Evening star., 1932-02-07
WASHINCTON'S BIG ROLE
AS EDUCATOR PICTURED
Helped Pioneer Institutions, Envisioned
Great National University in Capital.
New Books Bare Influence.

| lieu ullueI lJo pTbStllG Title, Wdoll-
ington and Lee University, and for
more than quarter of century there
after was under the direction of the son
of its restorer, Mai. Gen. George Wash
! ington Custis Lee.
Most ambitious of all Gen. Washing
| tons projects for the spread of educa-
| tiOn was a national university to be
built in the District Of Columbia in the
Capital that bears his name. AS a
nucleus for it he made bequest of so
shares of Potomac Co. stock. The in
terest from thi6 WeS to ns reinVesteS
| until such tlr-le Lc ~>OpIreSS should
create the u1t:.TTpj7s;.l =. Mac IN n4,AS a
center for the tse-thIng Of ali cns pre-
feSSions and sciences and the 5lffus.ng
| Of knowledge throughout the land He
had never lived in the White HouGe,
and to him the now City of Magnificent
Distances" was largely the pr mise Of
things hoped. He had the vi4@on Of
mighty seat of Government and of
citadel of learning for the guidance Of
the peaceful arts.
His dream has never come true lit
orally, for this provision of his will was
never carS'Sd out by his executors.
There is today. however in the District
Of Columbia George Washington Uni
versity which may be said indirectly to
have fulfilled his wish In 1921 the
Baptist Church established there the
Columbian College which, after reCeiV-
ing a large endowment from the late w.
I w COrCOran became Columbian Uni
verSity. In 1904 it was reOrganized, sew
eral schools taken into its fold and it
started on a new career under its pres
ent title.
! George Washington University has
| faculties Of medicine and law and OF
| many other professions.
| That Washington was SO vital fac
| tor in promoting the training of youth
| is evidenced by the attention given to
the coming celebration by the Ameri-
can Education Association. In its off,
/ cial publication it suggests many pro-
| grams for special days. The colleges
| and schools will follow closely, too, the
outlines being sent out from the United
| States Commission for the Celebration
| of the Bicentennlal of the Birth Of
. George Washington from its headquar-
ters in the National Capital.
Sketch Washington's Career.
One of the most valuable of many
! important contributions issued by the
national commission from washington
is the series of Is booklets dealing with
the phases Of the first Presidents career.
They have been prepared under the di-
rection of Prof. Albert Bushnell Hart
OF Harvard University. the official his
/ tOrian Of the commission and the au-
thor of several American histories for
school use Adapted for the reading of
the young as well as the mature, these
offerings feature the qualities which
made up the greatness of the Washing
ton character They are widely differ
ent from the fulSOme adulatiOn which
was 50 peculiar to the biographies Of
] fered for juvenile consumption several
| generations ago. Their texts delineate
those talents and qualities Of Washing
ton" which made for AN harmonious
union of his intellectual and moral
powers" The titles Of this set we'll in
dicate the method Of treatment pursued
and are as follows:
Frontier Background of Washing
tons Career
Washington, the Farmer"
Washington. the Man of Mind"
Tribute to Washington"
Washington, the Religious Man"
Washington, the Colonial and Ma
tional Statesman"
Washington and the Constitution"
Washington as President
Washington, Proprietor of Mount
Vernon"
Washington, the Military Man"
Washington, the Traveller"
Washington, the Business Man"
/ Washington as Engineer and City
Builder"
"Washtngtons Home and Fraternal
Life"
Race Elements in Washingtons
Time"
classified Washington Biography"
The commission also has issued An
Appreciation Of Washington an au-
thoritative compendium of the facts Of
his life, with an Interpretation of his
acts both from the point of view Of his
era and of the present.
Many Sources Used.
The Board of Education has gathered
much material from many sources and
! soon will issue instruction for programs
/ The National as well as the State Gem
mission suggests essay and oratOrical
contests, plays, pageants and many
other features. and details source ma
terials. 1t recommends the Atheneum
portrait by Gilbert Stuart and the bust
by Houdon as the suitable likenesses of
the first President for display
The celebrations begin with the OBJ
servance Of. the birthday anniversary on
February % and close with Thanksgiv-
ing in November Important holidays
such as the Fourth Of July, are to have
appropriate features The schools and
colleges undoubtedly will adopt Sugges-
tions for pageantS and other observ-
ances at commencement exercises. At
institutions of learning which were
aided by Washington himself or bear
his name the programs will be especially
elaborate. In every place where youth
is instructed, however, the debt which
education in America owes to the great
leader is likely to be recognized.