The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-08
Business of Education Is Business

The sage of Northampton, Calvin Coolidge, once
contributed to the American cultural tradition that
"the business of this country is business From cur
rent statistics Of educational trends it would appear
that we are not far from the day when the business
of American higher education likewise will be
business.
This issue is discussed intelligently in inter-
est re article by Professor L. Nations in the North
American Review. In this analysis Of Business
Before Culture" he points out how the school OF
commerce in his own University of Alabama now is
the largest Of the professional schools in the nsti-
tuition and has larger registration than that OF the
entire university fourteen years ago.
There are $4,000 students of commerce in the
eighty-nine American colleges and universities The
schools of commerce and business administration
have outdisanced all others save the colleges OF lib
eral arts and are pushing these hard. Gain in stu
dents in these schools since 1915 has been far above
500 per cent.
These schools of commerce frankly accept the
doctrine that life obtains for the glorihcation Of
business" Young men ambitious to succeed in bust
ness today believe that it is wiser to study business
in college than it is to acquire the knowledge by
apprenticeship in practical experience;
1T S not surprising that a young man prefers to
begin his business experience if need be- by sweep
ing out the commerce classroom instead OF the busi-
ness Office for he believes that he better can acquire
his professional knowledge by studying the broad
principles OF business in college classroom than by
serving an apprenticeship in a shop where the owner
may or may not be aware Of the complex conditions
which are contributing to the success or failure Of
his enterprise"
Professor Nations does not seriously criticse the
effectiveness Of schools of business administration
in supplying technical academic training for those
who would succeed in this line of endeavor. What
he does doubt Is the ability of men thus absorbed
with business goals to develop sufficient interest In
other aspects Of culture to create decently bal
anced civilization. They may succeed well in build
ing what Plato described as glorihed city Of pigs,
but they viii not produce anoter Pericean age
No one has any quarrel with a young man who
is eager to acquire degree Of economic security so
he may practice the delicate art of living life.
No one, moreover. has quarrel with young nation
that Is ambitious to attain level OF economic ex-
ceence so cultural opportunities may obtain for the
masses of the people. But one does have quarrel
with the apoogists for our present lack of culture
who smugly contend that when America comes Of
economic age American will turn their energies
eagerly to cultural fields.
What influence then will direct them there? Will
Moses arise among the pushcartS TO lead the masses
into the promised landP Will the Aristotean idea
that in every human breast there is implanted a
divine urge for perfection suffice TO turn the balance?
Professor Nations believes that our only hope for
en- urge TO culture" is to be found in the women
students who still go for liberal arts or are edu-
Gated in liberal arts womens colleges No doubt our
girls emerge from college with nobler aspirations
than the males of comparable age.
But what happens to them after they have
Hberun to sell bonds or have married aspiring
young broker? Professor Nations does not answer
this question.