The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1938-09-23
from Last Week.)
Professional Graduates


of Negro Professional Schools
has been reduced during the
past few decades; Medical
Schools have been from six to
two and Law Schools, from
several to one. Howard and Me-
harry have, the only surviving
Medical Schools, and Howard
the only surviving Law School
There are still a number of theo-
logical schools but they all seem
to pine for lack of degree-seek-
ing candidates for the ministry.
Howard University awarded
twenty-five degrees in medicine,
fifteen in dentistry, three in
pharmacy, fifteen in law and 6
in theology. Meharry conferred
thiryt-five degrees in Medicine,
five in dentistry, four in dental
hygiene, and fourteen in Nurs-
ing. This list was REINFORCED
by few if any or Northern col
leges. The output is markedly
less than it was thirty or forty
years ago. This decline cannot be
attributed to the rise in stand
ards. For the race has much
higher academic average now
than then. This decline must be
ascribed mainly to the increase
in cost. Our only two medical
schools Howard n d Meharry,
turned out only fifty-seven doc
tors, eighteen dentists, three
pharmacists, number woefully
inadequate to safeguard the
health needs of the race. In the
ministry and law, the outlook is
still more lamentable. Howard
University is the only Negro In
stitution which carries full |
complement of courses including :
medicine, law, theology, engi-
neering, art, music, business
and architecture. We must look
largely to this premier University
to supply the professional needs
of the race and yet it will sur
prise even the well informed to
know that Howard u. has turn
out ever doctors, pharmacists,
dentists, lawyers and minister's
in 1888 than it did in 1908. sol
Years ago there were seventy
two graduates from professioal
departments as compared with
fifty-nine in the same depart
ments last June. Howard is OBJ
viously lapsing in it's chief func-
ton to supply recruits for the
professional needs of the race. In
deed the number of professional
graduates is not sufficient to re-
place the death rate. The re-
cruits are less than the casual
ties. Where then shall the race
look or recruitment for leaders
in the professional persuits?
The Rise of State Colleges
The r a pi d rise of state col
leges constitutes a striking fea
ture of collegiate education in re
cent years. Until quite recently
the colleges supported by relig
ious denominations and North
ern Philanthrophy monopolized
the degree comforting privilege.
But in recent years the state
colleges have assumed this pre-
rogative to a surprising degree.
The Tennessee State college of ]
Nashville, Tenn, contains more
than twice as many college stu
dents and conferred more thar
three times as many Bachelor
Degrees than Fisk University
in the same city. Virginia State
has larger enrolment and a I
ferred a larger number of de
grees than Virginia Union.
The College for Negroes of N. c.,
had more students and college
graduates t h an Johnson G.
Smith.
In West Virginia, Kentucky
and Missouri, state colleges are
the only degree comforting insti-
tutiOns in these several states. |
When we throw into the scale |
Howard a super s t a t e college, |
and the Miner Teachers college,
it will appear t h a t the college
contigent of public schools com
pares not unfavorably with in
stitutions supported by private
philathrophy. T h e rivalry be-
tween private and state institu-
lions will soon thrust itself very
seriously upon public attention.
How far will private phiIathro-
phy feel obligated to bear the