The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-06-20
SOUTH PROVES
POOR PRODUCER
OF LEADERSHIP
Faculty Member at |. u.
Reports on Survey
of Nation.

BIZ Times Special
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. June 90
IN proportion to population at birth,
New England has produced about
twice as many leaders Of a score Of
types as has the middle Atlantic or
north central states about six times
as many as the south Atlantic
states, and about ten times as many
as the south central states, accord
ing to a report issued by DR.. s. S.
Visher Of the Indiana university
geology faculty. He bases his figures
on starred scientists in Cattells
American Men of Science, members
Of the National Academy Of Science.
and American Men Of Science. and
those listed IN Who's Who in Amer
lea"
The north surpasses the south in
practically every item studied. and
there is steady decline southwark
IN every rank" Visher says with
in each of the geographic regions
there is, with few exceptions, a pro-
gressive southwark decline. The
similar rank of any state in it's Weld
Of numerous types Of leaders and
IN various other criteria Of merit
warrants the generalization that a
region which excels in producing
important types Of leaders also ex-
cells in producing other sorts of
leaders, and in other significant
evidences Of merit. There has been
a progressive decline since about
1850 in the pre- eminence Of New
England in the production Of no
tables in proportion to population
and a lesser decline OF New York
and other seaboard states"
Increase in North
Visher's charts show that there
has been relative increase in the
north central states and, to a lesser
degree, in the western states. With
In the north central states, and in
several other groups Of states, there
has been systematic change in pro-
ductiyity decade to decade, he
points out These changes suggest
that the relative yield Of leaders
often depends largely on the social
and population conditions in the
area, he says.
Variation among the individual
states Is, Of course, far greater than
among the groups of states. No
other populous state closely APP
proaches Massachusetts, productiv-
ity in proportion to population of
any Of the groups except the men,
bers OF the National Academy and
the men starred in 1921, in which
groups Connecticut leads"
His figures indicate that populous
states which have done conspicuous
ly poorly in the production of
starred scientists include Arkansas.
Oklahoma, Louisiana. Mississippi
and Georgia.
VlSher closes his report by saying
that in the United States there is
a strong tendency for a southwark
decline in the production of almost
all types Of leaders in proportion to
population, and in most other evil
NSAANSc Vi DOSldl LlGTlL.
Decline in New England
1T also is apparent that New
England and the middle Atlantic
states have failed to retain the pre-
dominance of leadership in regard
to various conditions which they
formerly held, and that now they
are being surpassed in important re-
spectS by the north central states
or even by the Pacific states" Wish
er says THE facts here presented
reveal a progressive decline, at least
since about 1860 in the pre-eminence
OF New England in the production of
notables in proportion to popula-
ton and a lesser decline Of New
York and other seaboard states In
contrast there has been relative
increase in the north central states
and, to lesser degree, in the west
ern states. Similarly, within the
north central states, and in several
other groups of states, there has
been systematic change in produc-
tivity decade to decade.
These evidences as to the
changed rank Of the states indicate
that changes in the quality of the
population and in the social condi-
tions are relatively important in de-
termining the rank of an area. The
comparatively constant geographic
influence such as climate and soil,
are of fundamental Importance, but
not necessarily predominant"
ArnI,itnnA No Cl,orO