Evening star., 1946-07-14
Truman Names Group
To Study u. 5. System
Of Higher Education

President Truman yesterday ap-
pointed national commission TO
"re-examine our system of higher
education in terms OF It's objectives,
methods and facilities. and in the
light of the social role it has to
play"
The commission will be headed
by George F.. zook. president OF
the American Council on Educa ton.
and in asking 80 men and women
from educational. religious. farm.
labor and Journalistic fields TO serve
as members, Mr.. Truman explained
that its creation was prompted by
the problems created by the return
10 classrooms of hundreds of thou
sands of veterans
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt will be one
OF the members of the commission.
whose local representation will in
clude the following: The Very Rev.
Frederick G. HochWald, director of
higher education division, National
Catholic Welfare Conference; Mar
tin r. P. Mcclure. dean of the grad
uate school Of Catholic University :;
Fred j. Kelley retiring director OF
the division of higher education,
United States Office of Education,
and Mrs. Agnes Meyer, journalist
/ and social worker and wife of
Eugene Meyer, president of the In
ternational Bank for Reconstruction
and Development and former pub
Usher of the Washington Post.
Bishop Oman Appointed.
! On the commission also will be
Bishop G.. Bromley OMAN, presi-
dent of the Federal Council Of
Churches of Christ in America. and
Rabbi Stephen N. Wise, president Of
the American Jewish Congress. DR.
Francis Brown director of the di-
vision of higher education, American
Council on Education, will be ex-
eCutive secretary and DR.. John r.
, Steelman, director of War Moblli-
zatlon and Reconverslon, will serve
/ as liaison officer between the COM
mission and executive agencies,
which are ordered to cooperate
| fully.
| The President outlined the scope
of the commission activities as
! follows:
| AS veterans return to college by
! the hundreds of thousands. the in
! stltutlons of higher education face
period Of trial which is taxing
their resources and their resource
fulness to the utmost The Federal
Government is taking all practica Die
steps to assist the institutions to
meet this challenge and TO assure
| that all qualified veterans desir-
Gus Of continuing their education
| have the opportunity TO do so, |
am confident that the combined
| efforts of the educational institu-
tionS, the States and the Federal
Government will succeed in solv-
! ing these immediate problems.
Re examination Is Vital.
1t seems particularly important.
therefore. that We should now re-
examine our system of hlghe! educa-
tlor in terms of its On,ectlves,
methods and facilities. ana in the
light Of the social role it has to
| play -.
Among the more specific oues-
tlons with which 1 hope the COM
mission will concern itself are:
Ways and means of expanding
educational opportunities for all
able young people; the adequacy of
curricula, particularly In the fields
OF international affairs and social
understanding: the desirabilitv of
establishing series of intermediate
technical institutes, and the finan-
cial structure of higher education
With particular reference to the re-
qulrements of the rapid expansion
OF physical facilities. These topics
OF inquiry are merely suggestive
and not intended to limit. in anv
way the scope of the commissions s
work"