Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-14
INSTITUTION HERE
SELLING DEGREES
DR.. PARKS CHARGES

|
pies National university, which
maintains headquarters in the Aus
tell building, and declaring that this
institution, a correspondence school,
is selling degrees" DR.. NJ. M.
Parks, state superintendent of edu-
cation, on Thursday issued state
ment severely criticizing the insti-
tuition.
DR.. Parks, who, with Professor +.
E. Wager head of the department Of
education at Emory university, and
Professor Aldine Pound, state high
school supervisor, made a personal
investigation of the Peoples Nation
al university on Wednesday, declar,
ed Thursday that the state board OF
education would Immediately take
steps to secure the enactment of leg.
islation to prevent the operation OF
such institutions.
81 warn the public against the so.
called Peoples National university
operating in an Office in the Austell
building in Atlanta,Y says DR.. Parks
statement and offering an imposing
array of degrees, including the de,
gree of Doctor of Philosophy, the de
glee of Doctor Of Laws, the degree
of Doctor of Divinity and a dozen
others.
after investigating, I regard the
So-called university as d counterfeit
university, selling degrees to the
| unsophisticated public, and I pro
pose, with the aid of the state board
or education, to rid the state of
such a humbug.
MANY letters have been coming
to the state department. of educa-
ton from other states, containing
| inquiries concerning the standing Of
the so-called Peoples National Uni
yersity in Atlanta. My predecessor
DR.. N. L. Britain, heartily con
demned the practices of the instjlu-
ton. The state board of education,
in July did likewise and made et.
forts to get the state legislation ia
pass a bill to stop the practice of
| the so-called university in awarding
degrees. -
Investigate School
''In order to protect the public
against what I consider bogus de-
grees, I decided to Investigate anG
expose the fraudulent practice OF
| awarding degrees. In company with
Dr.. Wager. of Emory university
and Professor Aldine Pound, state
| high school supervisor, called OF
| the president of the Peoples Nation
al university at the Austell build
ing. We asked him to make show
ing of his endowment, his equip
ment, his campus, his faculty, his
laboratories, his library, his cur
riculum. His answers constituted
his own indictment.
| 'The committee was unanimous in
condemnation of the Institution
and its practices.
The institution operates under q
| Delaware charter, where charters
are easily obtained for a price, and
is rejecting upon the educational
standards Of Georgia.
| while legal technicalities tenn
porarily permit the existence y!
such an institution, still it has nc
moral right to lower Georgia's edu
catiCnal standing, or to impose up
on a credulous public in giving de
grees.
Defended BY President
| Declaring that the institution has
violated no law and that it has q
perfect right to award degrees after
a prescribed course of study has
been completed by it's students, DIR
Jay D. Bradley, president Of the uni
versity, on Thursday issued brie,
statement setting forth his position
"The Peoples National university
established to afford the poor mar
and woman an opportunity to ad
vance his education and improve hi
culture, has violated no law of tn
state Of Georgia." said DR.. Bradley
THE institution is in it's infanc,
as yet, but we hope to make i
one of influence and achievement
throughout the south.
THE value Of any degree depend
entirely upon the standing of tn,
educational institution that grant
1t. We are content to let the pub
lie judge of he value of our de
grees by this standard.
The criticism of DR.. Parks an
the state board Of education doe
not disturb us. The value Of cor
respondence courses is well estab
llshed in this country, and whit
developing this phase of our activi
ty, we are planning to attract resi-
dent students as soon as facilitie
can be provided"
Degrees Offered.
The pospectus of the institution
sets out that degrees are conferred II
the following departments: liberia
arts theology, literature, law, peda
goey, philosophy, and commerce.
The fees required Of all students
regardless of what course is taken
according to the prospectus, are a.
follows: $40 membership fee; bacfe
lor's degree, $40; masters degree
SIS; Doctors degree, $25.
In addition to these fees, the tut
tftion in the various departments il
as follows: S110 per year for doctor o
divinity; 500, for doctor of laws
500 per year, for bachelor of laws
500 per year, for bachelor of arts
bachelor Of science and bachelor O
literature; 500, for commercial
course; $3.50, for doctors degree il
philosophy, science and literature
Sl25, for doctor of pedagogy.
The prospectus states that student!
who desire may obtain pins bearina
the letters "P. n. u" by applying
to the university authorities, ant
may also secure caps and gown.
from the same source. The college
colors are red and blue.
The institution also maintains ar
| nnnlONnant hl1roan1 for. tho l,a,,AR