Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-30
TAFT'S CABINET COMPOSED
ENTIRELY OF COLLEGE MEN
Each of Nine Has Had University or
Collegiate Tralnlng-Eight ln-
stitutlons Represented

The nine men who have been chosen
as President Taft's heads of depart
ments and counselors in state affairs
for the next four years have all re-
ceived collegiate or university training.
This fact may or may not be indicative
of the presidents attitude toward the
question of scholastic education as a
test of fitness for high public oflce. IL
probably issmore indicative of the pass
ing from political leadership in the
United States of self-educated men, as
the log cabin and stage coach have
passed, because of the rapid develop
ment of the country, says the Chicago
Record Herald. In the last few years
higher institutions of learning have
vastly increased their attendance, and
their number of graduates and men OF
collegiate training are much more COM
mon in the professions and in business
than formerly. The last cabinet OF
President Roosevelt, himself gradu-
ate of Harvard, had in 1t only one man
who had not taken a course, or part of
course, in college or university
Secretary Cortelyou, though he read
law while working as stenographer
in Washington.
President Taft is a graduate of Yale,
as is generally known. The only mem
Der of his official family from the same
university is Franklin MacVeagh of
Chicago. Harvard is represented in
Meyer, secretary of the navy, and
Frank H. Hitchcock, postmaster gem
eral. No other university of college
has more than one member. Secretary
Dickinson of the war department is the
most highly educated man, in the
acadmic sense; after being graduated
from the University of Nashville he
90, To- Cr,I, of ia
University of LEIPZIG and in Paris.
Secretary Knox of the department of
state is graduate of an Ohio "fresh-
water" college, Mount Union. Attor-
ney General Wickersham was educated
at Lehigh and the University of Penn
sylvania. Secretary Nagel of the de-
partment of commerce and labor at
tended the University of Berlin after
being graduated from the st. Louis
law school. Secretary Ballinger of the
interior department is a graduate of
Williams college, and the veteran Sec
rotary Wilson of the department of
agriculture attended Iowa college.
With the exception of Secretary
Hitchcock, the new cabinet is COM
posed of men of means. Secretary
| Meyer is said to be the richest mem
Der, representing the wealth as we'll
as the culture of Boston. Secretary
| MacVeagh, who, like Mr. Meyer has
| been a merchant and man of large
| business interests for mnay years, is
perhaps the next in point of wealth.
| Secretaries Knox, Dickinson and Nagel
and Attorney General Wickersham
have all had lucrative corporation law
practices for many years.
The cabinet, again with the excep-
| ton of Postmaster General Hitchcock,
| is composed of men who are so years
of age or older. Mr.. Hitchcock is Al,
Secretaries Ballinger and Meyer and
Attorney General Wickersham are
each so, Secretary Knox is 55, Secre-
tary Dickinson is So, Secretary Nagel
| is SO, Secretary MacVeagh is about 6S
and Secretary Wilson, who has been
at the head of the department of agri7
culture for twelve years. is 70, and the
oldest man in the cabinet. President
| Taft Is 81.
Geographically, the country from
! Boston on the east to Seattle on the
west is represented. Secretary Meyer
education and long residence; Attor-
ney General Wickersham is a New
York lawyer, who was born in Pitts
| burg; Secretary Knox calls Pittsburg
his home; Postmaster General Hitch
cock is native of Ohio; Secretary
MacVeagh is a Chicagoan by long res
idence, though born in Pennsylvania
Secretary Dickinson has made his res
idence in Chicago for a number of
years, though he is credited on the
cabinet slate as from Tennessee, and
he was born in Mississippi; Secretary
Nagel is a st. Louis lawyer of Texas
origin; Secretary Wilson's home is
among the farmers of Iowa. and Secre-