The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1938-09-16
KELLY MILLER SAYS !
These College Grauates of ours

issue which isl devoted to the
American Negroes in college
1898, 1919 graduates with
collegiate and professional hel
grees are listed. This imposing
list of graduates fairly suggest
interesting indications and it
gives rise to serious reflections.
l. The Rapid Rise in the Number
of Negro College Graduates
The rapid rise is the number
of Negroes with academic de
grees is noticeable and highly
significant during the past few
decades. To an observer like me
who has witnessed the curve
of Negro college graduates rise
almost from the zero point to
its present high registry and
which is still on lis sharp up
ward TIRE N d, these figures are
particularly significant. Does
this intellectual enrichment of
the race connote corresponding
increase and power and social
efficiency of an educated leader
ship? This query must be pom
cred seriously.
III. Goods
The increase of the female
cOntigent is most SURPRISING
While the Crisis does not furnish
exact statistics OF the proper
to of the sexes, yet we know
from collateral information that
the co-eds constitute large
majority of the $4,000 Negro
college students and Of the
5000 graduates. Fifty years
ago a colored woman college
graduate like "The Female No
elist" of Gilbert and Sullivan's
peculiar anamaly." The first
colored woman TO graduate
from the college. of Howard IT,,
was my classmates Mrs. Joseph
I. Washington, who is now re-
tired as Dean of Women of Will
berforce University. For a
number of years thereafte such
graduates were like angels visits
few and far between, but today
t n women constitute 1,121
against Lilo men in Towards
total enrolment! If we subtract
the number of students prepar-
ing for such masculine profes
sions as physicians, dentists,
druggists preachers. lawyers,
engineers, and architects, the
female preponderance would be
still more glazing.
1t is also noticeable in Howard
University, that the female
students usually carry away
the scholarship honors. The
Crisis carries photograph of 81
female and 9 male graduates.
1t is presumed that the editor
of the CIR $ i $ selected the list
with reference to scholarship
standing and was not influenced
by pulchritude. The higher
education of the Negro has al
ready become feminized.
I'LL. Negroes In Northern
Colleges
The number Of graduates
from white colleges cannot fail
to excite attention in which
there were 1926 students and
1872 graduates. New York Uni
versity had 494 students, Ohio
State 451, Wayne 431, l.. Of
Kansas 1872, University of Ind,
1853, Hunter College $50, L. Of
Illinois 112. Negroes in North
ern colleges are more numerous
than our entire collegiate enroll
ment two decade ago. Negro
students are admitted TO prac-
tically every COLI and Univcr
sity in the United States outside
Of proscriptive regions Of the
SOuth. ms increase OF Negro
students in northern colleges
and universities carries It's own
suggestion and signifance. The
Crisis does not lis any profq3sion
al degrees gFantcd by Northern
Universities. This Gems to be am
oversight and somewhat vitates
the appraise4nent Of the Hec-
tiveness ofNegr6 and Northern
Colleges.
~. Graduate Courses
Howard, Fisk and Atlanta
operate graduate schools, lead
ing only to the first. graduate
degree Of Master Of Arts and
Master OF Science. No Negro
University lis yet equipped to
corfer oreditablW the degree Of
Doctor Of Philosophy. There are
nine Negro gpaduates7With the