The Washington times., 1919-08-11
Henry Ford's Idea of Being
Educated
This Millionaire Automobile Manufacturer Knows the
Value of Applied Learning.

i
Henry Ford who employs whole city full of men and
women Ia his factory in Detroit gives sage advice TO
university professors in his Dearborn Independent.
Mr. Ford once poor boy, of America most
influential men, knows the value of actual education. He
knows that all the learning in all the schools Of this ccun
try viii not make frscass salesman fullfedged die
cutter unless there is practical application of knowledge
We quote from Mr.. Ford:
It would be a fine thing if the universities instead
Of fomyear course of knowledge accumulation, would
devote the first two years to dispensing knowledge and
1.-THE last two nstrucng the student how to the
> knowledge he has acquired
The real standard of education is usefulness;
nothing more You don't read Plato just for the salts
faction Of being able to say you read him because he
Is going to contribute something to your mental equip
ment which, in turn, you win apply to the practical
problems Of your own life and time.
- Young men are now getting ready to return to the
universities after year or two in the army Most of them
taking to school the desire to learn something which
win be Of practical value to them These youths viii be
ever on the watch for the everyday application Of things
they learn in school
Poor boys who work their way through college or Dor
row the money to complete their education wstohfu
that they get all they can from their courses
Rich mems sons whose fathers provide the cash for
their education spend four years in universities and
out with little except fraternity pins and diplomas
Schools give you power in proportion to the serious
attitude with which you approach them Says Burns
Your Latin names for horns and stools,
honest nature made you fools?
Like going to the Indies one must take something to
college in order bring something back from it. There
must be disposition to learn and to apply.
True education is fitness for place Brain power comes
from reading and thinking about what read AppGca-
biity Of what we learn is the test of learning
Specific education is needed for concentrated effort
But general education resulting from general reading
with its consequent added cOnvoluons in the BRAIN is
great help.
The person with wide knowledge sees beneath surface
events and reads the basic laws of human conduct in current
Developments The history Of the past tells the history
Of the future.
Wide knowledge gives sense OF power born of brain
strength
Aristotle the great Greek teacher used to say that
education Is an ornament in prosperity and refuge in
adversely.
Man has progressed rapidly in education in the last six
centuries ALI the learning few years back was
in the minds of the few The public was not allowed to read
or to improve its lot The people would become power
full permitted to think.
Read shakespeare's Henry VI this Henry lived in the
fifteenth century,:
CGde-Thou hast most tratorously corrupted the
youth Of the realm In erecting grammar school; and
whereas before forefahers had no other books but
the and the tally thou hast caused printing to be
used and contrary to the king, his and dignity
thou hast built q paper mill
Now foster education with national appropriations
We try to teach soldiers and sailors and marines how to
make good ivings if they choose to leave the service
We establish manual training schools in connection
with high schools We educate the inmates of
some Of our prisons.
Henry Ford can perhaps see ahead to the time when
university will be placed in business institutions and
while they learn Some day educational process
viii be combined with that of production The youth who
wants to be mechanic will turn wire nails or thumb
tacks while he learns.
Meantime we shall plug along slowly developing the
idea Of education for fitness rather than for show
Our summer schools where farmers learn in a few
weeks all that the Government knows about raising sheep
hogs, viii develop We viii teach public health and
good government at the same time.
England is learning Oxford and Cambridge men are
doing extension work throughout the nation bringing the