The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-28
Educational Chief of Nation
Declares Capitals Treasure
Trove for Advanced Students
PUBLIC SCHOOLS DEPLoRED
iTimes-HeraId Praised for Aid
Ing Cause of Better Learn
ing by New School Page
By JOHN j. TIGERT,
United States Commissioner of
80 Education.

The city Of Washington, sur
rounded by advantages of unique
and superior value from an educa.
uonal standpoint, offers an admir-
able field Of endeavor for the stu.
dent, more especially if he or she
II interested in scientific research
ana allied lines OF activity.
The various Government depart.
ments and bureaus, which are daily
coming into contact with new and
important phases OF science, offer
their facilities to students. The
Congressional Library welcomes stu
dious readers to its halls. for the
prosecution Of their eut-of-class edu-
cation. No other place in the United
States affords such exhibits in nat
ural history as the National Mu-
scum and the Smithsonian Insti-
eution, while those who want to
learn the history and practice of
diplomacy come logically to Wash
ington.
A CENTER OF EDUCATION.
The great opportunities Washing
ton offers for complete education
have been discussed with fervor by
Presidents and publicists since the
first days of the Republic.
George Washington was an ardent
advocate Of national institution
OF higher learning in the Nation q
Capital. His letters to statesmen
of his day are full of references to
THIS project. His feelings on this
score are clearly expressed in q
letter to the Commissioners of the
Federal District, In Philadelphia.
January %, 1875:
0A vNIon %n.- a
IN university m the Federal CITY
has frequently been the subject of
conversation; but, in what man
ner it Is proposed to commence
this important institution, on how
extensive a scale, the means by
which 1t Is to be effected, how It
10 to be supported, or what prog
ress Is made In 1t, are matters
altogether unknown to me.
SHOULD STUDY HERE.
1T has always BEEN a ssource of
serious reflection and sincere re.
gret with me that the youth of
the United States should :. be sent
to foreign countries for the pur-
poses of education. Although there
are doubtless many, under these
SA4Stk41bSt01AICaR wiz FeCdpS ING u6us
ger Of contracting principles I'M
favorable to republican govern
ment, yet we ought to deprecate the
hazard attending ardent and sus-
ceptible minds from being too
strongly and too early prepossessed
I'm favor OF other political systems
before they are capable of appre-
ciating their own
The sentiments expressed by the
first President, would, In a smaller
measure, be sound today. But since
Washington's time the city which
bears his name has gathered with
in its gates one Of the greatest
funds OF human knowledge the
world has ever known. Untver-
stiles and colleges have risen until
the Nations Capital has acquired
Q national reputation as an educa-
tional center.
Still. the vision of a national In
0tttution has not vanished. Through
the years Of our nations life, the
proposition has been brought UP
again and again. It IL an issue
today. although its realization has
not yet been effected. In the form
proposed at present, the establish
ment Of this university would offer
TO Washington and to the entire
nation probably the greatest organ
tEation Of its kind in the modern
world.
In supporting the idea of this
university, I am not disparaging
the existing institutions of ad-
vanced education in Washington.
To the Washington student and
20 the outsider, the colleges Of this
city furnish an admirable means
by which the resources OF the Fed.
eral Government, as regards educa-
tional material, may be practically
utilized
MUST REORGANIZE SCHOOLS.
When we come to consider the
public elementary schools, how
ever. it is safe to say that the
most optimistic educator does not
hope for their brilliant future un.
less these schools undergo a com.
plete reform or F.. reorganization,
whereby the parents OF children
attending the Washington public
schools are allowed to have a
voice in the control of the munich
pal school system.
The present method of admin
istration is. far from satisfactory.
because the people Of Washington
must depend upon the generosity
OF Congress to educate their chill.
dren.
PARENTS HERE HELPLESS.
The members of Congress are
naturally more concerned with at.
'1airs closer to their hearts than
the Washington schools. The edu.
cation OF children is entrusted in
large part to the parents of
these children; but the Washington
situation puts the parent. in the
|. role OF one just as much depend.
ent as the child.
take pleasure in heartily com.
mending The Times-Herald for its
new school page. and 1 hope that
the city may be benefited thereby
II IL a pleasure to know that such
q newspaper is supporting the an.
deavors Of educators to make the
United States the best-educated
country in the world.
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