Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-28
An Educational Censorship
Establishing Colleges


vancement of Teaching has issued recent
ly its fourth bulletin on medical educa-
ton in the United States and Canada.
The pamphlet was prepared by Abraham
Flexner, and DR.. Henry s. Pritchett, the
President of the Foundation, writes the
Introduction to it.
This Mr.. Flexner asserts in one part of
his pamphlet that a medical school is
properly a department of a university.
and that there should be no more than
one medical school to a city. He coolly
and confidently applies his dictum to the
states of New York, New Jersey, Penn
sylvania, Delaware, and the District of
Columbia, and declares that he would
have only one medical school, connected
with a university in each of the cities of
New York. Syracuse, Philadelphia, Pitts
burg and Baltimore. He goes further
and fatty proposes that the useful medl-
cal colleges in Albany, Buffalo, and
Washington. shall be abolished. He spe-
officially criticizes the very respectable
medical school connected with the Long
Island Hospital in Brooklyn, upon which
nearly a million dollars was expended re-
Gently in the erection and endowment
of the Polyhemus Memorial Clinic, al
though he is forced to admit 1.-The entire
plant, school and clinic, is admirably
kept"
Commenting upon this bumptious
pamphlet of Mr.. Abraham Flexner,
which is approved by DR.. Henry 5.
Pritchett, the New York Sun says:
1t is a queer outcome of a generous
gift by Mr.. Carnegie that 1t has enabled
two industrious gentlemen, President
Pritchett and Mr.. Flexner, practically to
blacklist any schools of medicine which
do not conform to their ideas of what
is most desirable in such institutions.
Perhaps the editor of the Sun is moved
to consider the matter because of the
particular schools which are blacklist
ed" But it is we'll for all the Ameri-
can people, who care for our educational
institutions of every Sort to see by
means of this instance exactly what Is
proposed by the Carnegie Foundation.
It is perfectly clear that it's result is
to establish a sort of censorship of col
leges, pulling down one and setting UP
another, and "black-listing" the institu-
tions not approved by its agents. or
course 1t will be denied that any such
purpose is entertained by the managers
of the Foundation; but that must be the
inevitable effect of the Carnegie Fund
whether consciously intended, or not.
Thus this Foundation becomes ire
mendous power to kill and make alive
institutions of learning, and in 1T is set
I'D an irresponsible authority to prescribe
standards of education throughout the
country.
Take the case in hand, for example:
Nobody would care for the opinions OF
Mr. Abraham F1exner, concerning medi-
cal education, If he were not related TO
the Carnegie Foundation. So also the
educational theories of DR.. Henry 5.
Pritchett would receive scant considera-
ton from most thoughtful people, If he
were not enabled by Mr.. Carnegie's
money, to help or hurt colleges by the ap-
plication of his notions. Carnegie sup
plies the dollars, and these theorizers fur
nish the doctrines, which combined are
capable of Unreasonable mischief.
And the Rockefeller Foundation, which
has a good understanding" with Car
negie crowd" is nearly, or quite as bad.
Shortly after the organization of the
Rockefeller Board, (sometimes called,
1.-The General Education Board'D the
New York Tribune said:
mo gift from this great fund is in
tended to be given to state educational
institutions While certain colleges will
be selected for contributions or endow-
ments, forming a chain of educational In
situations across the continent, others not
so favoured will be left to their fate by
the Rockefeller Fund, and many Of them,
1t is expected, will be forced to close their
doors in the face of such strong sup
port to their fortunate rivals. 1t will be-
come a question of the survival of the
fittest, 1t is said, from which it is be-
lieved a better and higher standard of
education will result, and on the maps
of the Williams street Office of the Rookie
Teller Fund the little coloured pins will
probably seal the fate of many college
and work out the destiny of other to
prosperous ends"
About the same time the Outlook said:
with this financial power in its con-
troll, the general board is in position 10
do what no body in this country can at
present. even attempt. 1t can determine
largely what institutions shall grow, and
in some measure what shall stand still
or decay. 1t can look over the territory
of the nation, note the places where there
is famine of learning. and start new
educational plants of any species it
chooses, or revive old ones. 1t can do in
many ways what the government does
for education in France and Germany.
Its power will be enormous; ii seems as
if it might be able to determine the char
acter of American education. The funds
II holds represent only a fraction of the
amounts which it viii control; by giving
a sum to an institution on condition that
the institution raise an equal or greater
amount, 1t will be able to direct much
larger amounts than it possesses"
In all this is seen the outlines OF a
huge educational censorship, prepared
to blacklist some schools and enrich
others, and this censorship is held by 4
small group of men, responsible to neith
er church nor State,-nor to any other
authority whatsoever.
1t matters not what may be the mo-
tives and character o. Mr.. Rockefeller.
That is a matter of no relevancy to the
issue under discussion. The uncealable
fact is clearly seen that in two richly
endowed boards there is concentrated
power which seeks ito determine the
character Of American education" That