No. 262.
Mr. White
to Mr. Evarts.
Berlin, February 2, 1880. (Received February 24.)
Sir: I regret to state that there seems to be a revival here of the sale of diplomas purporting to be issued by an institution of learning in the United States.
Some weeks since a Mr. Pappenheim brought me a diploma, engrossed upon parchment in very handsome style, and issued nominally by “the American University at Philadelphia,” conferring the degree of doctor of medicine upon one Christopher Schütz, living, as I understand it, at Leipzig. It would appear that the diploma was offered to Schütz upon condition of his paying a sum of money for it. It bears the signatures of a number of persons claiming to be professors in the aforesaid university, at the head of them being the signature of “John Buchanan, M. D.” Schütz desired the legation to give him a declaration of its genuineness and value, which I refused to do.
One peculiar feature of the diploma was that, although evidently entirely new and recently issued, it was dated 1872.
About ten days since another and more serious case was brought to my notice. The judicial authorities at Prenzlau forwarded a copy, which I inclose, of a diploma issued by the same alleged institution, to Paul [Page 398] Christopli Erdmann Volland, and signed by a faculty, at the head of which appears the same name of “John Buchanan, M. D.” The authorities at Prenzlau asked the legation regarding the genuineness of the diploma and the standing of the institution, it being with them a question whether Volland could be allowed to practice his profession under such a diploma.
After looking through the correspondence on record in this legation (a memorandum of which is inclosed), and seeking in vain for the name of the institution in the list of colleges and universities published by the Bureau of Education in the Department of the Interior, at Washington, my answer was unfavorable to Volland’s claim.
From the correspondence above referred to, I find that attempts have been made by the legislature of Pennsylvania for the suppression of this nuisance, but that, after all, it is a question whether these attempts have been successful, and whether the institution has not still a legal existence.
This being the case, I would respectfully suggest that the matter be brought to the notice of the Commissioner of Education in the Department of the Interior at Washington, and that he forward me any documents or information in his possession regarding the subject.
* * * * * * *
That such cases as these have brought disgrace upon the American system of advanced education and upon the American name in general is certain. This has been recently revealed to me incidentally in a curious way.
In a very successful play now running at the Royal Theater in this city, a play written, strangely enough, by a judge of one of the highest tribunals in the empire, one of the characters, in casting a reflection upon another, who is dignified with the title of doctor, declares a belief that the latter had simply bought his degree in America; and in a recent novel by a popular author here, the scoundrel of the book, having escaped justice in Germany, goes to America., and is, at last advices, very comfortably settled and practicing medicine with a sham diploma, which he has bought for money. All this, of course, is of no especial significance in this case, save as it shows that the fair fame of our country has been and can be injured in the minds of a large number of people, even by such contemptible transactions as those herein referred to.
I have, &c.,
[Note.—The appendices mentioned are omitted from the present publication.]