'VARSITY HEAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 14, 17 January 1940, Page 10

'VARSITY HEAD.

YOUNGEST IN U.S.A. I AMERICAN RHODES SCHOLAR. I ■ DISLIKES JITTERBUG CRAZE. (By ELMER T. PETERSON.) FAYETTEVILLE, December 9. President James W. Fulbright, of Arkansas University, thirty-four, ie the youngest State university head in the United States. He abhors pose and ptinditry. He refuses to be dramatised. He balks at [ crusading. He ha* no illusion* about j taking any form of startling leadership. I Yet it may be that. ju*t hei-auxe of the lack of Uieatriraliwin, thi* lighthearted, human. extremely likeable young man is unconsciously leading the pendulum-swing away from the jitterbug and frivolous vogue which has flourished as a by-product of so-called modernism. Bill Fulbripht, a football star only a few year* ago, is so invincibly young that he isn't afraid or ashamed of Raving old idea**, such ae the desirability of having high grades, or insisting *upon a basic education in English, history and political science. I He doesn't crack down on dating and I dancing. Maybe he doesn't exactly i frown on them. But he ecoffri, thus, with vigorous conviction: "I wieh the students didn't think eo much about dates. They can have them any time —why try to cram i-hem aM into college da ye? What's more—l don't care for the jitterbug craze." New President Is Popular. Along the road to Fayetteville I heard about the new Dresident. At Fort Smith a young hotel clork'i face lighted up at the mention of the name. ''Sure, he's popular. Tho people know him. He was raised in FayoHoville. They ail saw him play football in H>22. He's ea*y to get acquainted with and the student* are for him, stronger than horse-radish.' . At the campus odge I asked a student to show me the way to the president'* office, so- he chummily got in the car seat with me. "What do you think of the new prexy ?" I asked. "We like him fine. He mixes with the students. He's one of 'em. I've seen more of him in four monthe than moet students see of their presidents in four years. He ha* the young point of view." Mr. Fulbright ie modest to a fault. He detests pomposity. Juet about the time you think he might unguardedly let go a two-ton dictum, which he undoubtedly could if he wished, he disconcertingly aeks, "What do you think?" In appearance he is athletic and pereonoible, with dark hair. Hi* smile i« eo engaging that you immediately feel he ie not only genuine clear through, but a jolly and thoroughly social being, possessed "of tact and executive ability. It takes real executive ability to run a plant the size of this university, but apparently Bill Fulbright has what it takes, and he ehowed no sign of worry or ragged nerves after a day of adjusting the. multitude of problems that result from faculty meetings, planning of courses, personal problems of students, political pressuring, football supervision, and so on. Views On "Youth Movement." You might expect that the youngest State university president would have ideas about the much-discussed "youth movement." Sociologists are always talking about it, but no one quite knows what it is. It has something vaguely to do with revolt. Mr. Fulbright says he isn't going to argue about the "youth movement." Young people aren't thinking deep purple thoughts about how to reform j the world, except when commanded to do so. as they are in Germany. Why should they? "Our purpose in education isn't to cram the student with information. It isn't even to emphasise the techniques of going out and getting a living by means of some vocational skill, important ae that is. The chief object is to train a student so he can evaluate the wide range of subjects which a college or university provides. "Forget all the facts, perhaps. Nevertheless, the process of acquiring these facts leaves a certain residuum in the mind. That is what makes the essence of real education."' "I've heard a lot about the 'philosophy of education,' " he says, "I don't know what it means. I do know that, when a sfudent gets high grades in the , fundamental subjects, he is most likely : to succeed. The trouble with too many ; students is that they don't seem to ', realise what they're in college for. 1 I believe in having a good time, as much as anybody, but, if that's the reason

for going to college, why go to college at all'.' It's a waste of time to go through the motions if you're not getting the most possible benefit out of your studies. If a student makes high grades in some of the basic subjects like history, literature ami political science, he's likely to make a success in any calling."'

"How about establishing courses in marriage, home management and other practical life problems'?" he asked.

"Seems to me that those things ought to be taught by parents, at home. What do you think?"

"Does a colioge education make a per eon more intelligent?" .

"Xo. it juet gives intelligence more exercise." "What's the greatest drawback in university work?"

"Lack of realisation of opportunity on the part of too many students. (.Jotting them to take, what we. offer is our greatest problem. I've encountered college men who ;ire positively illiterate, though how they stayed that way is bi'voiul me. Apparently they managed to squirm through high school without getting ii real education. It's a disgrace. We are doing all we can to prevent any college man from getting his diploma without being educated, and it's not as easy as it sounds."' How did Mr. Fulbright hap|>en to be. selected as head of the university? Was it because of a vogue that was started with the prodigies .lohn Bryant Conant of Harvard and Robert Maynard Hutchins of Chicago? No, it was just a natural —that's all. A Home-Grown Product. He ie a home-grown product, and don't let anybody tell you that this means he's a hill-billy. He was half-back in the football team and captain of the tennis team. He was selected as a Rhodes scholar and at Oxford was a member of Pembroke College. Dering his laet year he was president of both the. Johnson Society and the Teasel Club —both famous old organisations. Hi , was a member of the international lacrosse team sent to the Initcd States by Oxford and Cambridge Universities tn plav representative American institutions. He took 8.A., tho M.A. degree in the honour school of modern history, and. following his graduation, he studied at the University of Vienna, then travelled extensively in Europe. In 1932 he was married to Elizabeth Williams, of Philadelphia. They have two daughters.— N.A.N. A.