The Washington herald., 1916-09-09
CLASSICAL STUDIES
Verdict of Successful Men Is Classics
Are Essential to Mental Poise.

The superior advantages and value OF
the classical training as a guarantee of
success in any useful sphere Of life is
repeatedly emphasized by most prominent
business men, civil engineers, scientists.
journalists, and most successful men in
all professions,
Speaking Of the classics, Alexander Du-
ane, physician and author, of New York,
has this to say: Il am very strongly of
the opinien that a thorough course of
Latin and Greek furnishes the best prep
sratiOn, not only for the so-Called learned
professions, law, medicine and theology
but also for scientific and technical pur-
suits and for business. Such study fur
nIshes an erectual remedy against the
narrowness OF view and the limitation
Of ideas that an exclusively technical and
vocational training begets; and by drill
ing and sharpening the mental faculties
It enables the student to acquire much
more readily than would otherwise be
possible the knowledge that his calling
whatever It may be, demands. Further
more because of the grasp OF general
principles and the habit of logical think
ing that it imparts, It makes him an
ADLER and more useful man. 1t thus bet
ter fits him not only for his special bust
ness, but also for the more general con-
Germs OF life. And It does so better than
any other educational scheme devised.
Comparative tests, extending now over
many years, have proved this quite con-
Clusively."
Charles P. Steinmetz. manager, General
Electric Works, Schenectady, n. Y. thus
deplores the neglect of the classics: In
my opinion" he says, this neglect OF the
classics is one of the most serious mis-
takes of modern education. The study Of
the classics is very important and vaIu-
able, and more so in the education of the
engineer than in most other professions.
for the reason that the vocation Of an en-.
Eineer is specially liable to make the man
one-sided. II is true that the
classics are not necessary II the aim is
to ft the student to ply the trade of en-
gineer, as one plies that Of plumbing or
bOilermaker, and the world. especially the
United States, Is full of such men, who
have learned merely the trade of engi-
neer. But such learning of the engineer
ing trade can hardly be called receiving
an education; it certainly does not fit the
man to perform intelligently his duties as
citizen OF the republic during the
stormy times Of industrial and social re-
organization which are before US"
ProE Ira Nelson Hollis, president of
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, adds as
a result OF many years experience: Il
should much rather have a boy entering
a technical school be a graduate of q
good Latin school than OF a school Of
shop work. Technical training is of little
worth unless pupils also have the power
Of expression"
Milo S Ketchum, professor Of civil en-
EineerinE, and dean Of the College of
Engineering, University Of Colorado, re-
ports that AT the last meeting of the
Society for the Promotion Of Engineering
Education, held at Princeton, n. j., in
June, 1914. the council consisting of
about thirty Of the most prominent en-
cheering educators voted unanimously
in favor Of the classical or English high
schoo! course as a preparation for an
engineering course. 1t was the opinion
Of those present that the full four years
of a high school course should be given
to a study Of the classics, literature, his
tory, elementary science and mathe-
matics."
One more important testimony may be
quoted in the words of NJ. E Cooley.
dean Of the engineering department
University Of Michigan: There seems
to be a very general impression that
the sO-called vocational studies in the
high school are Of prime Importance par
tiCularly as related to engineering, and
TO the high school student who will later
study engineering. In the department of
engineering, however, It is almost the
universal opinion that too much inpor-
lance Is attached 10 manual training
and drawing in the preparatory schools,
and for years Greek and Latin have
been accepted as suitable preparation
for students of engineering-not only &C
Cepted. but believed to be better prepa-
ration than some things offered
II Is this thorough and valuable train
ing In the classics and other COmpli-
mentary students which GOnzaga College
High School offers to the students of
Washington.
At the end of the four years course.
three free scholarships are granted by
Georgetown University to the three most
deserving graduates of the Gonzaga Col
lege High School, viz: One in the law,
one in the pre-medical, and one in the
college course.