▁one ▁year ▁before ▁being ▁appointed ▁acting ▁ch an cell or ▁for ▁Chan cell or ▁David ▁Houston , ▁who ▁was ▁on ▁leave , ▁serving ▁as ▁U . S . ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Agricult ure . ▁He ▁assumed ▁the ▁full ▁ch an cell or ship ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁and ▁served ▁until ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁three ▁years ▁past ▁the ▁ret irement ▁age ▁of ▁ 6 5 . ▁He ▁died ▁two ▁years ▁later . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁by ▁many ▁accounts ▁a ▁fair ▁and ▁kind ▁man , ▁and ▁during ▁his ▁time ▁as ▁ch an cell or ▁he ▁strength ened ▁the ▁gradu ate ▁programs ▁and ▁established ▁a ▁business ▁program . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁he ▁established ▁a ▁new ▁School ▁of ▁Gr adu ate ▁Studies ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁a ▁School ▁of ▁Com merce ▁and ▁Fin ance . ▁He ▁gu ided ▁the ▁University ▁through ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁the ▁phenomen al ▁growth ▁that ▁followed ▁the ▁war . ▁Among ▁his ▁most ▁important ▁rec ruits ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁h iring ▁of ▁Arthur ▁Hol ly ▁Com pton , ▁a ▁prom ising ▁young ▁physics ▁professor ▁who ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁Nobel ▁prize ▁and ▁return ▁years ▁later ▁as ▁Washington ▁University ' s ▁nin th ▁ch an cell or . ▁ ▁Later , ▁Chan cell or ▁George ▁Th ro op ▁of ▁Washington ▁University ▁wrote ▁of ▁Hall : ▁" It ▁is ▁fort un ate ▁for ▁the ▁University ▁that ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁its ▁greatest ▁period ▁of ▁development ▁it