The Washington times., 1918-09-05

One Of the first acts of the French
people In revolution, impoverished as
they were and surrounded by hostile
nations in arms, was to appropriate
money for public education At almost
the same time. on this sids OF the
ocean, President Washington was
writing these words In hts famous
farewell address: Promote, then, as
an object OF primary importance, in
situations for the general diffusion OF
knowledge. In proportion as the
structure OF government gives force
to public opinion, 1t is essential that
public opinion should be enlightened"
The same conviction which formed the
basis OF the attitude toward educa-
tion of the revolutionary leaders Of
France and America actuated the
friends of the American negro who
were responsible for the founding of
Howard University. which was born
in that period of strife and disagree
ment following the civil war.
1t was during this period, fifty-one
years ago, that Howard UNIVERSITY
| opened Win SAuhChNo III NV
departments, preparatory, normal,
collegiate, law, and medical The in
stitution was designed. to use the
words of one of its founders, ito give
| life and energy to the widely-scat-
tered common schools established by
| the Freedmen's Bureau" by furnish
4 ing competent teachers, leaders, and
professional men, and it has amply
justified the faith of those who Ia
bored to establish it Founded at a
time when most Americans believed,
or professed to believe, that the negro
could not assimilate anything beyond
the most elementary studies, its sue
cess in putting to rout this old super
stition was immediate and startling.
Starting, as was said above, with five
departments and sixty-three pupils, 1t
numbers today ten depar -mCnts, 119
teachers and officers, and 1865 STU
dents, and graduates numbering thou
sands. At its last commencement de-
grees were conferred upon 1I9 per-
sons in the arts, law. medicine. den
tistry, pharmacy, education, and the
ology and certificates and diplomas
upon almost as many more
Most of the ambitious young col
ored men and women Of the South are
not able to attend the distant and eX-
pensive Northern universities, and, as
we know, their own Southern univer-
stiles will not receive them For
such, then, Howard offers a place
midway, with all the unusual advan-
tages of a great National Capital,
with a large community of enlighten-
ed and cultured colored people as
social background, and lacking the
worst OF the humiliating conditions of
life in the South. The university Of
r.. II, h. l.
legiate studies, in the art of teach
ing, in law, medicine, dentistry, phar-
macy, engineering, home economies,
music, library training, theology, and
business subjects, and for the benefit
of those who have lacked in their
own communities the proper facilities
for high school training or college
preparatory work an efficient acad-
envy is still maintained
One of the most striking departments
Of the university is the schol of medi-
cine, whose record is as honorable as
it is long. The facilities it offers are
exceptional, either Ior general or spe-
cIal work. Its own library, chosen
largely as an aid to the regular class
room work, is supplemented for re-
search purposes by that Of the sur
gean generals office, one Of the fin
est collections of its kind in the world.
When one adds to this the Army Medi-
cal Museum, without q rival in the
world, and other Government institu-
lions, as the National Museum, the
Museum of Hygiene, the Museums of
the Department OF Agriculture, the
Botanic Garden, and the Patent Of
flee Museum and Library, II needs no
argument to convince one OF the I'M
usualness of the opportunities pre-
H. sy,rr 6NroV7 to- N
OF this school is the presence across
the square from its buildings Of the
magnificent Freedmen's Hospital.
erected by the Government at cost
of $500, 900. This hospital, unlike
many used similarly, has the advant-
age of being designed primarily for
teaching purposes. 1t has about 300
beds, and contains two clinical am
phitheaters, a pathologic laboratory,
clinical laboratories. and room for
&-ray diagnostic work and for x-ray
therapy. The medical faculty OF How
ard University practically constitutes
the hospital staff. In few hospitals in
America whose resources are avail
able for teaching purposes can the.
work of instruction be carried out so
fully and systematically. So cele-
brated is this institution that prac-
ticing physicians and surgeons OF long
experience come from far-off cities
to do special work under the instruc-
ton of its experts. and patients ar
rive almost daily from distant points
to seek medical and surgical treat
ment under conditions which they re-
gard as exceptionally favorable. The
school of medicine of Howard Uni
versity is rated in the official list of
the American Medical Association as
q Glass A" institution
Owing to a somewhat insistent de-
mand, particularly from the South, for
opportunities for library training, the
university has recently instituted a
library training class, notable because
IL is the only one existing in an in
stitution patronized mainly by color
ed youth. The older departments OF
the university are doing steadily a
work commensurate with that of