The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-08-23
GRADUATES HAVE
FEWER OFFSPRINCS
According to Statistics Prepared By
Maurice Kicker of u. S. Public
Health Service.

Boston, Aug. 23.--Is race suicide in.
creasing among college graduates
Maurice Kicker of the United States
! public health service says that 1t is,
and quotes statistics. Some college
presidents are inclined to doubt the
conclusions drawn by the health serv-
ice official and think his figures give
wrong impression Others say that
from, lack of statistics of their own,
they are not prepared TO discuss the
subject They admit that Mr.. Ricker's
figures are startling and that they pre-
sent disquieting view of the future,
Addressing the recent convention of
the National Education association in
Des Moines, Ia, Mr. Kicker was quot
ed as follows: Investigation by the
federal public health service over pc
Rod of years indicates that the prog
eny of 1000 graduates from such insti-
tutions as Harvard, Yale, Princeton,
Vassar and Smith will not exceed so in
100 years from now" He proceeded to
compare the results of similar can
vass among illiterate foreigners and
said it indicated that in a like period
the original thousand would be multi
piled at least a hundred times.
Frederick l.. Allen, secretary OF the
Harvard University corporation, pro-
duced some figures of his own from
the Harvard records. He said;
'Mr Ricker's assertion would seem
at first reading to give the impression
that college students have on the av-
erage less than one child apiece. This
is not so among Harvard graduates at
any rate. Among the classes 1881 90 at
Harvard, the last ten classes whose
statistics are available and may be
considered fairly complete, the aver
age number OF men per class was PAS,
of whom 1888 married and had 372 chil
dren. an average of 200 children per
married graduate, or l.55 children per
capita for the whole class. The Yale
figures for the same period are sim
liar. The birthrate among Harvard
graduates declined during the past
half century, The decline, however,
was less sharp in the class between
1870 and 1890 than it had been pre-
viously; and a situation which is dis |
quieting at best, seems thus TO be |
showing a gradual tendency to right |
itself"
No figures on the subject are avail
able from Wellesley college but Presi-
dent Ellen S. Pendleton gives il as
her impression that as far as the alum
nae of Wellesley are concerned the |
number of marriages and the number
Of children per marriage have increased
rather than decreased as the years
have gone by. Some 20 or more years
igo," said Miss Pendleton, 'the asso
ration of collegiate alumnae gathered
quite elaborate statistics comparing
he health, number of marriages and
number of children per marriage of
'ollege women with similar statistics
If their sisters who did not 90 to col
eye or their cousins nearest their age
These statistics showed that there was
rery light difference between the two
.iasses, but such difference as there
vas, was in favor OF the college bred
woman, and as ] have said while we
ave no recent figures my impression
3 that there are more marriages and
more children per marriage IN these
alter years.
NO one denies that college women
marry later in life than non college
1omen and consequently any stats
les that are made up on the basis Of
,omen not more than five years but OF
ollege would give an entirely wrong
/ suspect that the same
hing would be true of college men"
An article for the Smith alumnae
uarterly and based on the Quinquen
ial catalogue of 1915 is offered as
he latest available information re-
arding the graduates of Smith col
'ge and their children. This gave the
verage number Of children for each !
( the total number Of alumnae t5962,
18th the class of 1915 omitted as
a. The average Of children for each
carriage in the classes numbered ~ (
, IS was 2.l5. This decreased with {
tier classes until the average for v
,ch marriage from 1879 up to 1915 d
as only l.34. The compiler. Florence il
omer Snow. Of the class Of 1904 sug b
ssts that if the figures seem small, a
-guments for the defence include the 81
lcts that the youngest classes are .
he largest, and that many college
omen marry late 50 that the figures s
garding them are not available until
iey have been many years out Of col :
&c. 4.