The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1957-06-22
Between The Lines
THE BIG MISTAKE IN
EDUCATION

graduating classes. After the adj
dre-s and the comforting of de-
gress came the occasion of award
ing prizes with varied emphasis.
Without exception all of the prizes
were awarded on the basis of !
scholarship alone.
There were first prizes in
mathematics, history, economics,
chemistry and in each case con-
Sideration was given to high schol-
arship. Much was made of the
brilliant students and there was
nothing particularly wrong with
this had something been offered
for thoce of only, mediocre schol-
arship but of finest character.
When the president sat down ]
quietly asked him what prizes
were offered those of fine charac-
ter but roor or mediocre scholar
ship, he admitted that there was
no prize for character.
] thereupon offered a prize for
the next years graduate who was
the finest citizen of the college
community with no respect to
scholarship and excellencieS
thereof. This prize I am told, be-
came one of the most popular
among those offered. A prize for
character! What does it profit
yousg person to have excellent
grades in the various courses and
graduate with summa cum
laude, with no character to back
it uo when as a matter Of fact,
il is the character in the last
analysis that must put him over.
The glamour of excellent schol-
arship may help one to get a po-
Sition or a job; but it takes char
acter to hold it.
There is something terribly
wrong with system that offers
all its prizes and encouragements
to the scholar and little or moth
ing for the gentlemen or lady.
There has never been found any
correlation between education and
character.
There is but little place in the
world for a man Of great learning
but Little character, but great
place for the man who has great
character. Our fathers who laid
the foundations upon which we
are building today were short on
education but long on character.
In the great University of Exper-
fence they majored in character,
a thing that Is currently marked
down in our present scheme Of
things. This Is unfortunate.
When character is marked down
in the institutions of learning
there is great temptation for their
graduates to mark ii down also.
One of the great mistakes in ed
ucation of today hinges about this
self-saane matter of putting ex-
cessive emphasis on scholarship
and so little on character.
The foregoing observation was
inspired by reading accounts OF
scholarship awards to high school
graduates here and there about
the country. At every high school
commencement there are ocered
by the different colleges and uni
ver,ities scholarships and all OF
these, without exception, are
conditioned on scholarship; and
not one refers to character.
This is a poor commentary on
the educational program OF the
American in-titutions Of learning.
It is true that we have learned
the fine art of mass education IN
this country; but it Is also true
we have a wicked society full Of
moral corruption; it is also true
that we have the highest incidence
of crime of any nation upon the
earth.
Our great crime and delin-
quency rates dovetail into our
program of education that places
the great encouragement not upon
character but upon scholarship,
yet it is a known fact that what
ever else a man does not have,
he must have character II he Is
to nerve constructively his day
and generation.
When therefore John L. Lewis
was given an honorary degree by |
the University Of West Virginia
- .%%,~-rf xrae I,oinC made TO |