 5, 1934, former graduates of Victoria College- returned to honour their foundation professors, when portraits of them were presented to the college and hung in'the library. Making the presentation, Mr. A. H. Johnstone, K.C., said: “They who have taught us the truth, have dispensed the spiritually indispensable, have broken the bread of life! Representatives of' every generation of students who have passed through these halls return to-day to pay them respect and to do them honour.” After referring to' the changes of the years, Mr. Johnstone continued: “Throughout these mundane mutations they held aloft the lamp *of knowledge and taught the truth as they knew it.” Beauties of English Language. Referring to Professor MacKenzie, ■Mr. Johnstone said : “He has for the same period taught 'the beauties of our own incomparable language, and in his earlier years he taught philosophy as well. I was the member of a philosophy class of which the professor was not proud. He had nd reason to be so. Two of us went up for the degree examinations. We were examined by Professor Caird, and passed with fair marks. Professor MacKenzie mentioned this strange circumstance to £is class the following year, and added by way of explanation, ‘You know, Caird is a very old man. Professor MacKenzie is a most kindly and helpful teacher and a great lover of freedom,” Mr. Johnstone said. When the foundation professors arrived in Wellington in April, 1899, it was to find an embryo University college without a home. The Government had not considered it necessary to make provision for that. The council arranged for the use of rooms in the Girls’ High School, and in the Technical College building. , / ’ “All four professors had come from ancient and highly-endowed seats of learning, from associations of culture, from mouldering halls and the glory of gardens,Mr. Johnstone said. “They came to a place where higher learning was little esteemed, where they were obliged to work in uncongenial surroundings and under every conceivable handicap. But our professors were men of courage and resource. It was iu truth they who founded the college, and because they did it so well she is destined one day to be a great seat of learning.” Three Scottish Professors. Professor MacKenzie, iu his speech on that occasion, said: “Professor Easterfield, in his generous and selfdenying pro-Scot moment!;, tells us that, but for the fact that there was no Scottish candidate for the ehair of chemisty when he was appointed, all the four foundation professors would have been Scots. Well, with three Scots to begin with, and with the tincture of ‘sweetness and light’ which our cultured colleague brought into the Scottish atmosphere. Wellington had what is popularly called a ‘great asset.’ Think of it! Professor Brown and myself had, before coming to New Zealand, lived through, and survived, live years and a half years of Scottish Sabbaths! That you will readily concede accounts for the sobriety, the solemnity, and the dignity which have always characterised our work and influence in this generously appreciative community. "Our students, too, of the first decade of the history of Victoria College, had to take themselves and their work seriously. There was very little firstaid and spoon-feeding by the S.tate in those days. The luxury of generous State-aid came later. The fact that the teaching staff and the students of our early days at Victoria University College took themselves and their work seriously accounts for the great respect entertained for our university college throughout this Dominion,”