HEROES OF AMERICAN CHILDREN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20222, 7 October 1927, Page 6

HEROES OF AMERICAN CHILDREN.

-If nominations for the Hall of Fame were' made on the basis of the names selected by the average American school child, George Ruth (baseballer), Charlie Chaplin, Gene Tunney (pugilist), and Gertrude Ederle (Channel swimmer) would be as sure of niches as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, or Thomas A. Edison. Few women would receive recog. nition; artists, sculptors, musicians, oi natural scientists would not be accorded as many places as presidents, war leaders, explorers, or sportsmen. This is the conclusion made by Dr L. A. Williams, professor of education at the University or California, who during 1926 (according to the Christian Science Monitor) sent thousands of questionnaires to school children in that State. The children were called upon to list 25 names of great leaders of the past and present and tell why, in their opinion, the leader was entitled to the claim of greatness. In a preliminary experiment the question was presented to more than 3500 school chi Idren in junior and senior high schools. The names resulting from this were grouped according to the number of times they were mentioned, and again into classifications, such as political leadei, artist, inventor, military leader, sports or community leader, and the results carefully studied by advanced students of education. It was found, for instance, that of those named often the groups of names mentioned tho same number of times by one class, would read: (1) George Washington, Napoleon, Helen Wills, Mussolini, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Ford, Jack Dempsey, and Shakespeare. (2) Alexander the Great, Buffalo Bill, Louisa Alcott, and August Vollmer. (3) Amundsen, Charlie Chaplin, Sherlock Holmes, Moses, Lenin, and Kit Carson. (4) Theodore Roosevelt, Queen Elizabeth, Joaquin Miller, and Burbank. (5) “Red” Grange, Marquette, Burbank, Coolidge, Joan of Are, Woodrow Wilson, Marconi, and Rockefeller. Even more interesting were some of the reasons given for the selection of a particular name. For example;—Mark Twain (because he was funny), Henry Ford (because he made a cheap car for the poor man), Charlie Chaplin (because he makes people happy), Lincoln (freed the slaves), Rockefeller (a leader of oil stations). Woodrow Wilson (he signed the contract for the World War), Abe Lincoln (because he was simple), Burbank (invented the potato and changed plants into anything), Jefferson (was the first President), Maeoroni (invented the radio), Mozart (a music composer, because he started from little and ( kept it up), Longfellow (polite), Galileo (made his pupils invent the barometer), Walter Rally (night), Coolidge (sees that people do right—leads them into prohibition), Joan of Arc (was a lady with a heart). There is, however, a serious side to the question, and it is this that is leading Professor Williams to continue with his investigations. “ The lives and deeds of the great men 'of the past and present should be a source of inspiration to the child.” Professor Williams says; “ It is a matter for deep consideration when even the most casual investigation will reveal that children tend to select their heroes on the basis of notoriety rather than for sounder qualities. The very small number of women’s names submitted indicates that our schools arc failing to set before girl pupils the names and achievements of members of their own sex, and hence the girls’ ideas are being twisted into ideas and attitudes distinctly masculine.”