The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-04-07
COLLEGE MEN AND ENVIRONMENT


 MT. R. T. Crane sends to the Sun a
 pamphlet which summarizes the results of an investigation made by him as to
 the utility of an academic education" for young men who have to earn their own living in commercial pursuits. The question is whether college education is a help or a hindrance to a youth seeking employment in a commercial, transportation or manufacturing busi- ness. MT. Crane interrogates college presidents, college graduates and large employers, and presents their replies. The college presidents, as was to be ex- pected, are very positive that collegi- ate education, by opening, broadening and training the mind, increases a mans efficiency in every occupation, business occupations among the rest. Taking an academic educa ton" to mean "any course of study in a college or scientific school which covers ap- proximately the years from seventeen or eighteen to twenty or tWenty-two, President Eliot, of Harvard, is of opin- ion that there can be no question whatever that an academic course is in
 
 young men who mean to make their liv- ing in business. By business is under stood banking, tr nsportation manu- facturing mining large scale farming and engineering in all it's branches. These occupations require nowadays in all their higher levels a trained mind and a deal of appropriate information. This training and information can be required only in colleges and scientific schools. A young man who is going into business would better take an aca- demic course, in any sense of the term, if he has any mind to train This is an proposition and there is no use in discussing it."
 Other college presidents, going more into details cite the Well-educated mans larger social influence, his great CT capacity for enjoying life, his com mand of all sorts of professional occu- patton and his quicker advancement in business after he has once got start 1T have heard business men says" says President Angel, of the University of that although it seemed that 1 the time spent in college compelled the | graduate to start lower down the scale | at the age, say, of twenty-one than a young man who had entered as a clerk, say, at sixteen, yet that the former often showed so much capacity for | new conditions and re- 1 sponsibilities that in the course of few | years he passed the other. But much | depends upon the personality in either | ,ase."
 Of the 555 students who were ques- | toned six years after their graduation | t90 were engaged in professional or | technical work-for which a college | raining was necessary--so that there | were but sixty-five left who were test ng the value of their academic training n business. Of the sixty-five as many IS fifty replied that a college education lad been of benefit to them in the per- ormance of their duties and in securing ! Seven replied in the neg tive. On the capital point whether heir college education had helped them o get situation thirty-two answered Yes' and twenty-seven ''No;" the rest aid they did not know As many as ixty of the sixty-five said that if they lad their lives to live over they would ake a college course As to their in- ome, fourteen make no answer, twenty | re in business for themselves, and the emaining thirty-one show they are do- 1g very well. Several of the graduates tate that they found amonr onrlovars
 strong prejudice against crllege grad ates and were at a issdvantage on hat account. Some of the employers | nd many fellow employees expect the graduate" to be stuck up'' and find i'm uncongenial. Says one of the six y-five successful journalist: T was | disadvantage due to this prejudice. have always guarded against and ref renee to my college work when in busi- ess circles The drill at college ena- led me to make progress" On the -hole the siXty-tive graduates seem to alue their college training, though MT. rane thinks that If the history of