The Washington herald., 1920-12-30
HISTORIANS COMING
FROM DISTANT POINTS.

FROM DISTANT POINTS.
With historians here from far
flung points for the thirty-fifth ap-
nual meeting of the American HIS
torical Association the man in the
street may wonder, What is the
use of 1t all? Why do people spend
money to come thousands Of miles
for the discussion OF Abstract ques-
tions concerning dead and gone
happenings when there are so many
present-day problems demanding
consideration?
DR.. George w. Fuller, Of Lansing.
Mich. head of the staff of the Michi-
gan State Historical Commission,
answered this question when seen
at the Willard yesterday.
The significance of the work or
the American Historical Association
and similar associations and COM
missions in the, States Is all too lit
tie appreciated by many Americans
who are prone to estimate the value
of everything in terms of dollars
and cents.
This is just as much an altruistic
proposition" he explained. 'as tine
work of the scientist who tolls IN
order that by his discoveries hbr
manity may reach higher levels.
Hundreds of Americans study
history every year without ever
grasping the real secret OF the sig
nificance of the many phases Of this
field Of endeavor. The fault does
not lie with the man himself, II Is
too commonly the fault of the sys-
tenn of teaching or the fault OF the
teacher. 1t is within the power of
the teacher to make his subjec,
alive or to let 1t remain SO much
dead matter.
TEACHING METHODS
ARE AT FAULT.
Take the American of the lass
generation" he continued. IN the
primary school he took the usual
course in American history. II he
got as far as the high school he
studied some ancient history and
perhaps took a course in mediaevai
and modern European history He
may have had a teacher who killed
the subject, made II nothing more
than dry catalogue of facts, in
terspersed with a list of bother
some dates retained long enough TO
pass an examination and then for
ever forget.
But this sort OF teaching has
gone by the board" DR.. Fuller
pointed out, 'and the change OF
methods is due largely torthe work
of this association and parallel Or
ganizations. The teaching of his
tory has been made a live matter
through these periodical discussions
of new and improved methods OF
teaching"
History has been brought to the
people, DR.. Fuller says, by direct
application to daily life. A ground
work of the historical verities is
necessary as a working basis, some
dates are worth remembering, just
as one needs a card index to facil-
itate finding important letters or
papers, but modern methods have
entirely swept away the old idea
that the teaching OF history deals
only with the past.
I'm our schools today" DR.. Fuller
continued, newspapers and maga-
zines are used to teach current
events. In many schools one or
more periods a week are devoted
to the discussion of present day
problems. Wherever possible the
teacher endeavors to associate in
the mind of the student the con-
nection with some event in the
after they have been delivered: the
history of various industries is
studied, the biography of the great
men of tAe day, not only political
but industrial leaders"
SUBJECTS ARRANGED
GEOGRAPHICALLY.
In the schools of the Middle West
agricultural history is taught, while
in industrial and mining centers
the history of those industries is
emphasized, according to DR.. Fuller.
The history of the automobile,
the biography of Henry Ford, the
history of Detroit with reference to
its present municipal government
all of these subjects are taught. in
Detroit" DR.. Fuller pointed out.
and the same methods OF adapting
the study of history to local needs
are being followed in other sections
of the country"
Hearty response is had from the
business men of the country, ac-
cording to DIR. Fuller. They realize
that educators are taking an interest
in the problems of the business man
and that they are anxious to answer
his questions. Prohibition. suffrage,
immigration, commercial expansion,
n-American trade relations, tax
alton, labor, all the practicable
problems of the day are considered
in the plans of the association for
adapting pedagogy to the needs of
the people.
THE Michigan State Historical
Commission makes a special point
to furnish to the State legislature
Information on all the questions ex-
pected to be taken up at a given
session, DR.. Fuller said. Embodied
in these statements are reports of
similar legislation already enacted
in other States or in foreign coun-
tries. Information respecting the
problems under discussion at the
State capitol are furnished in turn
to the school children to give them
a lively appreciation of the current
questions under discussion by the
solons of their own State.
Members of the association, who
include eminent authorities from
institutions of higher learning
throughout the United States, have
been greatly pleased with the cor
dial reception accorded in Wash
ington.:
Washington is an ideal place for
such a meeting" said DIR. Fuller.
because the national archives and
the Library of Congress are here.
Another advantage is the proximity
the delegates are from the large
Eastern universities, Washington is
easily accessible" F.W G.