Evening star., 1932-06-27
PRAISES QUALITY
| OF MODERN YOUTH
Dr.. Hibben at Princeton u.
Sees Students Growing
More Mature.
BY WALTER TRUMBULA.

Special DlSpatCn 10 Inc star.
PRINCETON, N. j., June 27 (N.A.
NA)-"There is no doubt in my mind"
said DR.. John Grier Hibben, as he sat
in a room of Prospect House, that
lovely home of Princeton presidents,
''that youth today is more mature. more
likely to form its own opinions, more
willing to take responsibility.
"TThe reason? Doubtless there are
several contributing causes. One, here
at Princeton, is that in the past decade
we have changed our form Of educa-
ton. Once undergraduates were re-
Quired to listen to lectures and take ex-
aminations which tested their memories
more than their reasoning powers
To-day we try to encourage think
ing" continued Dr. Hibben. "Examina-
tions no longer are confined to ques-
tionS of fact. We do not, for instance,
ask youngster for the date of the bat
tie of Waterloo. Instead, we ask him
to explain the significance of that bat
tie. To obtain his degree, a student
must write a thesis in some major sub
ject. We are less eager to cram his
head with information than to teach
him how to use his mind"
World Grows Smaller.
"Of course, it is true" he said. "Such
tremendous advances in the speeding Cp
of modern life must make their impress
sion upon youngsters. The entire world
is brought right into their consciousness.
They have grown up with so much that
Is new.
Eighteen years ago a graduate stu
dent came to Princeton from England.
That student now is the head of our
chemistry department. Recently he
wrote book on physical chemistry. He
has told me that so per cent Of the
knowledge it contains dates back no far
ther than his residence here.
THE war seems SO vivid to me-" said
DR.. Hibben, that it was a shock when
we had some freshmen at dinner to find
that they did not remember it at all.
Yet the war had great influence on
education. After it came what has been
called the freshman food
There were several million men in
camp" continued DR.. Hibben. From
these selections were made of soldiers
to be sent to officers school. The ma
1ority of those thus chosen were col
lege men. This made an impression on
the others. One of them once said to
me: I found that could not compete
on even terms with those better edu-
Gated than l was. nave uetermlned
that my younger brothers shall go to
college The war left men with an
eagerness to learn.
Depression Improves Work.
even the depression, which must
have made it impossible for many boys
to go to college, does not seem greatly
to have affected us.
Another reason ! say preSent-day
students are more mature" Dr. Hibben
went on, 'is the attitude they take
toward the depression. 1t seems to
have caused them to take their college
work more seriously. They appear to
realize that it may require effort and
sacrifice, under present conditions, to
keep them at college and to have de-
termined that they will do their part"
Dr. Hibben believes the world has
speeded up mentally, as well as in other
respects, and he has faith in the abil-
ity, sense and vision of the younger gen.
Grafton. Although he has retired, he
will keep in close touch with the uni
verstty to which he has given so many
years of service. On their return from
abroad DR.. and Mrs. Hibben plan to live
in Princeton.
tCopyright 1892. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, 1nc.)