The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-08-07
HIT
SCHOOL HEADS
College Presidents He'll
Colossally Ignorant as
to Constitution .
By HARRY w. SHARPE, .
United Press Staff Correspondent

| United Press Staff Correspondents
WASN'T 1TON. Aug. 8. (UP).
The average American college
president and professor may know
all about Punic wars and fall OF
tbe Roman empire but he is CO.
iossailv ignorant of the U. S. con-
stitution and and what it means,
the citizenship committee. of the
American Bar association mas
charged in report made pubic
here.
In a sharply worded renort
based on a QUESTIONABLE survey
of 900 leading universities and
colleges to determine to what ex-
tent principles of government are
being installed into young Amer
lea, the committee bluntly said:
Coming to a composite view
of all the replies (from college
presidents and faculties) we find
amazing conceptions of the mean
ing Of the constitutions The
thought is suggested that it might
be well for presidents and tacul-
ties of some institutions OF high
er learning themselves to study
the meaning of the constitution,
whence it came, and what is It's
philosophy and history"
The survey, the committee said,
disclosed that scarcely any col
lege Offered courses of study
in the constitution for periods OF
even half a scholastic year ex-
cept in law schools"
"These same institutions" it
said, Required students to take
and successfully pass such sub
iects as year or two of English,
one or more foreign Languages
and various other subjects. With
the exception of very few none
of them had any such require
ment for study of the constitu-
ton on which depends the rights
and liberties of the entire coun-
try"
Some schools, the committee
found, gave incidental attention
to the constitution in connection
with political theory and science.
with respect to this neglect,
the committee believes" it said,
chat these instittions could prof
itably bring study of the, conhti-
tuition to a more prominent place
in their curriculum and not make
it a matter or a few hours each
week. 1t obviously. is more inn
portant that the educated Ameri-
can should understand something
of the constitution than it is that
he shsould acquire a working
knowledge of astronomy or any
of the natural sciences"
The committee then lambasted
colleges and curricula with the
declaration that at is greatly to
be feared that when the student
leaves college all that he has
learned on the subject of the con-
stitution is relegated to the gar
ret of his brain together with
the study Of the punic wars and
the fall of the Roman empire
The committee said it received
"amazing and startling" replies
from many institutions "as to the
attitude of members of faculties
and student bodies concerning
the philosophy and purpose OF
the constitution in the protection
of the rights and liberties of the
eople."
1t urged broad study of gov
eminent through the grade schools
the universities and over the
radio Chased on the stated belief
that democratic institutions of
government throughout the world
are on trial as they never have
been since they began their tri-
umphant march with the Ameri-
can and French revolutions g,
It pointed out that 40 states
make grade school study of the
constitution compulsory, bu t
charged textbooks care lacking
for such study; the elementary
students are too immature to-
profit by such study, and it is
doubtful whether there are suf-
ficient trained teachers for an
adequate presentation of the con-
stitution in the elementary
schools"
The report is to be presented
to the American bar meeting at
Milwaukee August 90. 1t was
signed by James NJ. Beck, former
solicitor general of the United
States, as chairman; l.. Barrett
Jones, Jackson, Miss, George T.
McDermott, Topeka, Kan, Fran
els ]. Sullivan, New York, Samuel
P. Weaver. Spokane, Wash, and
L 4 I