The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-03-10
a
Socializing Factor
Address of j. Clyde Akers, Super
intendent of Public Schools to
to O. B. u. Students

/ consider it a pleasure and priv
ilege to make this address to you. 1t
is always a pleasure to see wor-
thy and estimable body Of young men
and women who are making an effort
to live better and more worthy life.
Education is, indeed, a very broad
thing. A thing perhaps that is get
ting broader with advancing time. l
am reminded somewhat of the history
of education, and recall from my
reading that in the United States, in
the Colonial time, we had practical
ly no educational system at all. A
few men in community, feeling the
need of their children for something
really worth while, taxed themselves,
and from that small beginning an ed
vocational system has gradually
grown. From that community grew
another, and another, until finally af-
ter the organization of the State it
was found that the educational sys-
TEN of the State should have some
head; and that should be known as the
State Superintendent of Schools, and
under him should be others working
under his direction. And from that
first growth in the Eastern Colonies,
it spread Westernly. | started to say
gradually, but it was not gradual but
very rapid.
1t serves its greatest purpose as
socializing factor. To understand
thoroughly just what that means, it
would be necessary for us to study
sociology, presupposed by psychol-
ogy. The definition really means
great deal to US and it means more to
the better educated man than it does
to you or to me.
Some might say, how does the bus
mess college serve its purpose as
socializing factor? And l should say
that the answer would be very COM
pick thing. The correct answer will
be hard to give and it will depend up
on your knowledge, and upon your
keeping up with current events. We
system, or world business sys-
tens. In early Colonial days it
was not necessary that we had COM
mercial education, but mems rela-
lions were not so complex; and l be-
| lieve that we should know and believe
that we cannot live without an edu-
cation just because our fathers lived
without an education, because COM
petition was not so great, was not
so keen, and the relation of man to
man was not SO complex.
1t has seemed to me that there was
an unreasonable contention between
what ! might term classical, or lit
erary education, and business edu-
cation; but my view Of the situation
is that an eudcation is not complete
unless we have thorough classical and
business education, and they should
go hand in hand.
In this life, as it is today, if the
young men or young women should
have to make one choice of taking
business or vlassical education, I
would advise them to take business
education. Many are unable to take
the classical education, because it
takes more time; yet believe
| it is possible first to get the
business education and from that go
on to the classical later, and I be-
lieve it is better step than to take
part of the classical, and the BUSH
ness education later.
want to commend President Moot
hart especially, because he has been
here SO long, for taking up boys and
girls and making something Of them,