THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



569 



between two stools, and the prospect 

 is hopeless without some drastic 

 changes. And first among these, if 

 we intend to get out of the present 

 slough of despond, must be the giving 

 up of the idea of relying upon private 

 effort. 



THE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM OF 

 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. 



The endowment of a school of jour- 

 nalism at Columbia University by Mr. 

 J. Pulitzer has been widely discussed 

 by the press, which it so nearly con- 

 cerns. There is much diflference of 

 opinion as to the value of such a 

 school. It is argued that a news- 

 paper man can get his training best 

 in the office of a newspaper, and that 

 the information of the editor, corre- 

 spondent and reporter is too general 

 and transient to be the subject of a 

 course of study. On the other hand, it 

 is pointed out that in the other pro- 

 fessions there has been a transition 

 from the apprentice method to the 

 professional school, and that schools 

 of journalism may become as essen- 

 tial as schools of law or medicine. It 

 is certainly true that the technical 

 equipment of the journalist is less 

 extensive and definite than that of the 

 physician, the lawyer or the engineer. 

 Preijaration for journalism seems, 

 however, to parallel pretty closely 

 preparation for the church or for 

 teaching. The divinity student learns 

 Greek, Hebrew, ecclesiastical history, 

 systematic theology and the like, and 

 it is well that he should do so as a 

 matter of training, but the speedy ob- 

 livion that usually follows does not 

 decrease the valvie of his services as a 

 clergyman; on the contrary, the less 

 he concerns himself with the book of 

 Genesis and any definite system of 

 theology the better. It is well for the 

 clergyman to be a scholar, but Horace 

 or the French Revolution will serve 

 as well as the church fathers. The 

 conditions are similar for the intending 

 teacher. He must know the subject 



that he is to teach, but this is given 

 in the ordinary college and university 

 courses, as are also English, psychology 

 and other subjects that should be stud- 

 ied. The history and principles of 

 education are about as useful for the 

 teacher as ecclesiastical history and sys- 

 tematic theology for the clergyman. A 

 man can not be taught in a school 

 either to preach or to teach. Yet 

 theological schools and normal schools 

 are on the whole useful institutions. 

 Schools of journalism will probably 

 soon be regarded as equally essential. 



The uses of such schools are partly 

 indirect. They serve for example as 

 selective agencies. Men having talent 

 and ambition frequent such schools, 

 and those quite unfit are eliminated 

 before graduation. Even supposing 

 that four years in an engineering school 

 give no better training than actual 

 work in a shop, still those who gradu- 

 ate from the school are likely to be 

 better men than those who do not — 

 employers run less risk in choosing 

 them. Graduates from the Columbia 

 University School of Journalism will 

 probably deserve advancement better 

 and secure it more easily than those 

 who spend the same years in a news- 

 paper office. The coming together of 

 a large number of men having similar 

 interests and plans tends to encourage 

 and stimulate them. When they form 

 part of a great university, where in- 

 vestigation is continually in progress 

 and high ideals of conduct and cul- 

 ture are maintained, they will insen- 

 sibly conform to their surroundings. 



But there are also certain direct 

 uses of professional schools even in 

 subjects such as teaching, commerce 

 and journalism. The student may pur- 

 sue the same studies as in the ordinary 

 college course, but the quantity and 

 emphasis are different. The intend- 

 ing journalist should study more Eng- 

 lish, history and political science than 

 the intending physician, and should 

 study them by somewhat different 

 methods. Then there is a certain 



