The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-05-12
We Leud In Junior College Field

We Leud In Junior College Field
So many things have been said about Mississippi be
srw MT the bottom of the ladder among the 48 states In ne
@dncational opportunities it is refreshing TO know tnat ~ .
Lest one field Mississippi is leading the way in the nation
IN the field of the junior college-and That we are Oeihs .
Focognized.
An article regarding Mississippi's statewide system
If iunior colleges was featured in the April 9th issue 0
Pathfinder, a news magazine with a circulation OF 1,lO0,OV
This article was also reprinted from Pathfinder IN the Con
kressional Record through the efforts of Rep. Dague, o
Pennsylvania.
While the article in question featured Kinds junior
kua1exe at Raymond, near Jackson, the same general lnfor
mation applies also to another excellent junior college OF ou
Junior college at Goodman right here II
Enlmes county-supported and maintained by citizens OF
Holmes county, one of the most progressive counties in the
9agnolia state.
Herewith we reprint the opening several paragraphs
OF the article which was captioned Colleges for ALP and
book UP three pages of reading matter and the cover nicely
illustrated in color pictures taken on the campus at the Hlnds
enatitution.
lit is almost an axiom among American
educators that Mississippi is at the bottom of the
educational ladder. In most categories, it is. But In
one vital educational field Mississippi leads the
nation. !
'Mississippi," says DR.. Jesse Bogue, secre-
tary Of the American Association of Junior Colleges, ]
has the only real statewide system of community ~
H. colleges in America" n
i Some United States educators may rub their
~ eyes in disbelief. But there stands the fact Only In
Mississippi is the state divided into zones, with a
community college in each zone.
- Belatedly, some Weather states now are
falling into line. New York's Governor Dewey, act
ing on the recommendations of a commission head
ed Ivy Owen d. Young, is proposing to the legisla-
ture q statewide system of community colleges. In
the governors budget is a So million item to start
tie administrative machinery. In Michigan, Penn
svivania, Florida and Illinois statewide systems
zre under way. 80 H-ti~4is s4t4a i~ei-~t
- California and Texas, however, are nearly in
sight of MisSissippis achievement. In publc-Sup-
> ported community colleges, in fact, California leads
with 62 and Texas is runner-up with "a. But there
are still large areas of both states without COM
immunity colleges.
Counting both public and private ~institu-
lions, the United States total stands at 651 junior
colleges, with more than 10000 students. Yet as
recently as 1881, there were only 436 with only
$4,000 students. In sheer growth, United States
higher education has seen nothing like it.
What is a community college? Basically, it is
the freshman and sophomore years of conege-at
drastcaly cut rates.
Tuition is very low, sometimes trifling. In
California it is free. Where students live on cam
pus-that is, in dormitories like those at any four
year conege-and eat in a common dining room, the
cost of board and room is Enthusiastically cheap. In
Mississippi it is about 1925 a week; total costs do
mot exceed $225 for the whole year.
Value Received: Community college gra-
Uuates make good records. One typical survey made
IN the South in 1914 disclosed that 46 per cent of
the number of community college students who
LansIerred TO regular four-year colleges made
nisner marks than the average for students there
already; az per cent equalled the average; only IL
per cent fell below the average.
Basic advantages of community colleges ara
u Being free. or costing little, they receive
uhcussnds OF students who cannot afford the esti-
4 ane Ivy League" colleges. =
They provide both academic and vocational
framing. In addition, they offer a terminal course"
two years of general, college level education for
aAoSe not gong on to senior college.
Finally, and most important of all corr,n;
y colleges are designed to serve their local areas
They keep boys and girls in their native habitat,
training them for their adult life within the oeo
graphical orbit in which they uaro how, OIL .oa-.I