New-York tribune., 1922-09-30
Education for
Masses Urged
By Penni1alail
No Aristocracy of Brains,
Says University of Penn
sylvania Acting Provost
as Academic Year Opens
Wants Larger Colleges
Says Schools Exist for
Their Students, Not Stu
dents for Their Schools
speciar Dispatch to The Tribune


PHILADELPHIA. Sept. 60 There
will be no "aristocracy of brains" set
up in American colleges, if Dir. Josiah
Penniman. acting provost of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, has his way
Universities exist for their students
not students for their schools, and
there must be no bar to education no
closing of the open door, he declared
to-day at the beginning Of the 173d
academic session of the institution.
Mr.. Penniman's plea for the further
expansion of American colleges to meet
the increased demands for higher edu-
cation came as sharp contrast to the
theories advanced by DR.. Ernest Hop
kins, president Of Dartmouth, when
that college opened. AS medium to
advance democracy in collegiate train
ing, DR.. Penniman urged city college
for the centers of population such as
New York and Philadelphia.
Throughout the land" said the act
Ing provost, colleges and universities IS
are finding it difficult, owing TO the lack
Of physical accommodations, TO admit
all candidates who satisfy the entrance
requirements. This is unfortunate and
should be remedied by adding to the
Sa0'PiiS}ie W CAiotIuR ana
also by providing additional institu-
tions to take a share sof the work.
Must Increase knowledge
eff college or university, and more
especially university, is really worthy
the name, it exists to preserve, to dis
seminate and to increase human knowl-
edge. All else is incidental, though
important. and it's student body must
consist of those through whom and by
whom it can best perform those three
functions.
when we are obliged to turn away
applicants because we cannot provide
for them, it is necessary to adopt some
method of selecting the entering class.
Various methods have been proposed
for accomplishing this task. To the
right of life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness is now being added, ap-
parcntly. the right to college educa-
in the pursuit of happiness No Amer
lean institution, unless private and re-
stricted, has the right to adopt a
method OF selecting candidates that in
any way violates the principles laid
down in the Declaration of Independ-
ence, or the rights Of the American
citizens as guaranteed by the Consti-
tuition of the United States. To do
this is un-Amercan in policy, and
there is imperative need at this time
to preserve the American character of
our institutions and to send forth the
graduates better and loyal Americans,
If possible, than when they entered
Those Retained Most Important
at is not so much matter of whom
we admit as whom we retain. Our ad-
mission requirements must not be such
as to withdraw the undergraduate tc
courses from the reac! of HIGH school
graduates, and the high school curric-
ulum must provide preliminary train
ing.
ITO shut the door in the face of the
| eager, aspiring, earnest youth who has
set his heart on coming to college and
who is of good character and who has
qualified academically, by telling him
that we are very sorry that we have no
room for him, is serious thing. He
may or may not he able to go to some