The New York herald., 1921-10-23
By BREWSTER S. BEACH.


IN ECRYING a growing tendency to
early specialization and overspe-
cialiZation, yet firm in the convic-
tion that our American colleges are merely
suffering from temporary attack of aca-
q demic Indigestion, from which they will
recover by returning to simpler and more
carefully selected diet, DR.. Charles Alex
ander Richmond, president of Union Col
YORK HERALD's discussion on American
education with some observations, keen in
their searching analysis of conditions, yet
nevertheless reassuring, to those who may
have felt that our colleges have been going
to the demnition bow-wows."
The true function of higher education,
DR.. Richmond believes, is not to turn out
into the world the largest number of grad
yates whose measure of value to the COM
munity is to be reckoned by the quantity
of knowledge which can be crammed into
their heads in four years, nor by their abil
ity to secure at once a highly paid job. In
his opinion it is the business of the col
lege to produce men of broad vision, men
of insight and imagination, trained to
right thinking and to sound judgment; in
short, men who shall be qualified to fill the
posts occupied by our elder statesmen and
preachers and teachers and other leaders
who are helping their fellowmen toward
their spiritual inheritance.
This demand for special vocational sub
jects is in many instances reducing uni
versity courses to mere mechanics courses.
MANY of them are not university courses
at all in the true sense" Dr. Richmond re-
marks, "but times have changed and with
them the meaning Of words"
Too Many Subjects Oft
Defeat Best Results
"The demand for multiplicity of sub
jects is also a great embarrassment" he
told his interviewer. And with smile he
leaned forward to illustrate the point:
when Ezra Cornell established the uni
versity which bears his name he said he
would found an institution where any stu
dent could obtain instruction in any sub
ject.' This, I am afraid, would be called
by the undergraduate a mouthful.' 1t
might have worked in early days. but not
in our time
"As a matter of fact" he continued, Sub
jects have multiplied like guinea pigs until
no university can possibly keep up with
them. It's like the New York transit facili-
ties. The supply never catches up to the
demand. Many students, especially under
an unrestricted elective system, get to the
end of their college career feeling much
as we do when we get UP from conti-
mental table d'hote. We are still hungry.
We have had little of everything and
not much of anything The best part of
the dinner is still on the printed menu"
Between the Scyllasof too much absorp-
tion in single subject and the Charybdis
of a smattering of too many subjects, there
u.s. DR.. Richmond points out, middle
course which provides at once careful
direction of the students training, and at
the same time judicious elimination.
DO not misunderstood me-" DR.. Rich
mond said quickly in response to half
uttered question as to the value of voca-
tional training. Here at Union we do not
mean to yield to the demand for socalled
practical education Our scheme of edu-
cation is practical. but practical in broad
way and not in a narrow vocational sense.
It was Goethe, / think, who once said that
a man must he something before he can be
anything. The overemphasis placed on
doing, rather than being, recalls college
professor who used to judge the success of
his students solely on the basis of their
incomes after graduation. Such man
has no business in college faculty. He
ought to be pawnbroker or the manager
of a and 10 cent store"
A Broad Education Is
Key to Success Everywhere
Give man a good, broad, general edu.
cation and he is likely to be a success at
anything he chooses to set his hand to.
is DR.. Richmonds motto. He was careful.
- tbat ho hod In.