Evening star., 1938-06-19

only Sf,UUU STdQuaJeS IN lSlU. Oeu-maQe
millionaires still thought the best use
they could make Of their money was to
endow an institution of higher learning for
poor boys or girls, who thus would have
the advantages they themselves had lacked
New Doctrine Appears.
About this time strange doctrine began
to permeate classrooms and campuses.
Most Of the American colleges had been
established for one primary purpose-the
producing for various sects of an educated
clergy, For generations any boy who de-
liberately took advantage Of the education
provided for him and then failed to enter
the pulpit was looked upon with something
resigns Immediately after graduation when
there is place for him in the Army.
Gradually the objective had been changed
to allow the colleges to produce minimum
Of teachers. physicians and lawyers as side
lines But now college presidents began
to talk about the opportunities in busi-
ness. courses in salesmanship began to ap-
pear on curriculums, and boys and girls
were told that one Of the chief detectives
oA COllCSC COuCdtUil was uOI tIlc dCCuIHu-
lation OF knowledge but the development
Of personality"
For the first time the sophomore asked
what he intended to do after graduation
might answer superciliously
"Aw. I don't know Something in the
executive line, guess"
He was going to college in order to be
fha -ho ilv,'t 80
With this new-and decidedly question:
able-stimulus, college populations began
to expand enormously. In spite Of the
intervening World War. which took such
large percentage Of boys OF college age,
the number of graduates had grown to
40, 900 in 1920.
From 1870 on the increase had not been
alarming-only about 1000 a year. Then
something happened which educators still
are at loss to explain. In the four years
from 1920 to 1924 the number of college
graduates jumped to 82.700-that is, al
most doubled itself This was the first Of
the big tides. They have been coming
in every June since then. bigger and bigger,
in the best sort of American tradition
In 1925 there were $1,000; in 1928, Ill 900;
in 1890. $4,000: in 1882, $4,000. These
came out into the world in the depths
Of the depression. There were no places
open for them. Before the year was out
some Of them were in the bread lines
an unprecedented thing for college boys.
Temporary Setback.
The 1884 wave was not quite 50 big
only 10000 The graduating class of that
year had entered college in the depths of
the depression when fewer parents had
been able to raise the minimum necessary
for keeping their sons in the shelter of
dormitories. This was just q temporary
lull, and every year since there has been
an increase up to this years las, 900. It is
going to be very hard, indeed, to fnd l45,-
900 jobs Of college-graduate grade. Few who
hold such jobs are in any position just at
present to step out OF the way to make
room for the youngsters.
But the las, 900 offer a relatively simple
problem compared to the LOTS, 900 from
the high schools. In 1870 only one person
in every 2,410 of the American population
was a college graduate. In 1896 this ratio
had grown to l person out of every 12S
That is, the proportion of high school
graduates had increased approximately 10
times while the proportion of college gradu-
ates had increased only about fve times.
There is no question whatsoever but that
Uncle Sam is becoming better educated.
There are more people able to read Shakes
peare and Browning, more people able to
enjoy Litz and Browning, and theoretically
fewer people likely to be carried OF their
feet by the gatherings of a demagogue
There are also more people able to read
the cheapest sort Of trash. There are
more people able to think little without
thinking anything through to a logical
conclusion.
Jobs Possibilities Unmeasured.
There are no reliable statistics what
soever available on how many of this tidal
wave Of high school and college graduates
will be able to find jobs this year. The
probability is that very few of them will
find places Immediately. Many, in line
with the motto of the Midwest high school
class, will swell the lines filing through
the doors of w. P. A. headquarters all
over the United States.
The college graduates have before them
the advice-certainly not very palatable to
the majority Of them-of that keen econ