Evening star., 1934-12-01
COLLEGE ENGLISH
DOMINATION HIT
Vanderbilt Professor Scores
New York Influence in
Text Books.

The New York influence" in the
teaching of English in schools and
colleges was attacked before the Ma
tional Council of Teachers of Eng
lish today by Prof Donald Davidson,
Vanderbilt University.
Disclaiming any intention Of re-
awakening sectional quarrels, Prof.
Davidson directed his criticism at the
informal orientation courses con-
Quoted by many colleges as freshman
English. Examination of the text
books used in most of the courses, he
continued, discloses the shocking con-
dition that they orient the fresh
man in only one direction-they turn
his face obediently toward New York
City. OF the life and thought of
the South and West the books rarely
give hint.
The freshman from the mountains,
the plantations and the prairies will
meet in them none Of his own people,
but only Stuart Chase. Henry Pratt
Fairchild, Lewis Mumford, Walter
Lippman-only the professional ex-
horters and skyscraper prophets of
the one American city that takes the
least trouble to understand regional
America. The proposition of Eastern
contributions in these texts is start
Iingly high, one brand-new text con-
tains % Eastern and non-Eastern
contributors"
Asks Regional Consideration.
As a remedy, Prof Davidson pro-
posed a pronounced emphasis on
regional literature and thought
We have had enough of one-way
trafic in ideas; we need a two-way
system, by which ideas not only come
in from afar but 60 out afar. That
is the regional conception of a good
American system of education" he
concluded.
Franklyn B. Snyder, dean of the
Graduate School at Northwestern
University, suggested that the practice
of writing theses for masters degrees
be abandoned and that students spend
the time doing some up-tO-date read
ing.
Most of the theses written for a
masters degree might as well never
have been written as far as their
significance as contributions to learn
ing is concerned" DR.. Snyder said.
1T would have done most of the
candidates far more good to have
given them a good stiff course in Eng
lish history or even a semester's work
in advanced English composition.
"Once upon a time the pages of
Wycherly, Congreve and Farquahar
may have made some slight contribu-
ton to human happiness; but today,
well, I would rather hear the patter
of rain on a tin roof than listen to
them"
Group Meetings Held.
Four group meetings were held this
morning, Profs Davidson and Snyder
each speaking before the group con-
sidering college teaching. Other
groups considered the problem in
junior high schools, senior high
schools and teachers colleges. Alice
j. Du Breuil of Central High School
here was among the speakers at the
junior high session, her subject being
Character Education in the Teaching
of English"
Among those addressing the teach
ers' college group was Prof. Robert E.
Rogers of Massachusetts, Institute of
Technology. Prof. Rogers, who be-
came famous by advising young men
to marry their boss daughters, dis
cussed what should be read by both
teachers and students.
The convention closed this after
noon at a luncheon, the principal
speakers being Secretary of Agricul-
ture Wallace, Dr. Esther Brunauer, in
ternational relations secretary of the
American Association of University
Women, and Robert Frost, New Eng
land poet, farmer and professor.
DR.. Brunauer presented depressing
vision of cultural and intellectual con-
ditions in countries now living by the
iron hand" taking Germany as an
outstanding example.
Urges Original Work.
Calls for increased incentives for
original work in English literature
were voiced before the convention at
the annual banquet last night by Rev.
Francis p. Donnelly, S. j., Of Fordham
University, and Dean Marjorie Nichol-
son of Smith College. The former
proposed that a college degree be
made available for original literary
work in writing novels, plays. editor
ials or any other literary form. Dean
Nicholson deplored the initiative
course of study sponsored by most
schools and colleges.
At the business session yesterday DR..
Charles S. Thomas of the Graduate
School of Education at Harvard Uni
versity was elected president of the
council. Other officers are DR.. Dora
v. Smith, University of Minnesota, and
Holland D. Roberts of Stanford Uni
versity, vice presidents; W. Wilbur
Hatfield of Chicago Normal College,
secretary-treasurer, and DR.. Stella
Center. DR.. Walter Barnes and Oscar
j. Campbell of New York City, mem
bers of the Executive Committee.