Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-23
Mail Order Schools
Under Postal Inquiry


their formal education. Their
parents are the ones most
likely to pay fees ranging from
500 to as much as $500 for
courses leading to good jobs
for their children.
Parents Are Warned
Postal authorities report
that swindlers driven out of
other mail order rackets have
been attracted to correspond
ence schools because of the
solid reputation Of many cor
respondence schools of long
standing and because of the
growing awareness that more
education is needed to get
ahead.
Chief Postal Inspector Henry
B. Montague urged high school
graduates and their parents
who are being pressured to sign
contracts for correspondence
schools to consult faculty adj
visors or other educational au-
thorities before signing.
Many correspon dence
schools are of high repute."
said Inspector Montague.
These swindlers are taking
advantage of that. Usually
they adopt names that con-
note a connection with a going
concern. They imply they have
connections which will assure
jobs. ..
They don't have the con-
nections. The courses don't
come up to standard. They
don't qualify people for the
positions they advertise"
Airline Passes Promised
In one case, where the pro-
meters were recently convicted,
the courses were offered by an
outfit which called itself Pan
American Technical Schools,
Inc" During the trial, a girl
who wanted to be an airline
hostess said she was led to
believe the salesman for the
school represented Pan Ameri-
can World Always because he
carried a Pan Am overnight bag
and had her make out the
check to Pan American Per-
sonnet"
The mother Of one of the de-
frauded students said a repre-
sentative Of the school prom
Used airline passes ito ouI
whole family" as an induce
ment to sign up for the course
A longtime promoter Of cor.
respondence schools ranging
from nursing to training fol
Government jobs was finally
convicted Of fraud in operat-
ing United Jet Schools. Inc. HI;
statesmen, who called themselves
field registrars" offered q
course for Jet mechanics al
$500 to $500, depending on the
gullibility Of the prospects.
The 50 correspondence les
sons we're prepared from q jet
manufacturers manual, which
not only was not intended fol
instruction but would be Of M
value to people learning X
work on Jet engines.
Jobs an Illusion
The promised shop classes
turned out to be pep talks fol
students to get their friends In
terested. The promoter and hi
statesmen gave false assurance
that the course was approves
by Government authorities, b!
the airlines and by Jet engine
manufacturing companies. Ant
the promised jobs failed TO ma
terialize for the thousands whit
enrolled in the courses.
The four cases now pendinI
before United States Attorney
involve preparatory courses 70
civil service examinations. tn
four schools all offered tn
same IS lesson courses although
these courses were supposed 3
tit the students for scores o
different Jobs. In other words
the same lessons were furnishes
regardless OF the varied require
ments OF the positions sough
by the applicants.
The operators concentrate
on rural communities and sma
towns, and most Of the would
be Government workers VIII
enrolled had only q grad
school education.
other questionable school
are offering courses In nursin
that would not qualify student
10 be licensed even as practices
nurses. There are schools this
promise-but fail 10 provide
Jobs In electronics, heavy equip
ment, barbering, motel mar
agement. biography, massag
real estate appraisal. aeronau
tics. criminology and a variet
Of scientific and technics