Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-04
SCOPE OF BIC GIFT
What is to be Done With Rookie
felIer's Millions for Colleges
in Bie.Cities.
THEIR NEEDS POINTED OUT
General Education Board Finds the
Great Centers Deficient in
Facilities.

Lack of colleges In cities and lack of
facilities for the education of women
everywhere are the two great defects
of the American educational system
to the correction of which the $43, 000.-
600 recently given to it by John D.
Rockefeller will be principally devoted
by the general education board, says
the New York Herald.
Brooklyn stands a good chance of
having Adelphi college literally en-
dOwed or of getting the university for
which the borough yearns. 1t is not
unlikely that Scranton, Pa, may ac
quire a large educational center and
that several new wOmen's colleges will
be built. The condition of education
in the United States has been careful
ly analysed. and the conclusions the
board has reached show startling de
ficiencies at points where it was com.
monty supposed the system was flaw
less
What is in effect Il declaration of the
principles on which the board will act
was recently made by Frederick T.
Gates, its chairman. 1t shows that
largely through the benefactions of the
founder of the Standard oil corpora
ton the general education board has
become a great educational trust com
pany. Its charter. which was granted
by the national legislature. is the most
far reaching ever given TO any such
organization. Its activities are unlim-
tied as to time. 1t can further the
needs of any kind of education except
theology. and its field is anywhere in
the United States. 1t can undertake
financial operations of any magnitude.
From its offices in New York it has
been sending its agents and secretaries
all over the country. and it has records
from which It can tell every detail in
the management of any educational in
stitution from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific. With an income OF at least So
100000 n year. the board is now pre-
pairing to further the needs of educa-
ton throughout the land.
1t is becoming the adviser of philan-
thrOpists and often their fiscal agent i'll
their dealings with colleges. Large
sums are now being sent TO its treas
ury. with instructions to invest them
and to give the income to certain In
situations of higher learning. These
moneys are now producing nearly e
per cent annually. and SUMS are ac-
cepted from 500 up and diSburSed free
of charge
81 should like in this connection"
said Mr.. Gates, Ito call the attention
~ lei nj re- Af
colleges and technical schools to the
fact that our cities and centers of popu-
lation and wealth are being neglected.
The ancient and mistaken tradition
that colleges for efficiency should be
located in the deep country has pre-
vailed to an extent so alarming that
today the great centers of population
and wealth, to which the people are
more and more flocking, on which all
interests converge and from which all
great forces are radiating. are almost
wholly neglected in our system of high
er education.
Many in Small Towns.
I'VE have something like 40 colleges
in this country located in small cOun-
try towns. The first work of the gen
eral education board for higher eiu-
cation has been and will continue TO
be to assist the great centers Of popu-
lation and to make them the pivots in
fact, as they are in all true educa-
tional theory, of the future system of
higher education in this country. Let
the philanthropists turn their attention
TO the cities This is an immediate
pressing and overwhelming education
al need
Mr. Gates said that, while it was
generally supposed that the influences
of American colleges and universities