The New York herald., 1922-06-10
COLUMBIA ANDN. Y. j.
zDENY BARRING jews
E'h0rndike Test Applies to
All at Morningside
Without Favor
USED IN MANY SCHOOLS
Critic in Magazine Writes
in Self-Imposed Ignor-
ance, Says Official.
CITIZENSHIP is STRESSED
Chancellor Brown Sure His
Faculty Committee Is Fair
in It's Selections.

III
Columbia University and New York
unjyersitysis denials yesterday of
charges in an unsigned editorial in d
weekly political magazine that the two
institutions have, as Harvard is all
legged to have done, attempted to
limit the proportion of Jews" in their
student bodies.
Such discrimination, according to
the editorial, is carried on through va
rious mediums such as alumni COM
mittees, character tests and intelli-
gence examinations. At Columbia it
was explained that DIR. Nicholas Muir
ray Butler, the president, would have
nothing to say about it "now or in the
future" Neither, it was added, would
the college Officially.
Edward L. Thorndike, psychologist
OF Teachers College. who compiled the
tests for mental alertness, to which
applicants for admission to Columbia
are subjected before they enter, char
acterized the indictment as utter
rubbish"
An official OF Columbia. who is con-
nected with the bureau that supervises
the intelligence tests but who would not
permit the use of his name. said that
properly qualified candidates are adj
mitted to Columbia College and Barnard
College on psychological examination
or an entrance examination.
Test Similar In Many schools.
All students entering Columbia must
take the Thorndike Tests for Mental
= ler ess This test is, In one way or
s8oinsr used in large number of
Amer can colleges. among which arc
Grown. William and Mary. Goucher
lard. Leland Stanford. Ohio State,
tatge IS. California, Illinois. Michigan
Ninnc sofa. Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wash.
inEtrn and Wyoming
Tbs Columbia official referred to also
said
As student who enters Columbia
ny ths old method of entrance examina-
tion axes the intelligence test merely
~ r-sier that the faculty may have some
Inc what to expect of him In the class
room The test has nothing whatever
5ected as a student. To be brief CO.
lumbia has never and will never dis
cririnate against any applicant because
az his social, racial, religious or eco
aculle circumstances. We regret that
she writer of this accusation did him 3.
self he injustice of writing in self
hnposed ignorance"
n this Prof. Thorndike added:
compile the tests and they are
applied under the supervision of Prof.
=. y. Jones. Just how Prof. Jones
ccAa cts these tests l do not know.
hs7 never attended one. But there are
eco )r more psychological tests used
thror ghout this country and nothing
corlC be sillier than TO say that any one
~ EN- is devised In a way that would
mahu 1t more difficult for Jew or
Christian 70 pass II. II is mertaf alert
ness not racial or religious persuasion
that the tests seek to gauge"
DIR. Elmer Ellsworth Brown, chancel-
lor Of New York University. issued a
statement which said:
I'm spite Of all that has been. said to
the contrary we admit men to New York
University without regard to race or re-
ligion. The promise of good citizenship
Is the supreme test. Where we have
more applicants than we can take care
of we endeavor TO select the candidates
whose education will best serve the pub
lie good. The candidates so admitted
are of all races and religions. The free
scholarships which we have available
are likewise distributed to candidates of
all races and religions.
while mistakes of Judgment are
doubtless made / am confident that this
fr.fr .rtx ntt.lo rf oh l..
and honestly followed. Our committees
OF selection give an incredible amount OF
the most careful thought and attention
to the fair and efficient performance of
this task. and | have the greatest adj
miration for the way in which they re-
fuse to be influenced by any racial or
anti-racia1 clamor."-