Evening star., 1939-07-30
Two Kinds of
Education
By Frederic J. Husktn.


toward realization of the hope OF
George Washington and has become one
of the most important seats of learning
in the United States. 1t has several
great universities and number of high
ly specialized schools. Yet one must go
some 35 miles from Washington to find
two of the most remarkable educational
institutions in the world. They are
seated at Annapolis, ancient capital Of
Maryland and, for short period, capital
Of the United States.
The two schools are the United States
Naval Academy and st. Johns College.
The Naval Academy is a youngster where
: age is concerned. having been opened at
Annapolis in 1845 There had been a
naval school of sorts at Oxford Md,
earlier, but it was slight affair COM
pared with the great school which now
educates the officers of the Navy. st.
Johns, however, is old. The college re-
ceived its charter in 1874 as a continual
ton of King Williams School, founded
in 1896, so it belongs to the great tradi-
tion of Harvard and William and Mary.
Among those who signed the petition
to the King seeking the establishment of
the school was William Paca, signer
of the Declaration of Independence,
while three other signers, Charles Carroll
of Carrollton, Samuel Chase and Thomas
Stone, served on the schools Board of
Visitors and Governors. To this school
George Washington sent his adopted
son and his two nephews. The sons of
all the quality of Southern Maryland and
of the Eastern Shore of Virginia at
tended there
Age does not make a college great.
These two Annapolis schools now are
considered great because both have
shown the most extraordinary progress
siveness of recent years and have set up
standard of education which is un-
matched. 1t is said now that even off,
GERS of the British Navy, which long has
boasted the rule of the seas, admit that
the preparation of the United States
Naval Academy is the finest in the world.
In the past generation midshipmen
appointed TO the academy could take the
NSSh vi VIC cllSLie iOoIll dS lllSN ClltSS.
The one would learn all there is to know
OF navigation, while the other would
make engines his study. Today it is
compulsory for every midshipman to
learn both. Every graduate who COM
pletes the difficult course and is COM
mlssloned as an ensign is expert not only
IN the intricate art of navigation but
knows engines through and through. In
an emergency he can take command of
any kind Of vessel from submarine to
capital ship, above or below decks. This
enlarged curriculum has necesstated a
great deal of adjustment but the
academy has met every requirement.
*+
The story of St. Johns is another mat
ter 1t has shown its progresslveness by
a move which some educators might
think retrogressive. 1t has gone back TO
ancient tenets IN teaching. The change
took place only two years ago At that
time the old school seemed at the end of
its long career. While it has a small
subsidy from the State of MARYLAND, it
was in so Impoverished a state that
serious consideration was given to its
abandonment. There had been three
presidents in seven years, each one fail
ing to make a success of the school.
There was mortgage of s350,0OO on the
school property, group of fine old Co.
lonial buildings set in one of the most
splendid campuses in America. a campus
the chief glory of which is the Liberty
Tree. vast oak centuries old under
which treaties were signed with the
Indians.
1t was at this low point that two Young
professors at the University of Virginia,
Stringfellow Barr and Scott Buchanan,
determined to set out on an educational
adventure. They arranged to take over
the management of the derelict college.
They had the backing of President
Hutchins of Chicago. who consented to
join the Board of Trustees. Barr be-
came president and Buchanan dean.
They had been Rhodes scholars together
at Oxford and had been in close asso-
citation since, although Barr had origi.
nally been graduate of Virginia, while
Buchanan came from Amherst.
The idea they conceived was to reverse
the usual course of college study and
give TO students the sort of education
that men received in the days when
King Williams School was founded-to
Wit, thorough education in the great
classics. These men had come to the
conclusion that American college edu-
cation had fallen on evil days. They
were convinced that there has been too
much attachment to athletics. They
mad seen the rise of professional football
players and other athletes at the great
universities and witnessed a tendency
to rank schools by their athletic stand
ing rather than by their services in i'm
parting knowledge to students st.
Johns struggled along as best it could in
the world of sport. but Barr and Bu-
chanan have now decided to eliminate
intercollegiate sports entirely.
For the whole purpose of the school "a
now constituted is education. Barr and
Buchanan have literally gone back to
Socrates and the great teachers of
Greece in the days of its grandeur for
thelr models and these they are follow
Ing. There is no rushing through spe-
clallzed technical courses. Indeed the
school scarcely employs textbooks at all
Ihere are technical courses in science
out here again the old masters are fol-
lowed. In the study of mathematics the
bo