New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-17
EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS.
NEWS OF THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSE
TIEs-NOTEs OF INTEREST.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COLLEGES OF
CoMMERCE--oNE FOR WISCONSIN
ADVOCATED BY PRESIDENT
AnAMS

COMMERCE--ONE FOR WISCONSIN
ADVOCATED BY PRESIDENT
. X ADAMS
The old contemptuous definition of a university
"a place whore nothing useful IL taught Is
every year becoming less and less apt as applied
to American institutions The fact that movement
for the establishment OF schools or colleges of COM
merce has of late been shown in an increasing num-
Der OF places is alone strong evidence of the essen
TALLY practical character Of education In American
universities. Within the last few months there were
outlined in q Philadelphia dispatch printed in these
columns the courses in commerce. diplomacy
and international law at the University OF Penn
sylvania. In the current number OF The Arena"
Professor William Carey Jones. OF the University
of California. describes the curriculum and the
reasons for the establishment of the College Of
Commerce in that institution more than year ago.
The special reason for the existence of such col
lese might be summed up IN this sentence from his
article: 1.-The general tendency Is TO make uni
versties respond more closely and completely to
all the activities OF life that surround us. The
work of the College of Commerce and Admnistra-
ton OF the University of Chicago Is well under
way, and its courses have recently been outlined
in The University Record" In his last annual
report to the Regents of the University of Michigan
President Angel recommended that provision be
made for a commercial education as a part of the
university system ct Ann Arbor. And now the
University OF Wisconsin is the latest institution to
join in this movement-or rather 1t will join the
movement If the report Of President Charles Ken
dali Adams to the regents is adopted by them.
His report is published in full in a recent issue of
The Milwaukee Sentinel" and is worthy of care
full consideration. Some OF his main arguments for
the establishment OF such a school at Madison are
follows:
A considerable proportion OF undergraduates have
no intention OF studying for profession, but ex-
pect to enter u business life. BY the training they
now receive in college they scarcely fitted to
do better than to undertake the most elementary
branches of work In any business and must advance
along the lines that required of boys from
the high school or even from the grammar school.
Dr. Adams continues: 1T would be difficult TO give
reasons why the State should provide the means
for educating lawyers, physicians, engineers. phar
macists and agriculturists which would not equally
apply to the education OF business men" While
experience is OF the utmost Importance q condi-
ton for in business yet IL IS probably not
more essential in business than in any one Of the
learned professions. An effort should therefore.
be made to arrange a OF instruction best
adapted to ht young men otherwise qualified for
commercial life to achieve the highest MEASURE of
success most easily. Moreover, If some such ade-
quate provision were made, large numbers OF
young men who so into business Immediately
after finishing the grammar or high school course
would be disposed to seek the college. Young men
who intended for business often sent
to college for the general culture and social ad-
vantage II affords, but with misglvng on the part
Of parents to the practical advantage of the
time thus spent The opportunity to pursue COM
mercial course which would have a direct bearing
on their future work would largely remove such a
doubt.
The broader commercial relations of an interna-
tional character into which the United States has
entered. and the rapidly expanding foreign com
merce OF the country furnish urgent rea-
son for providing high grade of business educa-
ton Before the full benefits OF this extending
trade can be reaped fitted by education no less
than by experience must be trained TO act as for
eign agents for American manufactured goods. All
the commercial nations of Europe have long had
special schools for fitting young to go
China, South Africa, Mexico and South America,
and in the language of the people solicit orders
and exploit their business But nothing correspond
ing to the training offered abroad has yet been
furnished in the United States. President Adams
expresses the conviction that in the future
the consular system Will be placed on a permanent
footing, such that 1t will demand a large number
of men specially trained in business methods
The subjects to be covered In such education
are thus summarized by President Adams:
A true commercial education should do every
thing possible to enlarge the knowledge Of the
natural resources of our own and of foreign coun-
tries; TO give some knowledge of the real prop
critics and OF the materials in which
merce has deal, which may be manufactured
or used TO explain the fundamental principles OF
power generation, utilization and transmission. and
to give as much knowledge as possible of the com
eign States 1t should also explain the customs and
conditions of trade and transportation at home and
abroad the mysteries of finance, and as far as
possible of the fundamental relations OF labor and
capital; the methods which foreign peoples employ
in their business, and the significance OF new m
along these several lines; current political
and commercial history at home and abroad; the
economic meaning of the daily transactions
Veaed in trade and commercial reports; the laws
and rules of banking and exchange; the laws and
methods of insurance; the various methods of
transportation; and, at least for those VINO desire
or intend to engage in foreign trade, a using
knowledge of French, German and Spanish
1t is pointed out that if such a course is offered
very many sons of well to do business men who
now go into business without going to college, Will
seek an education liberal and adapted to
the needs of business Moreover, young men
who dependent upon their own resources VINO
hesitate to postpone their start in lie until
graduation from college when. without special
preparation for business, they are obliged 10 take
their places in competition with younger men less
cultured than themselves, will have an additional
reason for seeking a college education