New-York tribune., 1909-06-15
EDUCATORS SURPRISED
ND RUTLER MIKES REPLY.
Secretary of Carnegie Foundation
Not Responsible for "Tnteruie5c.

-..rs was considerable furry in educational
-.z+e~day over q published interview at
s+.a n John 6. Bowman. secretary Of the Car
u4D- - roprdarion for the Advancement of Teach
. -enresenting that young man as saying that
--sr5 ne Columbia and New York University We're
.tr 10 be debarred from all relations with the
IN. gie Foundation because the requirements for
go, n these universities were lax Mr.
So himself declined TO discuss the inter
p, hevonl pointing out that it was based on a
,er n President Pritchett's report for 1905 and
IS greatly exaggerated
z-ss;5ent Nicholas Murray Butler Of Columbia
- < = member OF the executive committee Of
=. ~arneeit Foundation. denounced the statement
a, v4gorous terms. He said:
aTpe-e IS an Obvious misunderstanding in the
..-v rnblished in the papers this morning in rea-
-, - the attitude Of the Carnegie Foundation 10
-+sfn universities whose names are mentioned
:. member Of the executive committee OF the
carnegie Foundation I in a position to deny ah-
,,,sl,- that any intr1ation has been given TO any
q re universities named that they are likely 10
- sebarred from the benefits of the foundation
r,,.ss their educational policies are changed
xo action Of any kind looking 10 this end has
,..r +sken OF contemplated by the executive COM
,--as Some OF the statements that have been
,hfiste5 sppear 70 be extracts from the last an
,,sl report Of the foundation, published sevcgaI
..r+hs ago in which the problem OF college ad-
ss-o-s vas discussed and facts stated as TO the
--Er
.-,ins he admission Of candidates in the present
-,stsees -torv state Of American secondary educa-
-, But in all this there is no ground for any
:, tbs extravagant reports which have been put IN
clrculstion
r.. facts Of the case are these: Some time in
-eaS the Carnegie Foundation. after investigation.
ss,sded nat because Of different standards Of ad-
-nfssou requirements and different methods of de-
-srnnininE whether those requirements We're met
hv the students there was considerable confusion.
vsle Harvard. Columbia and New York tniver-
sitv standards had been examined for the foun-
5stion Il was found that some OF the Harvard
ne, some Of the Columbia and some Of the
.4,denrs ~ New York University did not come up
70 The standard set by those institutions, and the
s-spdsrd demanded by the Carnegie Foundation.
This n great extent was the well known matter
of conditions" imposed on some students al
entrance.
President Pritchett in his report said that 5s
per cent Of the entering class At Harvard had
nst r1et al the requirements. At Yale - per cent
had fallen below standard, while al Columbia
= or; Of 1s5 freshmen had been conditioned. AT
Nev York University 5S out OF Il students admit
,ed were deficient. Other colleges and universities
according 70 this report showed somewhat startling
rercentages Of deficient students at entrance
Each university, DR.. Pritchett went on, had its
own method of admitting these "dehcients-" At
Harvard trev we're termed specials admitted
without examination # theE were "ft to pursue
The narticular courses they elect New Aork
University particularly was criticised because
.here admission was certificate, and Dr.
Pritchett said that plan meant that the student
usually had TOT studied at all the subjects on
which he was conditioned His report said:
The desire for numbers being keen, lax pro-
visions for the admission Of special and Of con-
6itioned students may mean that rigidly en-
forced entrance standard would threaten seriously
10 cut down enrolment and that extra ordinary
measures have been devised 10 offset their effect
II this view Is correct the college has embarked
upon a dangerous course which threatens its sin
csrity and its efficiency
'aDr. again. the facts may signify that there IS
70 very close connection between fulfilled require
rsn1s and college performance: in which case II
* hs,5 wise TO admit deficient students Of average
az. o. older and TO wipe out their deficiencies by
some ether method than through the entrance ma
chsnsry II this be true. il Is time not 10 make
exceptions that confuse all standards and deTnor-
sIzs students but seriously 10 face the problem
Of organizing preparatory education on q basis
that is really vital and Indispensable and OF de-
vlsing machinery capable Of enforcing it
But there never was any official letter Of rerlon-
or sdmonition 10 any Of these institutions
Instead there was a series Of conferences at
which the officers of The universities and the Car
neEie Foundation net the admission require
uents. and il was said that hereafter there would
be thorough cooperation and complete harmony