New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-30
on PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION.
ST. CLAIR MKELWAYs ADDRESS TO THE
CITY COLLEGE ALUMNI

In his speech at the annual dinner Of the Alumni
Association OF the College OF the city OF New
York at the Hotel Savoy. extracts from which
were printed in The Tribune yesterday St Clair
McKelway also said:
Roughly speaking. law, medicine accountability,
pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine and
surgery are afre ted By relation TO enaciments.
M o. To men s aTH into fbree scho There are
two ways OF studying the other professions:
State Impartially recognizes all three Now. every
one OF these professions requires a certain amount
Of may bs ,e G @ss or e more
in the Of than In that OF others
thing, The degree o. sab;equeai requirement, Of
knowledge Is not immaterlal We shall see tnst
ally admit that men who propose to be lawyers.
physicians. dentists, pharmacists accountants . OF
knowledge That should be the foundation for tho
sgPerstructure Of their xht e b. At nr
II the requirement Is right the state sn9s!a
m ma certain al ss T snd @
That further justines The state in providing means
Obliged to do so. That fact enabled the state 20
make use OF the cOmmon-school system ana OF INC
certifying that these requirements OF Intending stu
dents Of the professions have been met :" nat was
The development within the professions Of a de.
mand for minimum educational reanremnens %
the high schools in our educational SYSTEM Grad
uation from these schools qualities Intending stu;
dents OF the professions TO begin their professional
studies High schools thus become not only ms
summit Of the commons school system but the
threshold OF the system OF professional education
Before that the high schools had been the vest.
bule on the threshold OF general college education
Rut by making graduation from them suf1ce TOT
entrance into professional study. another reason
given for the maintenahce OF ne high ,chS sss
70 spend public money for more than general ele-
mentary education has been challenged, the aodi-
t.onal defence Justification which the states
nolicy toward professional education has given TO
the high schools is OF parked value
Take accountants and pharmacists-l snall NOT ssy
dentists Practically, II Is hardly necessary tnat
they should have a college education. Practically
II is necessary that they should know enough 70
graduate from a high school. whether they acquire
that knowledge inside or outside such scnooi
This is also the case with veterinarians. whether
a LAWYER or a physician should have a college edu-
ca ton entrance upon the PROFESSIONAL lnsu-
osition more interesting I'm academic than IN prac.
teal form. Charles OConor. James i brady ana
some OF the greatest tursts OF the Inited STATES
had not Grover Cleveland had not. Inis SHOWS
that strong and great men can come TO the bar ana
70 the highest Office IN the land WITHOUT coilees
ton. but IL does make AGAINST me ,n,e M
college education by law for entrance INTO ana
graduation from schools OF professional instrucuon;
Il know this IL delicate and difficult question; l
know that the standard OF professional education
has been raised high In this state oy proies.
sional schools annexed 10 college foundations tnat
upon all intending students OF the professions. ~
is called the New-Yo standard II IL not ,ne
New-York standard II is within this state e S ~
has NOT been enacted by this State. The state
reGures preliminary education, certain period o,
a,dv IN professional offices schools or both. ana
the ability pass the examination OF the boards
~ these professions The degree Of knowledge re-
ouired does not itself involve college educauon'
such an education Is an excellent AID 10 protes.-
sonal equipment. 1t Is not necessary part OF IT,