Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-08
BUSINESS METHODS
Universities Are Taking Up Com
merce as a Study.
NEW DEPARTURE IN EDUCATION
Greatest Appeal IL q the Young Man
who Already Has a job, but
wants to Get Something
Better.

PHILADELPHIA. Pa Nov 7.-(spe-
clal)-A. business college is not the same
thing as the business department OF a uni
versity. The university adjunct attempts
to realize the ideal OF extra Instruction to
men already at work who want to i'm
prove on their standing in the commercial
world.
1t aims to teach them how to do their
work better and how to rise to greater
heights. Instilling into the mind Of a man
the principles of commercial. law, how to
make contracts and how TO sell goods, the
sciences Of accounting and Investigating
are part of the university business depart
ment. 1t is a step above the business
school, which teaches rather more limited
bookkeeping, stenography, typewriting and
other things designed to introduce a man
into business.
The business branch OF university work
is comparatively a new thing. The first
OF all was the Wharton School of Com
merce and Finance at the University Of
Pennsylvania.
That had its earliest beginning in 1881.
The members of other faculties in the uni
versity objected to the establishment of it,
believing among other things that 1t would
cheaper the university name.
So the Wharton becuest was kept. but
the Wharton school rather languished for
almost a dozen years. 1t was not until
1893 that it began to amount to something.
1t did not, however, take up accounting,
reckoned one Of the most important parts
of the work such a school may do.
In 1890 the University of Chicago an
nounced that courses in business instruc-
ton would be a part of the work hereafter.
But the courses were not seriously under
taken and they amounted really to very
little.
University of Wisconsin Second,
The second business department in the
country actually to do something was that
at the University of Wisconsin, which be-
gan operations in 1897. Then came along,
almost together, the schools at New York
university and Dartmouth.
The local school was founded at the re-
quest of the certified public accountants
and for that reason accounting forms a
very important part of its work, very likely
the most important. The Amos Tuck
School of Administrator and Finance at
Dartmouth was begun in the neighborhood
Of 1900, too.
The school at the University of Illinois
was founded through the efforts of Ed
mund j. James, president of the uniyer-
slty. Prof. James was formerly in the
faculty of the Wharton school, which also
had In 1t the dean of the New York Uni
versity school, Joseph French johnson.
The best work of the Illinois school began
this year.
Michigan and Harvard were next to fan
into line. The latter school began work
this year. 1t is called the Graduate
school OF Business Administration and is
not as close to the working person as are
some of the others. The very pre-
requisite of a bachelors degree is bound
TO separate II from the masses, so-called.
one OF the most promising schools of the
year is that at Northwestern university.
opened only a few months agoA This is in
the city OF Chicago, not in Evanston, and
Its night courses. it is believed, shortly will
be the biggest of all.
Night courses in Philadelphia have at
tracted about 500 students. Outside of the
college named Vermont has a small bust
ness course, founded through the efforts
OF John H.. Converse of Philadelphia. tho
University OF Cincinnati has a small even
ing school and the University of Colorado
also has established evening courses.
1t is explained that almost all the col
leges have some courses which are likely
to be Of value to the man in business and
these are called, vaguely, business courses
The universities now have set out after
the establishment of business departments
because day after day the sentiment in
favor OF, them grows. There will be a
school presently at Tufts college, a be-
quest having been left for it.
Growth of New York schools.
In this city the New York university
school has grown from sixty students to
nearly 1000. At the present time there
are more than the building can accom-
modate with comfort.
The students have to carry chairs from
one lecture room to another. so hampered
are they for seats. AS has been set forth,
the chief thing at New York university is
the course for accountants. 1t was the
first university to pay particular attention
to this department.
New York university. says Dean Johnson,
makes its especial appeal to the young men
In the city who have jobs but who want
to better themselves. For that reason the
bulk of the work is done in the evening.
While the school attracts men who are
colleges graduates in some cases, In the
man the students are OF the city stores
or industries. The young men in insurance
otfiees who want TO help themselves along
come to the school and get the theoretical
ana practical work in insurance. They are
taken sround by an expert who teaches
tpem how to inspect buildings in order that
they may know what sort Of risk each
building is. They learn the sort Of thing
they will need in actual business.
The school does not demand anything
more than that the prospective student
should have had e proper high school edu-
cation Dean johnson has in his care the
looking over Of the prospective students.
and he depends chiefly upon his Judgment
for his decision.
Dean Johnson was telling the other day
OF taking his daughter to a large college
to arrange for her entrance there. Accord