North Andover High School - Knight Yearbook (North Andover, MA)

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1940 YEAR BOOK It is often said that a broad education is useless, and that vocational teach¬ ing is useful. A technical education is useful. What one is taught can be applied directly in the work in which the person is engaged. He might ask himself, “What good would a wide knowledge of the fine arts do me?” And how would it• Help him to build a bridge, or whatever he was doing? Some employers do not like to have to break in a person who has not specialized, and hence, employ people already trained in the work. There are also employers, as I mentioned before, who consider it worth their while to break in a person who has had a broad education, on the belief that he will do better once he learns the work. When a person attends a specialized school, he gets a chance to practice his work, and thus when he goes out and gets a job, he will know better what is expected of him. This is an advantage that he holds over the graduate of a liberal school. In conclusion I wish to quote I. W. Studebaker, of the United States Com¬ mission of Education. “Broad but definite training for some occupation is necessary for a very large proportion of our college graduates, and it is my contention that colleges of arts and sciences may with perfect propriety incor¬ porate a wide variety of these occupational training courses as a part of their college curricula. “In short, there are many important positions in the world which call for intellectual maturity, wide information, and specialized training. Into these positions, college graduates do now go, and will continue to go. At present, however, college graduates are often seriously handicapped by the necessity of specialized training after they leave college. Many run the risk of a long period of unemployment before they can find jobs (if indeed they ever do) where they utilize their college education.” DORIS B. REA CLASS ORATION The Higher We Rise, the Broader the View (j T one time or another most of us, if not all of us, have climbed some great hill or mountain. About halfway up the hill we had a fairly good view of the surrounding country. But when we reached the summit and looked around, why, we could see for miles! And so it is on this little observation of nature that the class of nineteen hundred and forty has based its motto. We, of this class, have just completed a preliminary education; a very minute drop in the well of knowledge; a mere workout in preparation for our bout with the toils and problems of the future. We have only just commenced our arduous climb up the hill of life. Our view of life now is not unlike that of the mountain climber who is still in the early steps of his journey. Oftentimes mountain climbing parties are equipped with guides, and then, too, there are inns and hostelries which prove to be great aids to them in their struggle to the summit. In our struggle toward the better things in life, from what sources shall we derive assistance? To such a question, there is and can be but one, and only one answer. That is, from education. Therein lies one of the secrets of success. The higher we rise, the broader the view. The more we know, the more 17

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JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL SALUTATORY A Liberal Education or a Technical One? The question usually arises as to the value of a liberal education compared with the value of a vocational education. There is much to be said on either side. First of all, here are statements in favor af a liberal education. A liberal education gives a broad foundation on which to build one’s life work. Suppose one has studied philosophy. It may not help him directly, but it will aid him in a better understanding of human beings and their re¬ actions. His education will not necessarily be limited to a knowledge of his specific profession, but he will be so educated that he can cope with bigger problems than those directly concerned with the business. Professor Paul Monroe of Columbia University contends that we must return to an education of knowledge largely as a means of competing with the education of propaganda. He also says, “It is the emergence of the world conflicts based on differences in ideas as well as our present economic and social problems which have justified this shift in emphasis back to the earlier objective of public education, namely, the imparting of knowledge and the building up of a substructure of ideas that will enable the youth of another generation to avoid the failures and the conflicts of the present—- hence to form social ideals as well as international relations on a basis of reason rather than on one of emotions.” It seems to be his idea that a broad education will help contribute to the solution of the world conflicts and also to produce better citizens. I have heard it said that if an employer is considering two applicants for a position, he will usually pick the one with a broad education rather than the one with only the vocational training. This is because the employer believes that although the broadly educated person will have to be trained to the bus¬ iness, in the end he will be more responsible and have a wider understanding of how to manage other problems that may come up. George W. Alger favors the broader education over the modern practical education because, as he says, “I am still grateful for its help with my own puzzles over the meaning and purpose of life.” A liberal education helps avoid a single track mentality. It gives the indi¬ vidual a broader outlook and helps him to be impartial, and gives to him a willingness to know both sides of the question. On the other hand, one can say a great deal in favor of a vocational or technical education. In the first place, it is an economic saving to go directly to study a business. It cuts out the extra years and extra cost between the time one graduates and the time when one goes to work. Probably the grad¬ uate from a specialized school will earn as much as the graduate from a lib¬ eral college who specialized after graduation, or who didn’t specialize at all. But this is not to last, for later on the individual with the broader education will perhaps be earning more, and have a more responsible position. When the methods the specialized school have taught have been changed and made better, its graduates will have nothing to fall back on, while people with broad education always will have that background. X T is my honor to welcome you all to the graduation of the class of 1940. To the principal, to the faculty, to parents and friends, I say, in behalf of the class, welcome one and all. 16

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JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL interests we have. We cannot be interested in anything- that we do not un¬ derstand. Take for instance sixteen year old Jimmy who is listening to a ball game on the radio. His mother wants the radio shut off. She can’t tolerate ball games— and why not? Simply because she doesn’t understand them. It is apparent that an educated man has many more diversified interests than one who is uninformed. You might ask, of what value are these various interests? What of it if one is informed on a variety of subjects? My answer to these questions is that its greatest value is the acquaintances and friends it enables one to make. For what is a friend? Usually a person, with whom, among other things, of course, you have mutual interests. It is not necessary to go to college in order to be educated. Surely you would call those ancient Greek and Roman mathematicians, philosophers and astronomers educated. Yet, they did not attend college. Now, you may ask, how may I develop my intellect? The answer to this lies in our motto; that is, by being determined constantly to improve your¬ self. Frequent your libraries. Make it a habit to have always a worthwhile book on hand to which you may refer in your spare moments. John Kieran, the authority on anything and everything, whom you have heard on “Inform¬ ation Please,” said, when asked how he managed to put and keep in his mind such an amazing amount of facts, “It is so elementary, it surprises me. All I ever did was to read extensively.” So read Shakespeare, Keats, Shelley and all the rest of them. Become in¬ timately familiar with their works. It is literature such as theirs that will act as the guiding light for you along the treacherous path to success. Actually what does this phrase which we have chosen for our motto, sig¬ nify? There is an old adage that says, “You get out of life only what you put into it.” If we apply this motto, and if we are determined to rise higher, then it is inevitable that we shall enjoy a maximum of this world’s gifts. So like that indomitable character in the poem “Excelsior,” let us carry our banner over the topmost crag because,— the higher we rise, the broader the view. ROBERT J. CUNNINGHAM CLASS ESSAY Horace Mann— “Father of Our Common Schools’ —r|S you look upon the stage this evening you see the product of twelve S 1 years of school life and education. Looking back it seems incredible WfhfA that at one time in our history the great institution of education was practically non-existent. Tonight, on graduation, let us pay tribute to a man who gave himself and all he had to the advancement of education. The time allotted me is insufficient to deal adequately with the life of Horace Mann but we shall recall the high-lights of his career together with his ac¬ complishments and successes which resulted in the firm and traditional establishment of the school system. His was the American ideal— free education for all. To him education was a fundamental necessity, not only for intellectual freedom, but for the build¬ ing and perpetuation of our democracy. He once ably expressed his ideals in these words: “The object of the common school system is to give to every child a free, straight, solid pathway by which he can walk directly up from the ignorance of an infant to the knowledge of the primary duties of man.” The life of Horace Mann was not one of excitement and fame, but one of 18