Newark post., 1912-07-17
Functions Of State Agricultural
Colleges
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NOlCkCo
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cultural vocational courses i'll the proper
way. whenever the materials OF study III
those courses have been Adequately
elaborated. and assuming that all the
subjects are properly taught. we VIII
y find that the man thus trained, granted
that he has within him the seeds OF cui-
t1lre. will become cultivated. we'll
rounded man.
More than Knowledge Ct problems
greater than an interest in politics. Is the
spirit of community service, the Wiling
ness to sacrifice something OF ones hnah-
cial gains. of ones time and energy and
leisure and comfort for the sake OF lead
ing ones community on to higher levels;
for the sake of solving is problems.
An agricultural college cannot give its
chief attention to the training of men
for the utilization of their leisure. Yet
there is no reason why the men who fol-
low the agricultural vocations may not
have leisure. They must have it. l-eis-
ure feeds the highest impulses of the
soul. Leisure is essential to the enlarge
ment Of the spirit. An agricultural col
leoe should have teachers and otter
courses. and require men to take those
courses. that will tend to give the indi-
yidual student. no matter what his Noca-
ton. some grasp of the eternal verities,
some hold on the essential things OF life.
some knowledge of the sources of per
sonal power. great inspiration, grip OF
the problems of human duty and human
destiny. This may be secured through
literature. or through philosophy, or
through history: but we cannot afford
to give the baccalaureate degree to any
man who has not at least opened the
door and peered into that high-vaulted
chamber which contains the choicest
treasure of human thought and aspira-
2tion.
The Extension Service.
We come now to the third phase of the
task of the college--the dissemination OF
truth to all the people of the State. With
respect to agriculture and rural matters
the State of Massachusetts is our class
room. hold that the function of ex-
tension service on the part of the agri-
cultural college is coordinate with its
function of investigation and of teaching
resident students. and the reason lies less
in any logical formula than it does in a
practical need and practical means Of
meeting that need What mean is this
The ultimate purpose of the agricultural
college is the benefit of the agriculture of
the State One means of benefit is inves-
LEGATIONS another is by training leaders
but another, and. in some respects, the
most important, is by reaching with in
formation and inspiration every worker
in the land. 1t is the logical outcome of
the social or State function Of the insti-
tuition.
There are other reasons why the eX-
tension service should become organic in
the agricultural college. 1t reacts on TIE
research and teaching, bringing them into
more intimate touch with the realities
and the fundamental needs of agricul-
ture and country life. 1t gives the insti-
tuition that Statewide and social leader
ship which makes it the center of light
and leading in agricultural affairs. The
people themselves expects that the col
lcge shall distribute what it knows for
the benefit Of the people who canrot
come to the college 1t is because they
cherish the belief that the college exists
to serve them directly and Immediately
as we'll as through the training of com.
paratively few individual leaders. that
they are willing to pour out money in its
behalf
Obviously this extension service should
be so organized that it shall not inter.
fere with the work of research or of
teaching. Temporarily. because of lack
of men, it may have this bad effect but
this is only a passing phase and can be
remedied as soon as we have ADEQUATE
appropriations and can develop what
shall practically be an extensions service
faculty.