Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-22
By CASPAR NAMES
Relisious News Editor Of The star


the pleasant town Of Westminster.
Md. population 5000.
The town, without any large in
dustry. derives its basic income
from farmers tending the surround
ing fertile countryside and from the
college.
Rents are reasonable. Food costs
approximately the same as Balti-
more. Entertainment is cheap-50
cents for first run pictures at the
two movie houses and bargain rates
for concerts, lectures and other
events at the college. Transporta-
ton expenses are light - faculty
members either walk to the campus
or drive there In minutes.
Economically. these factors help
explain why many professors enjoy
teaching at Western Maryland and
similar schools. Salaries that would
make living In metropolitan centers
q hardship can go far In this set
ting. Furthermore, there Is an ap-
peal campus life In small town has
for many professors that a post at
q large city university would not
possess.
TypieoI Small College
In many ways, Western Mary
land typifles the small church-re-
lated or private college. It has $40
students. evenly divided between
men and goods; IS full-time facul-
ty members: an endowment fund
insufficient for It's forward-looking
program. It is afiliated with tho
Baltimore Methodist Conference.
Newspapers last month listed
Western Maryland College among
| the 615 private colleges and uni
versities to receive funds from the
$500 : million Ford Foundation
grants to schools and hospitals. Two
hundred and ten million dollars
| were allotted to the schools, 405 Of
them church-related, for the ex-
press purpose Of raising teachers
salaries.
One half the money will be re-
ceiyed by July !, 1866, and the
other half by July !. 1857. For 10
| years the interest must be used
exclusively for faculty salaries. At
forwards. the schools have unre-
stricted rights to the grants.
How will the gifts affect the
small church-related and private
colleges? In some ways, great
deal. In others. not as much as
too many assume.
There are four specific areas in
which the grants will be particu-
larly effective. /. The money pro-
vides badly needed extra weapon
to attract and keep teachers. 2.
The grants give a much needed vote
of confidence to these schools. 3.
The gifts should spur denomina-
tional support. 4. They should also
inspire business and other founda-
tions to follow the Ford Founda-
tons example.
An Uphill Bottle ..,
All schools have been waging a
heroic struggle to protect the Achil-
les heel Of American education-the
Tight for teachers against the bet
ter salaries industry can offer. The
battle has been especially uphill for
the small church-related and pri-
vate colleges.
Some idea of what they are up
against was pointed out recently by
the Catholic magazine America.
THE demand for young Pin. DIS
In science is SO great they are walk
ing out Of the graduate schools into
industrial jobs paying from $4,000
to $4,000 year." the article noted.
Young scientists no more than
q few years out Of college not in
frequently receive higher salaries
than their former professors. Faced
with such strong competition from
the outside, many colleges, par
ticularly the less highly endowed,
are finding 1t difficult to retain their
younger faculty"
DR.. Lowell S. EnSor, president Of
Western Maryland College, also
listed this as one of the major prob
lens facing his school.
THE Ford Foundation grant is
a significant gift because it hits at
the major problems the colleges
face" DR.. Ensor observed. I'VE
hope to put the salary scale where
faculty members will receive re-
Enumeration comparable to what
they would get in State universities
The VitoI Need
At nearby Gettysburg (Pa.) Col
lege. DR.. Robert Fortenbaugh
agreed the graft furnished striking
evidence Of where the vital need in
higher education lies.
Our board of trustees realize
that II you are going to keep a
good college staff, good salaries
are esseptial." DR.. Fortenbaugh,
vice chairman OF the colleges ad-
ministrative committee, said.
The vote OF confidence the Ford
grant implies in the small church,
related and private college, by the
AaABS hulHUCI VI tIleIu receiving
funds. has immeasureably heart
ened administrators and staff alike.
Sister Mildred Dolores, president
Of Dunbarton College here, regards
the grant as "a strong antidote" to
predictions the small liberal arts
college will inevitably disappear.
'The Ford grants reflect the
confidence of the Foundation in
church colleges" DR.. Gould Wick
ey. executive secretary Of the board
Of higher education, United Lu-
theran Church in America, as
serted.
And the Lutheran Herald exults
"the place Of the privately owned
liberal arts college is made all the
more secure by the recognition Of
It's merits by the Ford Founda-
tion.'
This outside recognition Of these
schools Is expected to produce a