Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03
A BLOW TO CULTURE
The university of the United States Founded on Ideasm
and Sl93, Closes Its Doors Because of Diploma
Mill Legislation.
The little group of public spirited cit

! The little group of public spirited cit
liens felt that they could i.ldorse heart
| lily the Work of these 200-odd noble COL
leges and universities Still they did
not entirely fill the bill. There was
something lacking-the implicitly i'm
pied authorization of the degree by
| the United States itself They felt that
there was room for mprovement-the
establishment of university whose de-
grees would convey the impression that
they had been bestowed by the Presi-
dent and his cabinet themselves after
long and Weighty discussion as to the
| qualification OF the candidate So thev
/ organized the University of the United
! States and had it duly incorporated un-
der the laws OF the District of Column
! bia--empowered to grant practically any
sort of a degree, for any price, upon
/ anybody with any or no qualifications
It is recalled that the exiled Trotsky,
Tor instance, was given degree of BIN
D--doctor of bolshevism. The great
advance in this new idea should be OBJ
vious. For instance the correct spelling
| of the word cat" could be made the
one requirement for degree of doctor
Of sacred theology from an institution
Whlch the world at large might be par
/ doned for considering an official part of
the United States Government.
| 1t must be understood, of course
that the idealistic founders never ex-
preSsly stated that their university had
any connection with the National Gov
eminent. That would have been dis
honest, and they were all the souls OF
| honesty. But they couldn't be held
to account for what folks inferred
Grand COnvocation Held.
On the first day of the universities
| existence a grand convocation was held
no matter where (although, as mat
ter Of fact, it took place in the news
room the The Evening STAR and a
few specimen degrees granted as SYM
bols of the institutions authority. The
exceptional advantages of the univer-
| sity we're shown forcefully at this con-
vocation. For example, the degree of
doctor of philosophy was conferred
upon young man who had only fin
ished the fifth grade in the common
schools-and after preparation of only
few minutes. Think how long it
would have taken this poor but deserv-
ing fellow to have obtained the same
| town. Either of these institutions would
have required at least 20 years of hard
study from this splendid chap He
would have been an old man before
getting his degree. Under the new
system he had it and could use it i'm
mediately.
This first convocation attracted some
attention and conservative educators.
trained in the ante-diluvian tradition
that academic orders should not be
conferred merely for payment in cash
were tremendously hostile. They would
have had the law on the incorporators
if there was any law to be had, but
they soon found out there wasn't The
statute requirements had been met in
every respect.
Expenses of S1.93.
So the enemies of the new system
went to work to frame and have passed
a law which would put out of business
not only the University of the United
States hut most of the 200 other vaguely
similar institutions which now are con-
ferring degrees under the authority
of the Congress of the United States"
The trustees and faculty were powerless
to resist. Their entire combined for
tunes had been expended in obtaining
the charter, at cost of 90 cents, and
purchasing the university library, o.
copy of the incorporation code of the
District of Columbia, at a cost of 81.
They could employ no high-priced
counsel to fight their battles before
Congress.
So, with brows bloody but unbent,
they submitted to the inevitable. It
took two years to put them out of busi-
ness. Even now final step is neces-
sary-the Presidents signature. It will
doubtless be forthcoming. So the con-
servatives conquer. Thus are high
ideals shattered. There will be no more
| doctors Of cosmic philosophy There
will be no more doctors of astro-path-
| ology.
The University of the United States
goes down with its flag flying.