A few words are insufficient to summarize this lifetime of service. Dr. Capen's public spirit is indicated in his pursuance of a vast round of public duties outside the requirements of his college presidency. As a college president, he was eager to lead in the educational progress of his time. It is in accord with his spirit that Tufts was the first New England college to substitute modern languages for Greek as an admission requirement, to omit Greek as a requirement for the A. B. degree, and to grant the degree on the completion of a definite amount of work rather than of a definite number of years of residence.
The growth of the college to university proportions is a further tribute to his liberality and sagacity. As an administrator, President Capen believed in allowing faculty and students alike the largest possible freedom. He was the reverse of a martinet in government, while exacting manliness and respect from the student body. As an orator, he was eloquent and strong. As a man, he was considerate and magnanimous, a friend to all in distress, quick to perceive the good qualities of his associates, and to put them to use. In private he loved his family life, and was a man of warm friendships. Now that he is gone, we shall appreciate him better. We shall continue to miss him, while recognizing the beneficence of his departure at the height of his power and in the flower of his usefulness.
