Evening star., 1934-01-06
Secretary Speaks at Dinner
Marking Merger of U. S.
Education Units.
ADDRESSES EDUCATORS
DRAFTING AID REQUEST
U. S. Officials Predict Wide Bene-
fits From Consolidation Involving
Vocational Board.

The schools of the Nation must un-
dertake to adapt themselves to the
new era." Secretary of Interior Ickes
declared in an address at the dinner
last night marking the merging of the
Office Of Education and the Federal
Board for Vocational Education.
Held at the Shoreham Hotel, the
dinner was attended by the stats Of the
two Federal educational agencies and
by numerous guests prominent in the
educational world. Many of the guests
at the dinner are attending today the
executive meeting of the Progressive
Educational Association at Brookings
Institution, in whichran appeal to PTeSi-
dent Roosevelt and Congress for aid
for the schools of the country is being
drafted.
Secretary Ickes declared there is def
mite need today for a broader distri-
button Of wealth and that such social
change calls for new era" This new
era," he said, already is upon the coun-
try So far as eduction Is concerned,
it will have to adapt itself to that new
social order, the Secretary said.
Merger Lauded.
Referring to the merger of the Offce
OF Education and the Federal Board
for Vocational Education, Secretary
Ickes said that union will be beneficial
both to the Government and to educa-
ton.
Dr. George F. Zook, United States
Commissioner Of Education. also spoke.
He cited the latest figures OF a country
wide survey Of the school situation
showing that more than 800 public
schools now are closed entirely and
that approximately IL 900 are operating
on a school year of less than six
months.
Other speakers included Assistant
Commissioners of Education ]. C.
Wright and Bess Goodykoontz. DR..
Wright now has charge Of vocational
Education and he reviewed the work
which it performs. Miss Goodykoontz,
who has charge of research in the Office
of Education, reviewed that phase OF
the Federal educational work.
Guests at the dinner included Dr.
Charles H Judd Of Chicago University !;
DR.. j. N. Rule. superintendent Of Penn
sylvania Schools; DR.. A. T. Allen, super
intendent of schools in North Carolina !;
Prof A. B. Meridith Of New York Uni
versity; Dr. Ray Fife, president of the
American Vocational Education Asso-
citation; DR.. Paul Chapman of Georgia;
DR.. Paul Mort and DR.. John K. Norton
of Teachers College, Columbia Univer-
sity. and DR.. George Johnson Of the
National Catholic Welfare Conference.
Session May End Today.
The session at which the request for
additional aid for the schools of the
country under the National Recovery
program probably will adjourn late
this afternoon. DR.. Rule is chairman
of the group, known as the Federal
Advisory Committee on the Emergency
in Education.
Besides the educators at last nights
dinner, the session today is being at
tended by Washingtonians interested
/ in educational problems. These in
clude Belle Sherwin. president Of the
League of Women Voters; Mrs. Will
| liam T. Bannermann. chairman of the
| Committee on Legislation. National
Congress of Parents and Teachers, and
Miss Selma Borchardt, Roosevelt High
School teacher who is representing the
American Federation of Labor. Organ
| izations represented in the session in
clude the Progressive Education Asso-
citation, the National Education Asso-
citation. the department of superinten-
dence of the N. E. A., the Council OF
State Superintendents, the American
Council on Education, Brookings In
stitution, American Vocational Asso-
citation, National Catholic Welfare Con-
ference, National Association of Sec
retaries of State Teachers Colleges
Association of Urban Universities and
the United States Chamber of Com
merce.