The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-05-13
Denies He Is Too Ardently in
Favor of Vocational Train
ing and He Expresses
Great Surprise.
TEXTBOOK CASE is
EXPLAINED BY HIM
Possible Mr.. Kelly Took AT
front At His Advocacy of
New System, Lebanon
Educator Stated.

Henry C. Brown, superintendent of
schools at Lebanon, Ind, and a candi-
date for the superintendency of the
Richmond public schools, stated over
the long distance telephone today that
he was very much surprised at the
opposition made to his candidacy by
President Robert L. Kelly and took oc-
casion to deny the one charge publicly
made against him by Mr.. Kelly, that
he was too ardent an advocate of vo-
cational training.
Il am in thorough sympathy with
the vocational training movement"
Mr. Brown said, "but my advocacy Of
it is no more ardent than that of the
average superintendent"
Mr. Brown also stated that about a
month ago he called upon Mr.. Kelly
at his home in this city and informed
him that he was an applicant for the
local school superintendency. "At that
time" continued the newly appointed
member of the state board of educa-
ton, 81 did not ask Mr.. Kelly for his
support of my candidacy but did ask
him that il he advised with the men,
bers of the school board that he give
me fair show, and from his remarks
] gained the impression that he had no
objection to my appointment, there
fore / am greatly surprised to learn
that when he met with the school
board he protested against my candi-
dacy."
No Personal Controversy.
Mr.. Brown was then told that there
was report in circulation that he and
President Kelly had had a controversy
over the method of selecting text
books.
Il never had any personal misunder-
standing with Mr.. Kelly on that sub
ject," he replied. Il took an active
part in the fight to have school super
intendents and heads of various sec
tions consulted by the state board be-
fore text books were adopted and this
system was finally adopted, although
1t was bitterly opposed by some mem
bers of the board, of which Mr.. Kelly
may have been one, because they
thought such demand was presump-
tious.
However, since the adoption of this
system l have had two members of the
board, Mr.. Study Of Ft. Wayne, for
merly of Richmond, and Mr.. Capy of
Charlottesville, call on me and com.
mend me for the fight I made for re
forms in the adoption of textbooks"
This morning a man prominently
identified in school work in this city
stated as his belief that President
Kelly's opposition to making vocation
al training the dominant feature of ed
ucational work in the public schools
of this city, expressed through his pro
test on the appointment of Mr.. Brown
was based for the most part on his
fear that the Richmond high school
might cease to be feeder" for Earl
ham college.
Calls 1t Wrong Attitude.
THAT is the wrong attitude te
take" the informant stated, "for high
schools must no longer be regarded as
college preparatory institutions. AS q
matter of fact they are finishing
schools for the great majority of the
okudents who attend them and for this
reason should be improved so tha
VlAoA young men and women leave the
Nigh schools they will be better pre-
pared to engage in the various voca
tions.
statistics show that in the United
States in 1890 only .14.4 per cent of al
high school students were preparin,
for colleges. BY 1910 this per cent hat
been reduced to 5.5, and the same yea
the actual number of high school stu
dents who entered college was onl.
2.27 per cent. In Indiana now out o
every 100 students who attend the pull
lie schools IS are in the grade schools
"There is something radically wronl
with the existing high school cours
and l am positive the remedy lies il
offering a course which will equI]
young men and women for their life
work. Entirely too much emphasis ha
been placed on the value of the classi
cal course"
In local educational circles toda
the comment was frequently hear
that Mr.. Kelly's desire to be reappoint
ed member of the state board of &c
ucation may have figured PROMINENT
in his opposition to Mr.. Browns az
pointment as the local superintendent
1t was pointed out that if Mr.. Brow
was engaged Richmond would hav
three representatives on the stat
board, which would undoubtedl
thwart President Kelly's ambition t
succeed himself when his term e,
pires next year.