New-York tribune., 1912-01-09
RICHARD I. CRANE DEAD;
WAS FOE OF COLLEGES.
a Few Hours Before Death He
Made Statement Attacking
Higher Education.
CARNEGIE HIS PET AVERSION
Advocated Burning Colleges and
Use of Money for Better Pur-
poses-Was Head of Big
Manufacturing Concern.

Chicago, Jan. S.-Richard 7. Crane, head
ties and higher educational institutions,
died suddenly at his home tonight, after
three days illness from the grip.
The death of Mr.. Crane was sudden. as
his illness had not been considered serious.
A casual examination by physicians led to
the belief that he had suffered from an at
tack of heart disease. He had just finished
a light dinner
Nearly eighty years old, Mr.. crane VINO
had been without the advantages-or dis
advantages as he characterized lt-ot
training In universities. and had worked his
way to the head OF large iron working
company, contended all his life that the
college and the university were useless
fixtures. and that the money devoted to
higher education could be spent more
profitably In extending industrial educa-
ton and aiding persons who had met with
adverse fate.
A few hours before his death Mr.. Crane
announced the result of his investigation
of the work accomplished by graduates OF
the University of Illinois. He said
The further / go into this education
question, the more firmly am convinced
that | was right when took the krouno
we'll as all others, ought TO be burned down;
and that the money spent on them snou.a
be expended where IL would do some good
Mr.. Cranes statement was in the nature
of an answer TO articles which refuted his
statements that technical school graduates
we're not in demand by business men.
Mr.. Crane detailed his efforts 10 learn
the employment and remuneration OF Civil
and electrical engineering graduates, gradu-
| ates from the academic department and
| the school for business training, and also
the agricultural school He declared tnat
he found only a small percentage or the
civil engineers working for representative
firms. and they for a remuneration OF
| about one-third OF that commanded py
| skilled mechanic"
Similar conditions, he asserts, preVdll III
the case of the graduates from other de.
rartments. The agricultural department OF
| the university was also scored py hr'
Crane. and I'm this connection he writes:
! Fertilization is the most important sub
| iect before the farmer to-day, but the uni
yersity has done nothing more tnan Inad paLeld
touch the surface. The university Ia1nTu i1er.
farmer Is not in demand by farmers gen
eraily: in fact, they would not care 20 90
have one OF these men, even at the price
| OF common labor.
In compiling the answer, Mr.. Crane cor
RESPONDED with all the graduates that ne
could reach whose names were given py
the university authorities.
Richard Teller Crane was one OF the
makers OF Chicago, and he in his turn was
made by Chicago. For there he found his
opportunity. and with the city's growth
grew his fortune. In recent years he ac-
auired national prominence as the "hoie-
sale iconoclast Of higher education.
Burn the colleges and use the money
they spend for better purposes" declared
this seIf-made ironmaster. College men of
all classes he believed tended both TO In
efficiency and immortality, and In his last
years spent much time In attempting TO
prove his assertions.
The autocratic manufacturers pet aver
sion was Andrew Carnegie. brother IRON
master but giver OF libraries and supporter