Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-23
PRINTS REAL PAPER
Missouri School of Journalism
Along Practical Lines.
"A PIONEER IN THE FIELD
Dean Walter Williams Blazed New
Educational Trail.
GET A THOROUGH TRAINING
Graduates Of School Given Degree
of Bachelor Of Science
in journalism.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

| BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Walter Williams, dean of the School Of
Journalism Of the University Of Mis-
souri,, reports that enterprise to be a sat
| isfactory success and is very proud Of
the fact. DIR. Williams Is well known as
| one Of the most accomplished journalists
| in America, and one of the most popu-
lar. He has been president of the Ma
tional Editorial Association and the State
Press Association OF Missouri, had his
! training first on rural and afterward on
city newspapers and for eighteen years
| has been editor OF the Herald Of Column
bia, Mo-. and trustee Of the Univer-
sity Of Missouri as long as anybody can
| remember.
Until few years ago 1t was commended
by the average nember of the farming
community thatVthe science Of agrcul-
| ture could not be learned from books,
but the knowledge necessary to plow
and plant and reap and run dairy and
raise sheep and poultry must be &C
CURED like the stature of a man-by
growth and experience. The same idea
| has prevailed very generally among
newspaper editors, who have presumed
| to despise college education and all spe-
cial training for their own profession.
while at the same time they insisted
| that doctors, lawyers. ministers and
| members of other professions should at
| tend professional schools to obtain the
preparation necessary to properly per-
| form their duties Poets, newspaper men,
artists and musicians are born. no doubt,
and are not made out Of ordinary mate
rails, but no matter how much genius
| man may have for literature or art,
education and training are just as i'm
portant In those professions as In any
other.
| Criticised by Editors.
Walter Williams, for many years, has
| been an advocate Of the idea Of giving
young men and women who wish to do
| newspaper work an opportunity to learn
what Is expected Of them before they
| undertake actual responsibilities. The
| trustees OF the University Of Missouri.
being broad-minded, consented to an ex-
pertinent, which provoked much COM
| ment and criticism among a few old
fashioned editors in that state who be-
| lieved that everything newspaper man
knows should be learned by experience
in an office.
Mr.. Williams was chosen to carry out
his own idea and his School of Jour-
nalism Is approaching the close OF its
second year., with one graduate, holding
the degree OF bachelor Of science In
journalism" to his credit Ten students
are expecting to receive the same de-
gree at the commencement next June.
The success Of the new department has
been such as to crafty those who be-
| lieved In it, and to inspire confidence in
those who have hoped it would succeed.
1t already ranks with the schools of
medicine, law, engineering and peda-
gogy In the same institution, and Its
growth has been more rapid than that
OF any other department in the history
OF the university when first established
Mr.. Williams IL the dean OF the school
and professor Of the history and practice
Of Journalism. He Is assisted by Frank
L. Martin as assistant professor in the
| theory and practice Of journalism. He is
a graduate Of the University Of Nebraska
and was seven years with the Kansas
City Star. Charles G. Ross Is instructor
,, in journalism. He Is q graduate Of the
College OF Arts and Science Of the Uni
versity Of Missouri and has had six years.
| experience on country and metropolitan
newspapers OF Missouri. Charles Arnold,
| a graduate Of tho College Of Arts and
Science Of the University Of Missouri.
and the only person in the world who has
taken the degree "B. 8. In Journalism"
is assistant in journalism. J. B. Powell,
who will be graduated from the School
OF Journalism next juno. is student as
sistant In journalism. In speaking Of his
work in the school the other day Mr.. Will
liams said: