198 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



The returns do not show on their face any justification for the belief 

 that the various professions have been so picked as to militate in favor of 

 New England. Indeed, it is apparent that all of the leading professions 

 are well represented. Therefore, if New England makes a fair showing 

 in a goodly number of the professions, the conclusion may be justifiably- 

 drawn that New England stands out in specific instances, as well as in 

 general, as the producer of eminent persons. 



The figures in Table VIII. contain a statement of the proportion of 

 persons in the different professions for each of the geographical divisions 

 of the United States. 



Table VIII 



Per Cent, op Eminent Persons in the Five Professions having the Largest 



Number of Names in "Who's Who," Classified by Place of 



Birth, for those Sections having the Highest Number 



of Eminent Persons 



Place of Birth 



New England 



Middle Atlantic. . . 

 East North Central , 

 West North Central 

 South Atlantic .... 

 East South Central . 

 Other Sections. . . . , 



All Pro- 

 fessions 



23.1 



29.8 



22.2 



5.5 



10.9 



5.4 



3.1 



100.0 



The supremacy of the northeastern section of the United States is 

 again amply demonstrated. Throughout the period under consideration, 

 this section of the country has contained less than three fifths of the 

 total population. 4 Tbere is an almost equal percentage of educators in 

 the three sections. The Middle Atlantic States lead notably in the per- 

 centage of lawyers and business men, while among public office holders, 

 authors and all other eminent men, the three sections are on compara- 

 tively equal terms. 



The time has now come when the three questions propounded at the 

 outset of this paper may be answered with some color of authority. The 

 answers are not final, but they are significant in so far as "Who's Who" 

 is authoritative. 



The answer to question one is clear and unequivocal. "Was there 

 ever a time when the number of distinguished men born in New England 

 was greater, in proportion to its population, than the production for the 

 other sections of the United States?" In the past New England has 



4 In 1850 the New England States, the Middle Atlantic States and the East 

 North Central States contained 56.7 per cent, of the population; 55.7 per cent, 

 in 1860; 55.5 per cent, in 1870. 



