Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-12
NORTHMEN EAGER TO LEARN
sOandinavians Appreoia.ivs Of the Advan-
tages Of Higher Education.
IMPRESSIONS SHOWN TO Be UNFoUNDED
Interesting Results of an Inquiry
Among College Presidents and
school superintendents Of
western States.

Western states.
Bone time ago, writes William e. Curtis
IN the Chicago Record-Herald, l received
q letter from Sigurd Anker OF Blair col
lege. Nebraska, asking an explanation Of
the limited attendance OF Scandinavians at
the state Institutions Of education In the
northwest. which, he asserted, was far
below what It ought TO be considering the
population. I addressed letters Of inquiry
TO the presidents Of several universities
and colleges and state superintendent OF
education in the northwest, from whom I
have received much interesting Information
bearing upon this subject which contra
diets the theory of Mr.. Anker and shows
that the members OF the scandinavian race
in the United States are as eager for learn
ing as In tho old countries. without doubt
the ratio of illiteracy is smaller in Norway,
Sweden and Denmark than in any other
countries in the world and the average Of
educated men and women is higher. The
love Of learning is nowher so highly de-
veloped and no other people pay so much
attention to their schools.
Acting President Birge of the University
OF Wisconsin. in reply to my inquiry, says:
"'There are more than 100 students OF Scan
. aAIh n utbGtuI ! tue NOAltbVN VI w
and science and engineering Of the univer-
sity, although I cannot state the exact
number There are about 1880 students in
these colleges, so that the Scandinavian
are perhaps something less than one-hf-
teenth OF the total number. These are mainly
Norwegians, as the Scandinavian popula-
ton OF Wisconsin comes largely from Nor
way. My recollection is that this popula-
tion is about one-tenth OF that Of the
state, so that the number of Scandinavian
students is somewhat, but not greatly,
less than the population would indicate.
On the other hand, 1t must be emembered
that the colleges under the control OF the
Lutheran church have Of late been making
strong efforts to turn students from the
state institutions to themselves. II the
attendance in these colleges is taken into
account, / believe that the number Of
college students will compare favorably
with that from other nationalities."
Experience in Nebraska
A similar report comes from Chancellor
Andrews Of the University Of Nebraska,
who says: 1.-THE statement that the Scan
dinavian races in this country do not
utilize our higher educational advantages
appears to me to be entirely erroneous.
The attendance at this university from
Scandinavian families is large and striking,
fully up to the proportion which such
families form to the total population Of
the state. As yet our foreign born young
men and women do not attend universities
in quite 80 large a proportion as those from
American families, but the proportion Of
their attendance is increasing with the
years, and this is, I think, particularly
true Of the Scandinavians."
Prof. ]. s. Carlson of the University Of
Minnesota says: THE students OF Scandi-
navian descent constitute 10 per cent Of the
entire student body of the University of
Minnesota, and in all the colleges in the
state, the university included. the percent-
age OF Scandinavians is at least twice as
large. The statement that the Scandina-
Wan races in the northwest do not utilize
the advantages for higher education Is in
deed incredible. Comparatively, they are
utilizing these advantages more than any
other race"
M. A. Lange. deputy superintendent Of
public instruction OF South Dakota, sayH:
at have been engaged in school work dur
ing the past twenty-five years, and so far
as my experience goes the scandinavian
have been as anxious to secure a practical
education as the people from any other
country, and are much more so than those
who come from many foreign countries.
II all were as eager for An education as the
Scandinavians in Iowa. Minnesota and Da-
kota Uhese being the states with which
/ have been mostly in touch), we would
have a much better class of people than
can be found in many localities.'i
A Striking Instance.
william X. Fowler, superintendent of
public instruction for Nebraska, writes as
RoIIoUa. UIn the corras nondenca NJ tha
ninety county superintendents of Me-
braska with this department relative to
the educational interests of the state, and
particularly the enforcement and other pro-
visions of the compulsory attendance law,
no complaint has ever been made of any
difficulties with the Scandinavian races.
But this law applies only in attendance at
the common schools. At Oakland. however.
in Burt county, q town of about 1000 in
habitants, almost all OF whom are Scandi-
navians or OF Scandinavian extraction, they
maintain a high school Of four grades above
the common school, with an attendance last
year OF forty-four pupils. At Blair. a city
of 5000 inhabitants, there is a Danish
Lutheran college or seminary, with an at
tendance Of several hundred pupils. At
Nysted there is a Danish high school. and
in the sections Of the state where the
scandinavian races have settled the high
schools average as full an enrolment and
rs regular an attendance as in other por-
lions OF the state"
Minnesota has the largest Scandinavian
population of any of the states, and. con-
corning their interest in education, j. w.
Olsen. superintendent OF public instruc-
tion, writes: THE registrar OF the State
University OF Minnesota estimates that
about one-third OF the $500 students now
---.lN.a A.. 49, 4-.4gA.4Nz- 49, - L
Scandinavian race. After comforting with
those in a position to know, l am led to
believe that about the same percentage