Hon. WAYNE L. MORSE, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. GOUCHER COLLEGE, DEAR SENATOR MORSE: I am enclosing a brief statement which I request be filed with the record of the hearings of the subcommittee on education of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. The statement is made in support of S. 1726, especially section 1001 (F). Speaking on behalf of this college community, I sincerely hope that the bill may be reported out of committee in its present form, that is, with the disclaimer affidavit eliminated from the original legislation and with the oath of allegiance included. I will be most grateful for your attention to this statement. OTTO F. KRAUSHaar, President. STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF S. 1726 Loans to colleges and universities granted under title II of the National Defense Education Act are an immense help to students, enabling many to continue their education which would otherwise be interrupted or discontinued because of financial stringency. It is regrettable, therefore, that a small but important minority of institutions have found that they cannot in good conscience make these loans available to their students because of the disclaimer affidavit contained in section 1001 (F) of the original legislation. At least 20 colleges and universities, including the best in the country, have not participated for this reason and this reason alone. These colleges and universities enroll ap proximately 30.000 very superior students. The facilities of another group of over 40 colleges and universities have protested the affidavit although the administrations of the colleges saw fit to continue the program. It is estimated that these institutions enroll well over 100,000 students. In addition virtually every major educational association has gone on record as opposed to the affidavit. Permit me to review briefly the reasons why the nonparticipating colleges and universities are opposed to the affidavit. 1. It is considered to be inimical to free inquiry which is a prerequisite of thorough mental cultivation. Colleges can best serve the needs of our democratic society by maintaining on their campuses an atmosphere of freedom. We have confidence in our students and in the educational process itself, and confidence in the efficacy of free inquiry and debate to reveal error is basic to higher education. To require needy students to sign the disclaimer affidavit in order to continue their education fosters an atmosphere of suspicion and timidity. 2. The affidavit is regarded also as discriminatory, since students are singled out as a special group obliged to give proof of the absence of subversion. This strikes us as not only unnecessary but unfortunate. Many institutions have limited loan funds of their own. In the colleges that administer their own loan funds as well as those under title II, one group is required to sign the affidavit to receive loans. Moreover, since the colleges are obliged to match the loan funds under title II, even a college's own loan funds are brought in part under the requirement of the affidavit. 3. We believe the affidavit to be futile in that hardened subversives a minuscule fraction of American students at most-would sign the affidavit with little hesitation. 4. We believe the affidavit to be in conflict with the purposes of the National Education Act. The declaration of policy under title I states that "the security of the Nation requires the fullest development of the mental resources and technical skills of its young men and young women * * *. The defense of this Nation * * * depends *** upon the discovery and development of new principles, new techniques, and new knowledge." There have been many complaints in recent years about the stultifying conformity of young and middleaged people. The disclaimer is one more influence tending to inhibit the free pursuit of the truth and the discussion of controversial questions. Speaking for Goucher College, we would gladly administer the oath of allegiance contained in section 1001 (F) if the Congress believes that in disbursing public money to students it must require of the recipients a declaration of loyalty. Permit me to touch on one other respect to which the National Education Act stands in need of expansion and improvement. We urge that funds be made available to institutions for faculty exchanges with colleges and universities in foreign nations. We heartily endorse this recommendation made by the American Council on Education in its pamphlet dated January 1961 and entitled "A Proposed Program of Federal Action to Strengthen Higher Education." This step would be of material assistance in broadening instruction in American colleges to include the cultures of the entire world. nonwestern cultures are largely ignored in undergraduate education. As it is, the formed citizenry that can keep pace with developments in foreign policy has An inbecome a prime essential. GOUCHER COLLEGE, OTTO F. KRAUSHaar, President. Hon. LISTER HILL, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS, Chairman, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, DEAR SENATOR HILL: I wrote to you in November of 1958 to tell you how pleased the officers of the American Institute of Physics and its member societies were with the National Defense Education Act of 1958. We were particularly concerned with title V and we have observed with great interest the improvements in physics teaching facilities which have been assisted by this act. Dr. William C. Kelly of our Education Department has worked actively with the Council of Chief State School Officers in the preparation of their Purchase Guide, which has proved very useful in helping the schools to select and secure useful teaching apparatus under the provisions of the act. We understand that revisions of the act will be considered in 1961. There is much interest and activity in the strengthening of the teaching of physics at the present time, as a result of which the following comments may be in order: 1. A good deal has been accomplished in the provision of adequate facilities and demonstrations and laboratory equipment for the teaching of physics, but much more remains to be done. Because of the importance and magnitude of the job of equipping the some 25,000 high schools throughout the country, additional Federal assistance of several million dollars is urgently needed. The amount of money needed may seem large but it is hard to think of any national investment which would yield larger returns. 2. Improvements in the teaching of physics in the high schools, such as those developed by the Physical Science Study Committee, and the Harvey E. White continental classroom television courses, require new apparatus for proper implementation. Basic, standard, and advanced lists of suitable high school laboratory and demonstration equipment are given in the American Institute of Physics handbook entitled, "Physics in your High School." 3. The Commission on College Physics of the American Association of Physics Teachers has just gotten underway with a full-time executive secretary and their work, together with the ongoing programs of the Institute and the Apparatus Committee of the AAPT, will lead to new requirements for apparatus for the improved teaching of physics at the college level. The American Institute of Physics will be happy to cooperate with you in any appropriate way in considering revisions of the National Defense Education Act. We would appreciate being kept informed of proposed legislation and of hearings scheduled in this area. Sincerely, ELMER HUTCHISSON. EMORY UNIVERSITY, Atlanta, Ga. Senator LISTER HILL, Chairman, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, DEAR SIR: The Classics Group of the University Center in Georgia, composed of the teachers of classical languages and literature and related disciplines in the participating institutions, wishes respectfully to put before you the following considerations: The provisions of titles III and IV of the National Defense Education Act as presently constituted apply exclusively to mathematics, the natural sciences, and modern foreign languages. The humanities in general and Latin and Greek in particular are now, as they always have been, basic elements both in Western civilization and in European and American education. The fields of humanistic studies, and in particular classical studies, deserve and need support fully as much as those disciplines now recognized by the act if the intent of the act is to strengthen American education as such. We therefore respectfully and earnestly urge upon you the vital necessity of sponsoring or supporting a move to amend the act to correct this evident shortcoming. Respectfully, J. M. Conant, Chairman, Associate Professor of Classics, Emory University; R. L. Scranton, Professor of Classics, Emory University; Elizabeth G. Zenn, Associate Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures, Agnes Scott College; H. W. Benario, Assistant Professor of Classics, Emory University; Mrs. Myrna G. Young, Assistant Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures, Agnes Scott College; Mrs. Vera B. Townsend, Assistant in Classics, Emory University; J. A. Alexander, Professor of History, Georgia State College; F. S. Benjamin, Associate Professor of History, Emory University; M. Kathryn Glick, Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures, Agnes Scott College; Mrs. Janice M. Benario, Assistant Professor of English, Georgia State College; J. W. Alexander, Associate Professor of Classics, University of Georgia; H. C. Rutledge, Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Georgia; C. R. Hart, Professor Emeritus of Classics, Emory University; Mrs. Frances Scudder, Instructor in Classics, University of Georgia. Senator LISTER HILL, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.O. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, DEAR SENATOR HILL: I understand that within the next few weeks you will be considering the continuation and extension of the National Defense Education Act. I am writing to inform you of how well this program has been operating as far as the University of Missouri is concerned. The graduate fellowship program has been of great benefit in the strengthening of our graduate work. In planning for future legislation, I hope that we will not lose the feature of supporting graduate education broadly throughout the country. There are many institutions which can and should expand, and the title IV program, unlike many Government operations, has placed considerable emphasis on distributing its support through many universities. This title IV program is farsighted in its scope, being directed toward supplying welltrained college teachers 5 or 10 years from now, when there will be a desperate need for adequate instruction in our colleges and universities. Since it takes many years to train a college teacher, it is of great significance that we plan ahead and give our support to this type of program at the present time. The student loan program has worked well here too. We have loaned every dollar of these funds and considerably more of our own--and need more. We have 14,000 students on our two campuses and hence do not receive our proportionate share because of the limitation of the $250,000 maximum. This is a discrimination against students who go to large universities and we see no good reason why it should be continued. The Lauguage Institutes and Guidance and Counseling Institutes that we have organized have led to substantial improvements in high school teaching and counseling. While burdensome to us, their high value to high schools makes them a natural obligation of a State university. We believe that they should be continued by all means. Very truly yours, ELMER ELLIS. Hon. LISTER HILL, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, DEAR SENATOR HILL: I write to you in connection with the proposed revision of the National Defense Education Act. Enclosed are two documents which bear on this matter and to which I should appreciate your giving thoughtful attention. The first, which appears on pages 6 and 7 of the ACLS newsletter for December 1960, is a general statement by the board of directors of the American Council of Learned Societies which has perhaps already come to your notice, proposing broad points of view as to the purpose which the revised act ought to serve and the kinds of things that ought to be provided for in it. You will note that Latin is mentioned there, along with English, history, social studies and the arts, as one of the basic secondary school subjects which need improvement and strengthening as much as modern languages, natural science, and mathematics. The other statement is one which was drafted by a small representative group, including myself, last summer. It addresses itself more specifically to the value and importance of Latin and classical studies in our national educational effort. I need hardly add anything to the text of that statement, except to say that it represents a deep conviction which I hold and which is shared by most of the classical teachers of the country. I do not believe that this conviction is merely a matter of professional bias toward our own bread and butter. Dealing with the Greek and Latin classics, which are among the basic foundations of our national ideals, we are perhaps more aware than the general public of their enduring value for the education of young Americans toward their responsibilities in the modern world. Anything that you can do along the lines suggested by these two statements would be very deeply appreciated by all of us who are laboring in the classical vineyard. Yours sincerely, GERALD F. ELSE, Chairman. STATEMENT ADOPTED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF AMERICAN CLASSICAL LEAGUE AND AMERICAN PHILOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION AT A MEETING IN THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION ON JUNE 6, 1960 As members of the classical profession and as representatives of major classical organizations, we, the undersigned, recommend to our colleagues, our friends and our respective societies support of the following statement: The educational welfare of our Nation requires that we maintain and strengthen humanities disciplines as a way of defining, enriching, and propagating those values which are the inheritance of Western civilization and of which America is now one of the foremost custodians. Along with advances in science and technology, our national defense must embrace the preservation and development of those ideas and ideals which insure a fearless and unbiased pursuit of truth wherever it may lead, a commitment to the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, to the concept of the dignity of man, to the appreciation of beauty in poetry and the fine arts. No less important than the nature of the gun is the nature of the gunner. The Federal Government is therefore encouraged to revise the National Defense Education Act in such a way that general and substantial aid will be given to maintain and to fortify the teaching of those subjects which contribute so much to a liberal education. A knowledge of the Greek and Roman classics is germane and fundamental to such an education, since they are among the first documents of the humane tradition which we cherish. We therefore urge a recognition of the value of Latin and Greek as instruments for attaining a firsthand knowledge of these important sources of this tradition. It is likewise important that the National Defense Education Act acknowledge the merits of Latin and Greek as an introduction to general language study. Of the highly inflected languages, Latin and Greek should continue to be accessible to the American student and give him a good opportunity to become aware of the complexity of grammar and syntax which underlies the variant patterns of all Indo-European languages, for example, Germanic and Slavic. We believe that these historical connections have a direct bearing on competence in English, and that understanding of them will correct and improve the comprehension and articulation of ideas in our native tongue. We also believe that, in keeping with the breadth of view displayed in the graduate fellowship program (title IV), the National Defense Education Act should be amended so as to augment the benefits in equipment (title III) and summer institutes (title VI). These should include the entire area of language instruction. Of course, our assumption is that the amended act will involve a larger appropriation. Latin in particular is a sound basis for full and sensitive understanding of various modern foreign languages, especially the Romance tongues which are Latin's direct descendants. These recommendations, if adopted by the Congress, should be implemented in keeping with the present spirit of the act, i.e., all aid should be distributed with a due and impartial regard for State and local autonomy in education, for regional differences, and for a healthy diversity in educational theory. Prof. GERALD F. ELSE, APA Delegate to American Council of Learned Societies. Prof. VAN L. JOHNSON, President, American Classical League, Washington Representative, American Classical League. Secretary-Treasurer, American Philological Association. Chairman, APA Committee on Educational Training and Trends. [From the ACLS Newsletter, American Council of Learned Societies, a member of the International Union of Academies, vol. XI, December 1960, No. 10] LONG-RANGE SUPPORT FOR THE BASIC PROGRAM OF THE ACLS PROVIDED BY THE FORD FOUNDATION The Ford Foundation has made a 10-year grant of $5,670,000 to the ACLS in support of its basic program. Announcement of the grant, largest in the council's history, arrived in the Christmas mail in advance of the release date of December 27. In making the announcement, Henry T. Heald, president of the foundation, stressed the importance of conserving and enriching "our scholarly resources in those disciplines that preserve and advance our cultural heritage," and said the grant was intended to help individual scholars and "to enlarge the arena of humanistic learning." The ACLS basic program includes fellowships, grants-in-aid, and travel grants to individual scholars; planning and development in the field of humanistic scholarship; and staff and organizational functions of the central office. The basic program does not include such special projects as the "Dictionary of American Biography,” language programs, summer institutes, U.S.-U.S.S.R. exchanges, area studies, etc., which are financed by special ad hoc grants. The new Ford grant gives ACLS greater financial stability than it has enjoyed in the past and for a decade frees the council's directors and executive staff from perennial concern over income for the central establishment and essential program. Forty years of ACLS history have been more often marked by depression than by boom, and with a minuscule endowment of $100,000 the council has always been dependent on foundation support. A grave crisis in 1955 led to a vigorous drive for aid, and in the following year, 5-year grants from the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Corp. of New York met the office budget and, augmented by other grants, financed an expanded program. These Ford and Carnegie grants run through 1961-62 and the new 10-year Ford grant just announced covers the period from 1962 to 1972. Decisions on the council's requests for aid addressed to other foundations are expected in the early months of 1961. AMERICAN STUDIES ABROAD: A 5-YEAR PROGRAM SUPPORTED BY THE FORD FOUNDATION A 5-year program to strengthen the teaching of American studies in European universities, announced by the Ford Foundation on December 21, substantially broadens ACLS's field of operations. The program will be financed by a Ford grant of $2,500,000 and will be inaugurated and administered by the ACLS. The Ford grant for American studies in Europe dramatically meets a need that has been clearly recognized by both the foundation and the council. Shepard Stone, director of the foundation's program in international affairs and chief |