The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-12-09
THE BEST THING AT THE FAIR
Pensacola JournaD

Probably the most significant if not
the most interesting exhibit at the
State Fair at Jacksonville was that
of the state university which in gra-
phic diagram form showed not only
that which it accomplishes in it's class
rooms but that which it is achieving
through its extension work which
reaches over 5000 off the campus stud
ents in all parts of the state.
In this work the University of Flor
ida is copying and putting into prac-
tice the plan first devised and perfect
ed by the University of Wisconsin
which has become the leader, the edu-
cational pathfinder so to speak, for not
only every commonwealth college in
the country but many of our corpora
tion colleges. Approaching the in
finite worth of such work the mayor
of Philadelphia not long since took the
entire board of trustees of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania together with
one hundred representative Philadel-
phite citizens to visit the University
of Wisconsin to study its extension
work that the University of Pennsyl
vania might begin to build on similar
lines. Since then the University of
Pennsylvania has copied the Wiscon-
sin educational plan and tremendous
ly multiplied not only its teaching eff
ficiency but it's effectiveness in the
city of Philadelphia and in the state
Of Pennsylvania.
Florida Is just beginning to make
use of this splendid educational
scheme. Already results are showing
but a great field of work is before
this youngest of our state universities.
1t has been proven that no college does
50 much to lift the literacy of the
state as does the state college. Every
state in this Union maintains state
university, New York, New Jersey
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachu-
setts and New Hampshire alone ex,
cepted. And these exceptions have a
higher illiteracy than the states that
have developed their commonwealth
colleges. So much is this true that
even Massachusetts,, which boasts OF
her Harvard, her Massachusetts, Tech.
her Boston U. and Tufts, her Holyoke
Smith, Amherst and Williams, is EN-
barrassingly low in the rate of liter
acy. Years ago so eminent an edu
hn 1&Tsxy hos
produced in a generation of time
President-emeritus Eliot of Harvard
advocated the conversion of Harvard
from corporation to a commonwealth
college. Conservative trustees hell
fast to the less efficient thing. Blu
today the legislature of Massachusett
has brought into existence commits
sion to consider the wisdom of build
ing, and the ways and means of get
ting, state university for Massa
chusetts, so apparent is this need.
Florida is by no means the young
est state in the Union. But of all tn
states which have built state univers
tiles, Florida is the last to launc
this worthy and essential enterprise
Our state university is young. 1t ha
grown with the inevitable rapidit
that is the story of all state univerE
tiles, and following the Wisconsin ide
it is literally lifting the state up
its own bootstraps.
Thomas Jefferson, as we have MOI
than once stated in these columns, wa
the father of the great state progral
cf education idea. 1t was his firm b,
lief, which hundred years of histor
have proven to be so true, that d.
mocracy can not rise above the ave
age intelligence of the citizens
whom is invested the power of fral
chise. If we lift the state, we mu
educate the state. The greatest thin
III Florida-by all odds the create
thing in Florida-is her state un
Sersity. The greatest story told
the State Fair was the story of oil
state university's achievements.
The State Fair Is great educ
I4Old1 lIlSIILUJIOu ItSeu. 1t Is WE
worth while to go to the State Fai
The University of Florida exhibit to
of the wonderful work that Florida
doing to inform minds, to educa
Florida into higher and finer eli
zenship-and into the greater col
merce that is always the product
finer culture.