It is the business man more than the professor who preaches service as the aim of education and life.
The world has so changed in the past 200 years that business now presents many fields of education that are far superior for certain lines of service to anything that can be found in any system of academic education.
Education in business has far outstripped the education in the school. The school should be fundamental; but education is a life-work.
The objection to many forms of higher education is that they deflect the youth away from his proper service, instead of starting him on the road to achievement.
The president of Dartmouth has made some interesting observations in reply to my address and his subject was "Should Colleges be Educational Institutions?" If one could . adopt the form of argument set forth by President Hopkins, it might be declared that his implication is that schools and universities are the only educational institutions. This, of course, President Hopkins would not for a moment maintain.
But the spirit of his address is that education is one thing and business quite another, and that education has some obligations and privileges not possessed by those outside of what the professors call "education."
President Hopkins says: "It is the responsibility of education to scan the far horizon."
This is no more the responsibility of education than it is the responsibility of every thoughtful man. Business men, statesmen and thoughtful people everywhere scan the horizon in their field of usefulness more closely than do those who assume responsibility for our education.
President Hopkins says: "It is the function of education, when error is found, to denounce it."
With all due deference, and the highest respect and admiration for President .Hopkins, may it be declared that denunciation is not a function of education! It is rather the function of so-called "education" to present the truth to combat the error.
President Hopkins says: "It is the privilege of education, when truth is found, to proclaim it."
This is no more the privilege of education than it is of the humblest citizen in the land.