Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-08-28

IT.. Brigham. who went around measuring students.
Dr.. Brigham had actually measured 1000 OF them.
and had carefully tabulated and filed his figures. "A
generation later. DR.. Dudley "A. Sargent. the great
pioneer Of physical education. conducted a similar
enterprise. But DR.. Sargent did not stop at a mere
1000. He measured 20,OOOl
NTOW. in the present student body. there are boys
who are sons Of the men measured BY DR..
Sargent. and g%randsons OF those measured by
Dr.. Brigham. Mt. Bowles did not stop with the
hgures at hand. He sent out 800 letters, and re-
ceived about go replies. After dubious cases were
excluded. the final count yielded measurements of
400 sons and fathers. l32 grandfathers. and eight
great-grandfathers.
Nothing could be done about The mothers Of Hair
ward men. because Mr.. Bowles found i quite i'm
possible 70 secure their measurements. But he went
70 work and secured data on sol mothers and their
daughters who had attended Wellesley, Nassar.
Smith and Mt. Holyoke colleges. And. when he
had accumulated thousands and thousands of figures.
ne began his computations.
Bovles worked practically day and night for two
years. And. when H. had finished. Ne returned i'm
mediately 70 Japan. for a good. long rest. Now
DR.. Hooton has published the young mans report.
and i contains all manner Of interesting things.
The annual increase in the average height Of the
American people is a full inch every 81 years. The
present college generation Of Harvard men Of Old
American stock is one of the tallest groups in the
world. by "Old American" Mr.. Bowles means
those whose ancestors On both sides have been III this
NOAiAN AA II lAa wv
Modern sons are an inch and a third taller than
their fathers. Modern daughters are an inch and a
tenth taller than their mothers. Harvard boys born
between 1905 and 1915 are talest Of all. They
average FIVE feet ten and one-tenth inches. which.
when you stop to think about 1t. Is a pretty astOnIsh-
ing average.
The increase in weight Of sons over fathers y al
ost as marked AZ their superiority III stature. Old Amer
ans al Harvard weigh. On an average. $50 pounds. That.
course. i stripped, Their fathers. al their age. weighed
ly l4l ~. Which means that he sons arc eight and
half pounds heavier than their fathers were.
hear a lot these days about how dreadful il Is for
\ girls TO diet. You'd think. 70 hear people talk. that
emaciation i a vogue. and that girls are much thin
r than their mothers used 70 be. AS a matter OF fact.
,llege daughters are seven and a half pounds heavier
an their mothers were. This does not mean that they
Z stockier. They are taller and relatively more slender.
The girls have greater chest expansion. says MIR.
owles. greater lung capacity, and greater chest gTth
AN their mothers. They surpass their mothers in every
mension except breadth Of hips. Their hips are more
an an inch narrower"
Legs are longer. arms are longer. and shoulders are
roader. The same thing Is true Of the boys in Bowles'
Irvey. With tie exception Of breadth Of hips and length
upper arm. their measurements are all superior 10 their
thers'.
This great increase in height and weight is not re-
ricted to Harvard men and the women Of eastern coli
ges. points out DR.. Hooton. Student measurements
low that this phenomenon il occurring all over the country.
Ut Bowles, | link, i the only Investigator who has been
DE to demonstrate Il IN family generations. As eontrasted
18th mere college groups OF successive years.
Mr.. Bowles, by the way. did not measure the girls HIM
III. Ii was done by hygiene instructors IN their various
ollege gymnasiums. And the comparisons were obtained
ON measurements made approximately % years ago.
hen the mothers OF the present students were IN college.