Arizona republican., 1921-07-12
By Frederic J. Haskin

WASHINGTON. D. C.. July 11.-A man has arisen in the middle west with . new idea concerning the teach ing of the exact science of engineer ing who is attracting the attention of educators all over the United States and in centers of learning abroad. He has no epoch making method of supplying brains to dull students, or filling their minds with knowledge that will stick regardless of the stu dents capacity, but he has worked out system whereby his school is turning out better graduate engineers.
 This man is A. A. Potter, dean of engineering at Purdue university. Lafayette, Indiana That the bene- fit of his system is appreciated by young men desirous of becoming engineers is shown by the enrolment in the Engineering School at Purdue. In the college year just closed there were 1,845 students, ranking the school third among institutions of it's kind in the United States in point of numbers.
 Summed up, what Dean Potter is seeking and getting is to make com petent professional men-not just graduates. to keep the students in- terest at high pitch; to see that his time is spent where he can best excel.
 When a student takes up the en- gineering course at Purdue it is soon ascertained whether he knows how to study and memorize effectively. If he does not, it is the. first thing he is taught. He is taught that he is not to learn any book, but to master informatio which that book con tains He is urged to visualize what is set forth. to pick out the essen tials of study and concentrate on them in order that they will be clear and practical to him always.
 After he has been at work for two Or three months in his first year the engineering student has his character inventoried by five of his fellow stu dents and two of his teachers. This record is kept up throughout his course, and affords an excellent esti- mate of any student almost at a glance. From these seven reports and the students own estimate of himself his record Is made up and kept.
 inventory of Character
 These cards cover the students natural aptitude and mental charac. teristics; his application: his genera attitude, whether self-reliant, opin' ionated, quarrelsome. aggressive, con ciliatory, timid or self-controliedi cooperative ability, courtesy: dispo'
  natured; efficiency: habits of work whether punctual, resourceful, rapid or slow, and the like; his judgment qualities of leadership; mental cali Der: general outlook on life; sense o | responsibility; tact.
 On the same cards. under the head ing of "Moral and Social Character | istics," the two teachers and fiv students record whether the studen | being described has an ingratiatinl address, or whether it is cautious, al | rect and brusque, or irritating, ant whether he leaves a good or poor i'm | pression; whether his character | | yielding, weak, firm, strong, obsti | nate, or positively moral; whether h | is conscientious, tricky. honorable, re | liable, or unreliable; whether his man ner is trustful guarded, suspicious l jealous or envious; and whether tn l student is popular or not.
 | The physical characteristics ar | also recorded. This covers the coun | tenance, whether pleasant. seriou: | open, strong, secretive, or weak; hi habit of dress, whether showy, stylish
 tasteful, ll-chosen, neat, or careless
 whether he has any deformity; hi
 carriage whether erect and dignifie
 or round shouldered and slouchy
 and his general health, covering hi
 vision, hearing. endurance, vitality l physique and nervous stability.
 In addition, this concensus of ob
 servation of the student covers hi
 use Of English in speaking and writ
 ing, and whether his handwriting
 firm, business like, legible, illegibl
 or careless.
 From the data collected, Dean Pot
 ter is able to advise the student as
 his future course, encouraging him
 he is on the right road, or telling hiI
 if his path. is badly chosen. If
 student is without any faculty (
 leadership or inventive ideass who
 prone to accept everything just IS |
 finds it without any suggestion (
 improvement. he is believed to haN
 chosen the wrong profession as h
 life work. Engineering in practical
 every branch demands constant ir
 ventive ability, vision and constru'
 tive thinking of the highest order
 bring real success. Dean Potter got
 on the theory that the time to discu:
 the error in choice of profession | before the boy or young man Is a