The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-11
Frederic Haskin's Letter
A Neu Idea i'm Education.
tnpsaAi Correspondence - - Argusl

believed to have chosen the wrong
profession as his life work. Engi-
neering in practically every branch
demands constant inventive ahjI-
i lty, vision and constructive think
ing of the highest order to bring
real success. Dean Potter goes on
the theory that the time to discuss
the error in choice of profession is
before the boy o. young man is al
lowed TO waste Much OF his time at
an 1ll-chOsen study The dean has
found many students who Just
wish to be this or that without hav-
ing supplemented this desire with
anything like an analysis of their
own characteristics or natural abU-
ity for the work they think they
want TO undertake..
Follow the Natural Bent.
The student who is found To bs
naturally gifted and fitted for the
profession of engineering requires
only the usual course, and may be
depended upon to make good. For
others whose fitness and ability are
not so well defined, Dean Potter
holds that it is the high duty OF
these young men and their instruc-
tors to put the student in the right
way to achieve tho utmost possible,
and to advise him to study to fit
himself for that position in life for
which he is best fitted by tempera-
ment, training and natural charac-
teriStics.
In telling of his tests, Dean Pot
ter says that the boy who reaches
IS years without any evidence Of
inventive ability, will never make a
designing engineer. On the other
hand, the boy who is never salts
fed with his toys as they come to
him, who seeks to change and i'm
prove them, as well as everything
else that comes to hand. has in him
one of the main essentials for The
profession.
Dean Potter makes the broad
claim that a teacher should make
studies so interesting that the stu
dent will not have to be urged and
driven to them. Also, he warmly
urges not to take the printed page
for granted, FOR very ordinary
people write books, but to test what
is read by the use of ordinary com
mon sense and learn to skip Judi
ciously."
Another Potter principle which
he applies is that TO make a sue
cess of makig men one has to keep
right with them and keep the in
terest young and vigorous. He has
many plans at work for doing this,
one being to write short accounts
of any notable thing the student
does IN his college work, and send
it to the boys home paper The
publication of this serves the pUT-
pose OF letting the student know
that his folks back HON know how
well he is doing, his parents and
friends are naturally pleased and
responsive and a general asset Of
good feeling is created.
AS the student progresses in his
work, he learns that there are 9th
er influences which will help him TO
success if he deserves il Dean
Potter is in constant touch with
leading members OF his profession
and large employers of engineering
talent. He is quick to make known
at Purdue any valuable innovation
he finds in the practice of engineer
ing. He is forever looking for Op-
enings for his graduates for which
they are peculiarly fitted As lie
puts it, he sells the crop" every
year and is keenly Interested in see
ing to it that the crop is high gade
and placed to the best adYantaS2.
Room for the Right Hen.
Many large corporations send
each year at graduation time to add
to their technical forces from q
source in which they have the high
est faith. Despite the general slack
ening of industry, there was good
demand for Dean Potter's graduates
who closed their course success
fully last month
They labor long and hard with
the boy at Purdue who Is looking
for college life, but does not want
his studies 10 interfere too much.
They believe this attitude is the re-
suit of a method that made the boy
learn d book instead OF competing
his interest III u study. Dean Pot
ter holds strongly to the belief that
the real pleasure in the world IS IN
Intelligent, interesting work, and he
has to his record many Instances
of success in turning students to
his view, from which they nave not
subsequently departed The dean
believes in academic freedom,
sports and pastImes, hobbies and
interests. but his face Is hrml. st
against academic license aid cJ--
urmed IaZiness.