The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-10
EDUCATION FOR BUSINESS MEN.
Prof. David :. JOrdRn's Intercsting
Ideas ON the Subject.


time by teaching these regardless OF their
academic value. II can teach stenography,
bookkeeping and commercial law, as II now
teaches woodworking. voice culture and
punctuation The students need Is the
colleges justification. For the rest the
business man viii find many of his special
needs met by studies which are distinctly
academic. Among these English compost
ton and English literature. American his
tory and the modern history OF Europe and
Asia, elementary law. international law,
political science, economies. finance. Ger
man, Spanish and the serious drill OF At
least one OF the sciences. Especially val
liable 10 the man Of affairs Is z practical
familiarity with the methods OF scientific
research. for by such methods alone is re-
search OF any Kind effective.
BY sound methods ne should investigate
such subjects these: The effects on
business of gold and other standards ot
value; the effects o. protective tariu and
other tariffs, the results on commerce ~
friendly and unfriendly foreign relations:
the relation of trade 10 the flag. the Re
suits, immediate and ultimate. OF subsidies
trusts and bOumues; the possibilities OF
railway control; the methods OK olgnih'd
and economic local government the Qnes-
ton of municipal control; the meaning OF
civil-service reform. To have worked out
some serious problem In science by sound
methods and then TO have applied the same
methods 10 the solution OF any one OF these
problems viii be worth more 10 the real
business man than ten years Of practical
experience as cash boy. errand boy. floor
walker and clerk.
These subjects and Others Of like char
acter should be studied, not didactcaily.
not emotonally. but by practical investi-
cation of the lines OF actual business 10
give sound methods OF investigation Is the
highest duty Of the real university. a sys-
tenn Of training which misses this should
hardly be called education. for IL is tbs
function OF training 10 disclose the secret
of power.
To secure power no experience IS so val
liable that which may be obtained IN
college, and four years. or even seven
years, a period all too short. Because
IL is short, there should be no waste or
time, no random effort All work should
look toward the final goal, not forgetting
OF course the needs OF personal culture.
Thus a man may properly turn aside from
his life study TO study Greek or music or
botany. not because he needs il In his bust
ness. but because he loves il.
To the average business man who does
not care for Latin Greek or calculus the
/ old IA shloncd classical course OF thirty
! years ago had relatively little value, yet
/ even four years of quiet comradcry and
| intellectual zest were well worth taking
/ before plunging into the struggle Of life.
Many business man regrets that MS col
/ lege course was so narrow. l never heard
! OF one who would give up even the little
! outlook on higher things this outwOrn
/ course OF study represents.
! SO much for what The man OF business
| asks to-day Of the university. What in
turn can the American university OF to-
| day do for him.
The American university. after its long
| struggle with poverty and tradition. IS
| standing forth . very definite type Of
| institution; very different from the Eng
| lish college from which il sprane: very
| different from the German university from
| which IL draws its inspiration, Yet partak-
ing somewhat Of the character OF each.
1t has now three principal functions:
/ hot q fannnHr
| scholars horizon some idea of the best that
! has been thought or done in the world 5
history; TO give acquaintance with men and
| women of the present or OF the past who
| have stood for noble ideals and hopeful
| aspiration. This line 81 effort constitute 5
| the college work, when We use the word
| college in its traditional meaning, or in
| contrast with the university and the pro-
| teSSiOnal school.
,. Professional training: the actual drill
! In the knowledge needed In ones PROBES
| sion and the methods used in successful
| practice. This is the work of the profess
| slonal school. 10 which the college course
3. University training The highest form
| of university work Is instruction through
| Investigation. The student learns tho
| methods OF research through actual prac-
! tice IN the use OF them. He learns the way
| TO truth by an actual extension IN some ono
| direction of the bounds of human knowl-
| edge. The college does not pretend 10 in
clude professional training or scirr life re-
search within the limits of its course Of
| study. The university includes both. Here
| the proper line between college and univcr-
sity is drawn. Yet the college should fore
cast the university. In four years we cans
not compass very much, but In these years
the college can give, besides the general
culture which Is its main work. the basis
Of professional training and the impulse to-
ward research as wei To this end IL
should encourage the student 10 keep in
mind his final career and 70 shape his work
so that mental culture shall count as per-
sonal effectiveness. BY means OF thorough
and inductivc study IN some one line il
| should Introduce the student 70 methods
| Of research. TO teach subjects which are
/ listlessly received and which are as soon "a
possible forgotten IS a waste Of time and
effort. IL Is degradation OF the means
and purpose OF higher education. No one
| should be encouraged or allowed 10 stay
1 n college for perfunctOry work. To "a
through the motions without caring for the
| realities Is an unwhOlesOme kind OF train
| ing Neither should the college allow itself
10 be used by those TO whom the college
/ degree IS mere badge OF social disiinc-
| ton. The idlers in college constitute a
| costly drag on its ambitions. The fees theS
pay are scanty return for the mischief
| done by their presence The university /.
| false 10 its trust IL IL does not relate il.
work 20 life and If IL spends its strength
on the stupid. the iudolent or the irdiffer.
ent. There are too many real men in search
Of real education 10 justify tolerance OF
shams.
IN the practical organization Of an Amer.
lean university | cannot see that the need.
OF business demand separate branch oi
fundamental division. The course OF study
as II is Is perhaps broad enough. and Il
, can easily be made broader without chang'
Of organization. We do not need "a scDa
J rate school OF commerce 20 educate th,
( business man any more than We need
J separate school 10 train the journalist ~
the poct or the dirlomatist. The cultur,
studies necessary are already given. FO
, special research in economies. finance ant
: politics large provision is already made
II can De made larger. when necessary
{ II Is not so much the things studied in
school as the way OF looking AT them whicl
J | Dr. important. The student needs most d.
T all the ability 10 separate what D. true frou
, what Is plausible. % distinguish iuducfio,
from deduction. The university should no
D be too timely" I'm It's relations 10 the sta
2 dent II deals with eternal verities ara,
7 / unChanglng methods. II is safer for il no
, 10 be too ''up 90 cate" To meet each uev
2 call as IL arises is 10 make a good man,
2 false stems
The fact that station agents. rall,ya-
, / conductors bookkecpers and clerks arc no
usually college men has been lately take
as serious argument against higher edu
cation The simple fact d. that the collec
| student can do better than 10 accent sue
! places IL he has the right stuff in him n
| is willing enough 10 begin al the bottom
| but II must be the bottom OF an asccfi linl
series. There must be some prospect aheaa
/ You VIII md the graduate in mining III
California working Tor his board IN III
| mines or Angels Camp or Nevada City hu
= | he knows that faithful service Ia the ditc
= viii carry MIN az one bound past am hi
| unframed competitors
= II 10 be bCOkEeeper. salesman or floor
s | walker IS final. the college man VIII no
| often enter the list Tor rufh ulanrs a'