Evening star., 1934-09-09
CAPITAL BECOMES
NATIONS GREAT
SEAT OF LEARNING
City and Its Federal Agen-
Cies Fulfill WaShington'S
Dream.
STUDENTS OF EVERY
CLASS FEAST HERE
Libraries, Museums, Laboratories
and Other Facilities Furthered
by Congress Action.

Although George washington's
dream of national university" for
the Capital never materialized. WASH
ington has become a center of learn
ing" in a broader and more compre-
hensive sense, with the doors of its
incompatible libraries, museums, art
galleries and Federal research agen-
cies offering students of the world an
open road to knowledge.
AS early as 1892 Congress realized
the wealth of opportunity for study
and research offered by the Govern
ment's growing scientific agencies
and took steps to open them to the
public under such rules and restric-
tions as the officers in charge of each
collection might prescribe"
Thus Federal bureaus have come to
fulfill many Of the functions of a
university with the difference that
they dissiminate knowledge to an
entire public, instead of directly to
small bodies of students. through
printed reports, bulletins, lectures and
personal interviews.
Importance Of City.
"The Capital city," to quote bril-
liant writer, lis the library, the store
house and at the same time the dis
tribuing cener of he Nations knowl-
edge and accomplishments. There is
no science, no branch of learning, no
vital feature of the national life that
t. .@A l..
at Washington.
Scientific bureaus, libraries, ex-
perimental stations, laboratories,
museums, all form an essential and
important part of the Governments
equipment"
The Congress in 1892 passed reso-
Ntion ito encourage the establish
ment and endowment of institutions
of learning in the National Capital by
defining the policy Of the Government
with reference to the use of its
libraries and scientific collections by
students" 1t was resolved that 1.-The
facilities Of research and illustration
in the following and any other gov
ernmental institutions now existing or
hereafter to be established in the city
of Washington for the promotion of
knowledge shall be accessible under
such rules and restrictions as the Of
ficers in charge Of each collection may
perscribe."
Many Places Named.
The resolution specifically listed the
Library Of Congress, the National
Museum, the Patent ONCE, the Bu-
reau of Education, the Bureau Of
Ethnology, the Army Medical Museum,
the Department Of Agriculture, the
Bureau of Fisheries, the Botanic Gar
den, the Coast and Geodetic Survey,
the Geological Survey and the Naval
Observatory.
Nine years later the resolution was
supplemented to extend the facili-
ties for study and research in the
Government departments to scientific
investigators and to duly qualified
students and graduates of institutions
of learning in the several States and
territories, as well as the District of
Columbia"
The first resolution was an attempt
to encourage educational institutions
to come to Washington, and the sec
ond extended privileges to individual
students without reference to their
connection with any organized edu-
cational body.
Summing up opportunities opened
to the student here, a famous edu-
Gator wrote:
"The existing facilities for study and
research divide themselves into three
groups: % Facilities open to the
general public, to wit, libraries and
museums; CD training schools for
class instruction in preparation for
specific departments Of the Govern
ment service; 90 laboratory facilities
and personal instruction available to
individual investigators in the various
Government Offices, whether these
Investigators be actually in the Gov
ernment employ or not"
Opportunities to Students.
This field of knowledge offers al
most unlimited opportunity to students
now enrolled in various colleges, such
as George Washington, Georgetown,
American, Catholic and Howard Uni
versities, and to specialists who come
here to pursue postgraduate work
Students of economics, civics and
Governmental administration have
almost unrivaled opportunities here.
Each bureau of the Government is
equipped with a library treating with
its particular work, one of the most
important of which is maintained at
the surgeon generals office. The med
ical profession of the United States,
as well as of foreign countries, has
made great use of this library.
Through its many bureaus, the In
terror Department carries on research
work in chemistry, engineering, min
eralogy, irrigation and hydraulic en-
gineering, geological formations, his
tory, anthropology, genealogy and
numerous other subjects.
A mine of information for students
of history lies in the files of the Bu-
reau of Pensions, where names and
records of the veterans of all Ameri-
can wars are carefully preserved.
The library of the Bureau of Edu-
cation contains the largest number
of books on education in the United
States and is open for study to stu
dents and Investigators in this field.
Army and Navy Facilities.
To those interested in military af-
fairs the War and Navy Departments
offer unsurpassed facilities. The War
maintains the Army War
College for the training Of especially
selected officers, and this college pos.
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