Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-01-01
>MELBY STRESSES
STATE SCHOOLS
FINANCIAL LAG
DECLARES MONTANA AT BOTTOM
IN WEST FOR SUPPORT
GIVEN EDUCATION


IN WEST FOR SUPPORT
GIVEN EDUCATION
Americas educational institutions
are faced with their greatest response
bility in history in helping to win the
war and prepare for the problems of
a postwar world, DR.. E. o. Melby en-
phaszed in a special convocation on
the campus of Montana State uni
versity recently.
Talking to students, faculty, and
friends of the University on "Educa-
president stressed the need for higher
"a stable and humane world order is
to be developed"
AS part of countrywide effort to
furnish the leadership required for
this gigantic effort, President Malby
declared that all the six units Of
higher education in Montana must be
equipped ito meet the responsibilities
which the war and postwar world will
bring to their DOORS"
The postwar world confrontS higher
education with the greatest RESPONSE
bility in its history" the educator
pointed out THE conduct of the war
Is necessitating new patterns of gov
eminent and new types of economic
organization 1t is making drafts upon
our human resources and our technic-
ally trained men and women which
are difficult to meet"
The United States will have to cope
with the necessity for supplying
leadership for the rest of the world,
Dr. Melby said.
Re-education Required
This process of rebuilding will be
educational and theological as well as
economic and physical Occupied
countries will need to be reeducated
as result of Nazi infiltration of re-
cent years. Food will need to be sup
piled, and health conditions will need
to be improved. New patterns of
government must be devised Wartorn
cities must be rebuilt. In all of this
activity there will be the greatest need
for leadership on the part of large
numbers of university trained men
and women"
A leading role must be played by
institutions of higher education in
reconstructing a war-torn world, Melby
stated. OF these institutions, state
universities. because of their official
relationships, must necessarily show
the way.
Our universities have a conspicuous
role to play in this vast program of
reconstruction and world stabiliza-
tion," he explained. IF they are to
play this role successfully, they must
come to grips with the problems which
have torn the world asunder."
Three important tasks confront the
universities in accomplishing this end,
the university president said. Students
in the universities must be given a
conception of the Importance of
technology in the modern world In
the second place. they should be given
the American tradition of freedom
but with a worldwide basis of appli-
cation. Finally. they should under
stand the underlying problems which
must be solved to insure lasting
peace.
THE development of a stable and
humane word order is not task to
be achieved within a few months or
a few years." DR.. Melby emphasized
1t will take generations for its
achievement. In the process states
manship Of the highest order will be
required, and understanding leader
ship in every field of human activity.
The large numbers of college men and
women in America must assume an
active role in this important under
taking. They cannot do so unless the
college curriculum comes to grips with
problems of international relations
and deals vigorously with racial and
national understanding
Difficulties Cited
Montana State university ap-
proaches its responsibilities in the war
and the postwar period with a full
realization of the difficulties involved.
1t is handicapped by the fact that in
the past 20 years it has received
level of support which has failed to
equip it effectively for the tasks that
are to come"
Some conception of the inadequacy
with which our institutions of higher
education in Montana have been sup
ported" President Melby said, can be
gained by a study of the record as
revealed in a survey made this fall
by two members of Montana State
university's faculty-Dr. Roy ]. w. Ely,
of the department of economies, and
DR.. Bert R. Sappenfield, of the
department.
Their study covered the whole sys-
tenn of niger education in Montana Dr.
Melby emphasized. It also made direct
comparisons with Montana's six
neighbor states-North Dakota, Mimi
esota, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington,
and Oregon.
"If the money spent by each of the
seven states for higher education was
figured on the basis of each man,
and child in each state, Mon
tana would be at the bottom" DE-
Melby declared For this state ap-
only $153 per capita for
higher education as compared with
Idaho. the pace-setter, which fur
nishes 1920.
"Or to look at 1t another way-f
you divided the total amount spent by
each state for higher education among
the regular college and university
students in that state, again Montana
would be at the tail end Of the pro-
cession. Only North Dakota spends