Evening star., 1941-10-03
Wellesley President Finds
Little Change in College Girls
Miss McAfee Says
Future Cun Be
Entrusted to Youths
The Stars Special News Service.

The Stars Special News Service
WELLESLEY, Mass, Oct. s.
Five years ago, a young woman in
her middle 30s was handed three
keys by the trustees of Welles-
ley College. One was surmounted by
a hearthstone, the second by an owl
and an open book, the third by a
cross. They were symbols of COM
munity living, wisdom and religion.
With a slight quaver in her voice,
Mildred H. McAfee promised as
president of one of the countrys
best known colleges for women to
build well on the foundation repre-
sented by the keys
During the years that have passed
since this young woman became
head of Wellesley, many changes
have occurred in the world. The
fear of an impending European
struggle has become a reality. The
peacetime roads which lead out of
Boston to the quiet New England
college town now hear trucks loaded
with material for war and automo-
biles full of uniformed women re-
hearSing the parts they will play
should fighting reach these shores.
Nor has the college itself been
unaffected by what has been hap
pening in Europe. Young refugees
have found summer shelter within
the quiet of its Tudor Gothic walls,
and busy needles have knitted wear
ing apparel'for British soldiers.
Intent Undisturbed.
But, although the reverberations
Of Notwithstanding events have been
felt throughout the 40O-acre campus,
the intent and purpose Of the COL
lege remain signally undisturbed as
1t carries on its scholastic tradition.
Dictatorship" Miss McAfee said.
would throttle education. BY
teaching the worth of goodness,
beauty and truth, colleges can per-
form an important part in preserv-
ing that democracy which dictators
would destroy.
Here at Wellesley we have not
made any basic changes in our
educational program. We still be-
lieve that what our college has
stood for all the years is what the
world urgently needs today. 1t is
on institutions such as ours that
the future Of democracy rests
One could understand why upon
taking office Miss McAfee had in
troduced new spirit into Wellesley
and why the Victorian ghosts which
once haunted its halls had vanished.
Has Sparkling Vivacity.
Yet, despite her sparkling vivacity
which can endow weighty subjects
with a lightness which DISCUSSES but
does not lessen their importance.
she clings in sense to those things
at which at times she can laugh.
She pointed out that colleges to-
day are facing perplexing problems
as to their function and method.
There is a constant pressure. 3"
she said, ito turn the liberal arts
college into a professional school or
glorified playground or an adoles-
cent institute of public affairs
She went on to explain that she
rejoiced in the establishment of
various types of colleges and voca-
tional schools. but she does not feel
that these take the place of insti-
tutions which provide broad bases of
culture.
She said that rather than try to
meet the requirements of all stu
dents, a college should pick those
who fit in with its aims and pur-
poses.
Changes Discussed.
She spoke about the changes in
young people since she was a STU
dent in college.
The war and the postwar gene
ration she said, were eager to
avoid repeating their own mistakes.
We have been preaching the i'm
portance Of international goodwill
We debunked the past, analyzed the
present and idealized the future.
I'VE taught this student genera
ton to be fearless in its criticisms
and then we were surprised and
Mortified when that criticism began
to be applied to some of the basic
assumptions upon which we rest our