The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-06
nr F. F. CLAYTON

go 10 COlleBeI 1T hll were 10 enter college this fall, the college atten- dance of the state would be in- creased by more than half. Ala barna's share of college students would still be far below the aver age. This would still be true even if most of the boys and girls who have finished high school courses in the last few years and have not entered higher schools should do so this fall.
 But Alabama needs her full share of educated men and women. With out 1t, all her industrial, economic. professional and civic life and enter prises must suffer.
 For this reeason and for their own good, material as well as spiritual, I wish to urge once more all those boys and girls to continue their edu- cation in college, university, normal school or higher technical school. I wrote last spring letter to all high school principals in the state to be read to the boys and girls about to finish high school, urging them, as a patriotic duty as well as for their own personal good, not to let their education end with the high school. but to go to some higher school to university, college. normal school or higher technical school. Later I wrote a personal letter In a similar vein to each of the boys and girls graduating from the high schools
 So important is this matter to the boys and girls and to the future progress. wealth and welfare of the state, I wish to urge the parents and friends of these boys and girls to encourage and help them.
 Era of Education
 We are entering upon the era of educated and trained men and wom- en. They are needed and called for in every walk of life. every occupa- tion. calling, and profession, and they are answering the call. The for higher education in the United States last year were more than 20 times as large as they were 40 years ago, and there were more men and women in college last year than there were boys and girls in high schools 20 years ago.
 The need for more men and won- on of the higher education will be greater in Alabama and other south enn states than elsewhere.
 As teachers in all our elementary schools, urban and rural, we want those who have had normal school pr college training, and we are be- coming more and more willing to pay for them. About 2,000 new teachers are needed each year. The supply of trained teachers is less than one-third of this number. As principals and teachers in the high as state and county snper- and supervisors. and as teachers of special subjects we want graduates of college who have also lad some professional instruction md training for their work. Here again the supply is only small per cent of the demand.
 As directors or managers Of arms, their own or others; as farm agents; sas teachers Of lRriculture in the high schools. and ,s experts in experiment stations ind in state and national depart nents of agriculture; as managers # creameries; as agents and sales nen for agricultural supply houses md as agricultural speakers and writers, men with the training of the agricultural college are wanted. Even ordinary farmers. who must
  with all who produce the same or similar kinds of crops. need this raining also.
 For home making and the care of children, women need the college ,oursees in home economies and do- nestle science.
 Physicians, health officers, sani- tarians and trained nurses are now not only required to have exten- sive professional training, far more than formerly. but, as a to this training, they must have college training in phy- sics. chemistry. biology and other subjects.
 For the practice of law the re- luirements of the American Bar as- ,ociation are not less than two years ,f academic college work and three years in law. Those who wish 10 ssure for themselves the highest Iuccess take four years of academic college work The law school of the of Alabama will require .wo years for admission after 1925. Until quite recently there was no stipulated education requirement.
 Practically all churches now de- nand or advise college training as we'll as the training of the seminary ,r school of theology. for their min sters.
 Y. NJ. c. A. and Y. W. c. A. secre- aries and other officers are ex- ,ected to be college men and women. so are those who enter the mission fields at home and abroad; and the demand for missionaries, both at nome and abroad. Is practically un- limited. The gates of all the foreign fields are wide open. The nars are down. The opportunities prayed for through decades and cen tIries have at last come.
 Field of Engineering
 In all forms of engineering there Is rapidly increasing demand for trained men having not less than the full four years course. A generation ago any man of good common sense and executive ability could build or repair or direct the building ,or re- pairing of roads. To construct a highway at a cost of s10.O00 $20,- 900, $30, 900. or S4o.0o0 mile for the at 35 miles an hour, and the lotion truck at 20 miles an hour. requires the direction of a small army of highway engineers, each ex- pert in his own particular line. We are just entering upon an era of highway building and of transporta- ton of freight over highways. With in the next 30 years tens of billions of dollars will be spent for these purposes and tens of thousands of trained men will be required. Recent reports of two expert committees have estimated that there will be need for 500 new highway engineers in the United States every year for the next 10 years. and that the au- industries will require 25,- 900 college men within the same time.
 The building and improvement of railroads to take care of our rapidly increasing commerce and long-dis- tance transportation needs will re- quire large numbers of civil engi- noorS.