The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-06-18
The Army University
Great Educational Achievement
u Camp in France

y I
The possibility of making the United
States army a great educational med
sum for all America has been demon
ssFated by the American Expedition
ary Forces University here. in the
opinion of leading, educators in that
Institution. Their experience in two
months Of It's sessions has convinced
these instructors that the great eN-
pertinent has pointed way to uni
rersal education in the United States.
The university soon must close for
its students are going home to
America to he denohilized. THE
closing exercises were held May So
Yet what it has done and still is doing
at this writing will perhaps serve as
a guide to the Development OF an
army educational system yet &c be
worked out in America.
More than $500 American soldiers
have sfnee March; Is been obtaining
higher education in this university
as a gift from Uncle Sam. The In
stitution was composed of Is colleges
wihs 5&4 instructors and offered 3G3
courses OF study any Of which the
soldiers might elect to pursue. It was
unique in respect to the fact that its
entire student body was clad in khaki
1 that the students slept in army cots,
l5o. SO in a hut with. their rifles
siung beneath them. They rose for
the days studies. at the call Of the bc-
gle and marched to their scRoc;
rooms in companies
Outside. the sehoaircons army dis
cipHne, psevai1ed but in. them the
army was forgotten and: a private
was good as a. captain.
The directors of these IS colleges
were distinguished educators III
America and the grade Of instruction
givensat Beaune was regard as equiv
alent to university work in America.
Entrance, examinations were not re-
quned: The word Of the. applicant
that he: had a, high school education
was the sole requirement and this-was
waived il he had had its equivalent.
Colonel Ira L. Reeves. regular
army officer we'll known for his work
as president of Norwich University at
Norfhfield- Vermont. was the direct
ing head Of the University. Three;
months ago the university was little
more than project. Abandoned
American hospitals where the wound
ed from the Argonne drive received
treatment Were seized upon as a nu-
cleus and othee buildings appeared
like. mushrooms There Were TO
J. brewusJone- fronts. no clinging ivy,
no green turf of the old colleges at
home; just plain. unpainted board
and canvas array buildings with
plenty Of boetpitted mud about; q
little city in itself
Nearby was Fershing, Field for ath.-
letics where Eve baseball fields
were in use and there was opportuni-
ty For track meets and other athletics
Eight miles away at Alierey was the
agrScuHurai college with about 2,$oa
students.
The colleges of this institution. the
firstsof its kind. in history, were:
Agriculture. arts, business. citizen
ship, p,eorresponderce education. engi-
neeTing. Journalism. ia.. letters.
medicine, music. and science. There
were 533S classes and the, average en-
rolimentz in each class was 3S men.
The agricultural college headed the
list,fW a4tendance- The business
college was second with 1879 stu
dents. engineering third with &46 and
then followed letters with 10. science
574, arts. 2s7, educataion 7S. journal
ism 121. law 146, medicine 152 and
music 149.
Many Of the soldiers studied French
and made excellent progress partly
because of the splendid opportunity
to practice. the language with their
French friends. For the most part
the classes of the. university were con-
Quoted in the barrack schoolrooms.
but "a large aerodrome was convert
ed inse a com hination lecture room
and theatre.
The days work began at $50 a. m.
wfen. a bugle5 sounded reveille- Soon
long line of khakiclad soldiers. sey-
4eFal regim ents strong, fell into
marching order and wound its way as
though on parade. across the grounds.
the men dropping eut By companies
as they came to their schools.
Generals, the students were moved
by a serious purpose to obtain an ad-
vanced education and were of.a clean
cutsstype of which any institution
might be proud. Each signed state
ment when he entered the university
which constituted its code. read
in part:
81 understand that this leave is
granted by the government to pro-
vide for my welfare / realize that if
my health. my comfort and my edu-
iation are advanced by this trip. the
government will be well repaid. for
the money it spends on me. I realize
that If, by, misconduct. Or cayelessness
or vice. I fail to be irnproEed in bod,
and dmsnd, I will have defrapded the
government and will also have was
ted an opportunity to improve my
station in life.
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Wreck on A. C. L.