The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-10
FREE EDUCATION.
A Significant Move Made by Randolph Macon
College.

The trustees of Randolph Macon COL
lege. an institution too well known IN
North Carolina to require commentator
at our hands, passed resolution az
their last annual meeting in june when
promises to revolutionize educational
conditions in Virginia and to influence
profoundly other sections of the South.
The resolution guarantees free tuition
to every student who comes 10 ran
dolph- Macon without reference to church
or State affiliations. This departure is
to take effect in September. 1903 1t Is
made possible by recent donations ana
bv the proposition Of John 2. Branch
ESQ. of Richmond, to give $l0O0O0 TO
the endowment of the college If other
friends will give 100000 Immediate
steps were taken looking to the raising
of this sum and already nearly 100000
is in sight, says President BlacKWell III
a recent interview.
The significance Of this movement VIII
be seen from the following:
l. Randolph Macon already has an
endowment of $250, 900, exclusive of build
ings and grounds. The Branch PROPOSE
ton brings it to $550000-an endowment
amply sufficient to guarantee, without
tuition charges, prompt payment of all
expenses and to provide the necessary
extension of it's operations attendant
upon increase of students.
.. The proposed departure does not
mean an over crowding of numbers, for
rigid entrance examinations will exclude
all who are not prepared to take high
grade college course Here the Ran
dolph- Macon system of academies comes
to the assistance of the mother inStitu-
ton. This whole educational system, OF
which w. w. Smith, of Lynchburg, is
chancellor, embraces two large schools
for boys (not including the college, and
two for girls, all aggregating, including
the mother school at Ashland. one mil
lion dollars in buildings and endowments.
This system of institutions will enable
the college to send all insufficiently pre-
pared applicants to first rate fitting
schools, whence it will receive them
again if they desire to follow any of the
professions.
3. Again this departure by bringing
together only the best fitted students will
allow the college curriculum to be modi-
fed to fit the demands of changed educa-
tional conditions and thus to graduate
her students in three years
a saving of a year in every young mans
training a saving which, however, does
not sacrifice any of the thoroughness of
the present four-year course
The results hoped for from the new pol
icy are: !, better and fuller training for
those who enter Randolph Macon as al
ready noted 2, the free tuition and high
err at the same time shorter courses, will
attract the best students and force those
institutions which at present refuse to
recognize the necessity of entrance eX-
aminations, to change their policy, or
yield their claim on public taxation.
Most of the independently endowed insti-
buttons are struggling now to maintain
in the face of overwhelming competition
some kind of standards of entrance.
They will welcome the proposition of
Randolph Macon and join her in opening
their doors also to every one who can
enter.
This will place them all on common
ground and work the speedy elevation
of the secondary schools; which in turn
will build up the public schools and re-
commend strongly to the State the netes-
sity of making the common schools the
first object of legislative liberality
No Southerner acquainted with the
conditions of education in the South and
familiar in any degree with the demands
now being made for educational advance
can fail to be interested in this step of
such an important institution as Ran
dolph- Macon. May it not have a sigpil;-
canoe for the whole Souh?