The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-10
The Scholar at College.

The Princeton Alumni Weekly calls at
tention to the fact that in this years
freshman class, which contains over 400
students, the number Of men entered for
the degree OF bachelor Of science con-
siderably exceeds that entered for the
degree Of bachelor Of arts. The Weekly
notes that the scientific department at
Princeton now. for the first time in the
history of the institution, is larger than
the academic, and explains this condition
Of affairs by saying that many young
men enter tho scientific course with the
definite purpose Of slipping out Of it
after sophomore year by taking all the
academic electives Of senior and junior
years. According to the Weekly this
method is pursued because candidates
for admission to Princeton find the en-
trance requirement. Of the scientific de-
partment easier than those Of the aca-
demic, and young manhood ambitious
to 60 to college ever seeks tho easiest
route.
No doubt, this is true in very many
cases, but unprecedented observers will
continue to view the increase in the en-
rollment in the scientific departments Of
universities as evidence OF the growth
and spread OF unitarian views Of educa-
ton. The spirit Of pure commercialism
has struck deep into the thought OF the
time, and perhaps the majority Of fathers
and nearly all the sons who take counsel
about the matter at all do not regard
anything az education which does not
definitely and directly prepare the boy
for what Is loosely called the business
of life"
This business Of life literally means
the getting of money, and the COM
mercial view Of education leads men to
believe that the academic departments
Of universities are valueless because
they do not give degrees which can be
advantageously put on a sign after
mans name. 1t is no use to a man
to hang out his shingle' with A. B.
after his name, whereas c. E. or M. E.
or E. E. notifies to the world that he is
specially equipped TO perform certain
desirable services for consideration.
Whether this Is the right view of edu-
cation need not now DO discussed. Per-
haps, after all, the old fashioned idea of
university education, that It simply
turned out cultivated gentlemen with
the habit Of thinking about things and
with brains fitted to do the thinking,
was all wrong. and in the future the
Office OF the university will be to take
boys from preparatory schools and
transform them into engineers Of va
rious sorts, doctors without Latin, law
yers without logic or history, ministers
without literature, and architects with
out the Grecian spirit.
But it may still be noted that univer-
stiles OF the old style have turned out
thousands OF merchants and business
men successful in the broadcast, as we'll
as in the narrowest, commercial sense,
and that none Of these had any special
technical education. What degree is to
be conferred on the manager of great
dry goods business or the president of
a steamship company? Universities do
not have schools for the preparation OF
these. 1t seems as il the old academic
department, which has turned 30 many
such men into the world, might still
find some occupation. Every one can
not be professional man.