The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-11-08
OUR EDUCATED EXECUTIVES.

| From the Boston Herald.
OF the twenty three presidents of
the United States, fifteen, or about
two thirds were college bred men.
This includes Grant, who was
West Pointer.
Those who never went to college
were Washington, Van Buren,, Taylor,
Fillmore, Lincoln, Johnson, and
Cleveland.
Sir Richard Steele once said of the
Lady Elizabeth Hastings that "to
love her was liberal education"
One would probably not be far wrong
in saying the same thing about
Washington's mother, Mary Wash
ington. Washington learned better
things from her than he could have
learned from Harvard or Yale.
His successor at the White House,
John Adams, was Harvard man,
graduating in 1855. He had been
llssrt there with some intention of
making him a minister, but, luckily
for his country, he chose law and
politics.
Jefferson was graduate in the
class of 1852 of William and Mary, a
college now almost defunct, but in
his day flourishing institution of
learning. Jefferson's father had
declared on his death bed that his
son, then a boy, must receive a
college education. Jefferson never
forgot his father's solicitude on this
point, saying in latter life that If he
had to choose between the estate his
father left him and the education he
would take the latter without a
moments hesitation.
Jefferson, it may be added, did
more for the cause of education than
any other American of his time. 1t
has been said that he originated the
modern university idea. The epltaph
on his tombstone, which he wrote
himself, recites that he was the
author of the declaration of indepen-
dence and of the statutes of Virginia
and "father of the university of
Virginia"
Madison graduated from Princeton
In 1772, where he also spent an
additional, or "post graduate" year,
studying Hebrew.
Monroe, like jefferson, went to
William and Mary, but left before
graduating to join the revolutionary
army.
John Quincy Adams was Harvard
man. OF his own account he left
London, where he occupied the con
genial position of secretary to his
father, in order to come to his native
country to be educated, "deeming
that an American education was the
best thing for an American career"
He graduated in 1888.
jackson was taught only the three
RS, and his attainments in even that
limited field were said to be scanty.
He never learned to write the
English language correctly. His
disciple and successor, Martin Van
Buren,, was too early immersed in law
and politics to spare the time required
for a college education.
William Henry Harrison was a
graduate Of Hampden Sidney college
in Virginia. He began the study of
medicine, but left it for the army.
Tyler was the third president to
attend William and Mary, where he
graduated In 1907.
Polk entered the University of
North Carolina as sophomore, and
graduated In 1918,
Taylor entered the army when he
was 24s with only a rudimentary
education gained.
Fillhore received practically no
schooiing In his boyhood. His
fathers library contained but two
books-a Bible and q collection of
hyms. Uptl he was 10 years old it
is said that he had never seen a
shakespeNrs, . ''Robinson Crusoe,"
a histosy Sfthe United States or even
a map 9f NJ country. Yet he man
aged v teqnirs knowledge Of law,
and the "a that sir Thomas Browne
came q one Of his savorite
!authoss - how widely he must