ANALYSIS 0? SELECTED SIGNIFICANT
HESTGRICAL FACTGES IN THE HES‘EQRY 0F
THE PIONEER JUNIOR COLLEGE
IN MICHIGAN:

GRAND RAPIDS JUNIOR COLLEGE
1914-1962

The“: gov Ike Degree of Ed. D.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Robert James Riekse

1964

THESIS

LIBRARY

Michigan State
University

 

This is to certify that the

thesis entitled

'Analysis of Selected Significant Historical
Factors in the History of The Pioneer Junior

College in Michigan: Grand Rapids Junior
College l9lh-l962

presented by

Robert James Riekse

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

Ed.D. degree in Education

 

m

Major professor

Date November 20, I964

 

0-169

 

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»—',~——~

 

men 5335 0w

&“

ABSTRACT

ANALESIS OF SELECTED SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL FACTORS IN
THE HISTORY OF THE PIONEER JUNIOR COLLEGE IN MICHIGAN:
GRAND RAPIDS JUNIOR COLLEGE.9 1914-1962

by Robert James Riekse

Grand Rapids JUnior College was the first Junior
college established in Michigan9 and among the pioneer
junior colleges nationally. It has existed as a unit
in the Grand Rapids School District since its founding
in 19140 Selected historical factors that are concerned
primarily with the administration of the college are out-
lined in this studyo Specifically? the purpose of this
study was to:

1.0 Identify motivating factors in the founding

of the college;

2. Trace administrative developments throughout

the history of the college;

3. Observe administrative strengths and weak-

nesses of the college operating within the
Grand Rapids School District;

4. Observe reaction, or lack of it‘9 to the local

communityls educational needs;

5. Observe methods of acquiring teaching and ad-

ministrative staff; \

6o Outline contributions made to the community

by the college.

The methodology that was basic to the study was
scientific historiography as outlined by William w.

Hebert James Riekse

Erickman in Guide To Research in Educational History.1

 

Primary sources utilized included interviews with former

and present administrators. instructors. students, and
community leaders. College and school district records
have been searched for the period 1914-1962. Local news-
papers for the same period were reviewed. Other publi-
cations relating to the factors analyzed in this study
were also surveyed.

The analysis of the internal administrative de-
velopment of the college was done by observing the
growth of administrative functions; by evaluating the
functions of administrators; and by outlining the extent
to which responsibility and authority were delegated in
each administration.

The determination of administrative strengths and
weaknesses of operating a Junior college within the Grand
Rapids School District was done by examining the needs
of the college historically, and the ability and willing-
ness of the district to meet these needs. Included in
this consideration was a presentation of the basic phil~
osophical differences between school district and col-
lege administrators.

Besides analyzing the historical factors cited as
the purposes of this study, the following summations and
conclusions are indicated:

1. The founding of Grand Rapids JUnior College

was not due to public demand.9 but can be

5°

90

10.

11.

Robert James Riekse

credited to two local educators.

The close tie established with the Univer-
sity of Michigan assured the acceptance of
the college to the local community.

The educational expectations and demands of
the areals students determined the programs
of the college historically.

The college was founded in a financial sub-
terfuge which has persisted.

Operating a Junior college in the Grand Rap-
ids unified school district was beneficial

in the founding period.9 but became increas-
ingly detrimental as the college and district
grew.

The faculty has been school district oriented.
In general the personnel policies of the
school district have been detrimental to the
professional growth of the college faculty.
The personal relationships of the college and
district administrators were of prime import-
ance to the college operating within a uni-
fied district.

The college had no budgetary determination
or control.

The college suffered financially throughout
its history due to district control.

College administrative autonomy was limited

Robert James Riekse

or nonexistent.
12. For the most part. the unique needs of the
college were not recognized by the district.
13. The contributions of the college to the local
community were significant.
Recommendations were listed as part of the con-

clusion.

 

1William W. Brickman. Guide to Research in Edu-
cational History, (New York: New Ybrk University Book-
store, 1949).

 

 

ANALYSIS OF SELECTED SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL FACTORS IN
THE HISTORY OF THE PIONEER JUNIOR COLLEGE IN MICHIGAN:
GRAND RAPIDS JUNIOR COLLEGE 1914-1962

By

Robert James Riekse

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree or

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

College of Education

1964

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author expresses his gratitude and apprec-
iation to Dr. Max S. Smith, Director of the Office of
Community-Junior College Cooperation, and doctoral com-
mittee chairman, for his continuous and valuable advice
during the preparation of this dissertation. Special
appreciation is also given to Dr. Harold J; Dillon,

Dr. William H. Roe, and Dr. William A. Faunce, doctoral
committee members, for their helpful criticism and sug~
gestions.

The author also wishes to thank Mr. E. Ray Baxter
and Dr. John E. Visser for their assistance in supplying
valuable information and insights from their experience
and observations.

Gratitude is also due the Kellogg Foundation for
a preodoctoral fellowship, and the Grand Rapids Founda-

tion for assistance in preparing this study.

11

Dedicated to
my mother and father

and to Ellen, my wife

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES

LIST OF
Chapter

I.

II.
III.

IV.

VI.

VII.
VIII.

APPENDICES

INTRODUCTION.

Statement of the Problem
Rationale and Significance
of the Study . . .
Delimitations.

Definitions

ASSUMPTIONS AND METHODOLOGY.
FOUNDING AND PURPOSES.

Purposes
FACULTY: ORIGIN AND ORIENTATION

INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE DEVELOPMENT
AND ADAPTATION

ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATION WITHIN THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT.

Foundation Period
Faculty.

Curriculum.

Finance. . . . .
Administrative Autonomy
Philosophical Concepts.

CONTRIBUTIONS
COMPOSITE.

Summary and Conclusions
Recommendations

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDICES.

iv

Page

vi

10
10

13
16
31
36

75

108

109
113
117
117
12A
128

132

145

Figure

LIST OF FIGURES
Page

Administrative Reorganization of
Grand Rapids Junior College Adopted
Under Dean Tirrell . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Administrative Reorganization of

Grand Rapids Junior College Proposed

by Dean Tirrell for a Future Period

of Increased Enrollments . . . . . . . . . 98

Administrative Reorganization of
Grand Rapids Junior College Adopted
Uhder Dean Visser . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Grand Rapids Board of Education
Administrative Organization . . . . . . . 12?

Appendix

I.

II.

III.

LIST OF APPENDICES

Autobiographical Review of Thirty-
Five Years as President of Grand
Rapids Junior College by

Arthur Andrews . . . . . . . . . . .

Grand Rapids Junior College
Distinguished Alumni . . . . . . . .

Information Summary of the Ac-

complishments of Grand Rapids
Junior College by Arthur Andrews . .

vi

Page

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

The development of the Junior-commmunity college
movement has reached a state in which many of its func-
tions and operations can be outlined and evaluated with
some historical perspective. Numerous studies have
been conducted relative to various phases of Junior-
community colleges. Most of these have been concerned
with the actual functions of the Junior-community col-
leges and how these functions relate to other institu»
tional settings in education, including high schools and
various institutional forms of higher education. Con-
siderable emphasis in Juniorucommunity college research
has been concerned with evaluating the quality and quana
tity of functions being performed. Included among these
are the vast array of follow-up studies which seem in
essence to be attempting to establish and ascertain an
identity and rationale for the community-Junior college
movement itself as well as the various individual insti-
tutions which are included in the movement.

Recently, numerous studies have attempted to
ascertain what educational functions are considered es-

sential for any Junior-community college. Other studies

2
have attempted to evaluate individual institutions in
relation to these essential functions. One of these
studies has been conducted in Michigan and includes

some of the Junior-community colleges in the state.1

Because of the relatively short history of the
Junior-community college movement (being little more
than fifty years old) and because a large percentage
of the approximately seven hundred community colleges
now in operation in the United States are Just a few
years old, most evaluative studies have been segmental
relative to time. Few institutions in the movement
have lent themselves to longitudinal studies simply
because they had not been in operation long enough.

One area of concern that is becoming increas-
ingly important in the Junior-community college move-
ment is the administrative organization of these“
Junior-community colleges, both internally and in re-
lation to their external control groups or boards. It
is becoming more widely recognized that the administra-
tive character of the Junior-community colleges will
have a profound effect on all of the activities and
operations of these colleges. Questions of various
forms of administrative organization are becoming more

important with the phenomenal growth and expansion of

 

lWilliam James valade, "A Study of the Origin,
Development, and Trends of Selected Community Col-
leges" (Unpublished doctoral thesis, Wayne State Uni-
versity, Detroit, 1956).

‘ 3
Juniormcommunity colleges throughout the United
States. It is well recognized by many of the leaders
of American higher education that the Junior-commun-
ity colleges will have to continue to expand and mul-
tiply if the needs of higher education in the United
States are to be met. As these institutions grow in
number and size, questions of administrative organiza-
tion become more important. As size and numbers in-
crease, so do concurrent problems.

Numerous writers concerned with the Junior»
community college movement indicate that one of the
fundamental problems in relation to the entire move~
ment has been a search for a distinct identity in
higher education._ It seems that a lack of history per
§e_has been one of the contributing factors in the
identity problem. At this point in the development of
the Junior—community college movement, historical-
longitudinal analysis of certain factors of some of
the pioneer institutions could contribute to a better
understanding of the entire movement. This is partic-
ularly true in relation to the analysis of administra-
tive organization over a rather long span of years.
This is also true of other aspects of the movement,
such as long term community contributions and faculty
characteristics.

Few Junior-community colleges lend themselves as

well to a historical-longitudinal analysis of various

important aspects of the movement as Grand Rapids

4
JUnior College. Established in 1914, Grand Rapids
Junior College is the pioneer Junior college in Michi-
gan and numbers among the first colleges of this type
nationally. The year 1964 will mark the fiftieth anni-

versary of the college.

Statement of the Problem

It is not the subject of this study to enumerate
and relate facts relative to the history of Grand Rapids
innior College from 1914-1962. Many histories of vari-
ous educational institutions have been written and have
contributed to the understanding of the historical de-
velopment of higher education in the United States. It
will be the purpose of this study to identify and eval-
uate certain factors in the history of Grand Rapids
JUnior College that deserve analysis from a historical
standpoint. The general theme will be the operations of
a junior—community college administratively structured
in a unified school district. In relation to this gen-
eral theme, various factors in the history of Grand
Rapids Junior College will be observed and analyzed. In-
cluded among these will be the identification and analy-
sis of the motivating forces in the founding of Grand
Rapids Junior College. In 1939 a brief enumeration of
some historical facts relative to Grand Rapids JUnior

College was made in an unpublished Masters thesis.1

 

l
L. Richard Marousek, "Grand Rapids Junior Col-

lege," (Unpublished masters thesis, State University of
Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1939).

5
Although this study lists some facts in relation to the

history of Grand Rapids Jpnior College, it does not an-
alyze the motivating factors in the establishment of
the college or any of the other factors that will be
analyzed in this study.

A significant factor to be observed and analyzed
will be the tracing and evaluation of internal admini-
strative developments throughout the history of the col-
lege. This will involve every aspect of internal admin-
istration that can be uncovered relative to the operation
of the college, such as the early presidents, subsequent
deans, assistant deans, and other administrative offi-
cers and how they react to one another.

One of the most important aspects of this study
will be the observation of administrative strengths and
weaknesses of the college operating in the Grand Rapids
School District. This vital administrative fact of the
life of the college is vital to all aspects of the study
and may be considered the major contribution of the
study. The fact that this can be traced over a perioa
covering nearly fifty years is significant when one is
cognizant of the fact that the entire junior college
movement is not many years beyond its fiftieth anniver-
sary. Another factor that will be examined relates to
reaction to community educational needs. This is al-
ways important in considering historical facts relative

to any junior-community college.

6
Observing methods and practices of acquiring
staff will also be considered. The heart of any col-
lege is the faculty. Burton Clark in his book, The_
Open Door College, has analyzed the faculty of San Jose

 

JUnior College: its origin, its training level, and

its educational orientation.l Because of the nature

of his study and the relatively short history of San Jess
JUnior College, no longitudinal study of faculty charm
aczaristics was undertaken. However, very interest-
ing and significant facts were pointed up by ClarkVS
study, particularly faculty attitudes and orientation

in the unified district loyalties and demands. Medsker

has also written of faculty patterns.2 This Study cur~

rently surveys various Junior-community college facul-
ties to determine significant factors relative to
their training, selection, previous teaching positions,
and subsequent orientation and loyalty patterns relative
to unified school districts8 organizational patterns.
It seems that a historical study in depth of a pioneer
junior college operating in a unified school district
will contribute to understanding various aspects of a
faculty working in such an administratively structured
college. Closely parallel to the faculty characteris-
tic"s study isva similar analysis of all administrative

 

lBurton R. Clark, The Open Door College, The Open
Door College; A Case Study, (New York: McGraw-HillfiBook
Company, Inc., 1960), pp. 112-134.

2Leland L. Medsker, The JUnior Colle e; Progress
and Prospect, (New York: McGraw-Hill Book ompany, Inc.,
1960)» Pp. 169'2050

 

 

7

personnel the college has had. It is important to iden-

tify certain factors in this consideration, such as

means of selection as well as training.

The final factor to be considered will be the

contributions made to the community by the college

throughout its history. This is an important aspect

of any Junior-community college.

Rationale and Significance of the Study;

 

The need for the expansion of facilities of higher
education in the United States is becoming more

acute every day. Not only are the traditional facil-
ities and programs of the colleges involved in this
required expansion, but it is becoming recognized
that there must be new and intensified interest in
providing a broad range of post-high-school educa-
tional opportunities to develop the varied abili-
ties of our people and to provide the skilled man-
power our technological society needs.

Numerous technical, economic, and social factors in
our society demand increased participation in higher
education. At the same time, there are limiting fac-
tors such as excessive cost, distance, limited cur-
riculum and limited facilities which make college
attendance extremely difficult for many persons.

The community college with its open door admissions
policy, its comprehensive program, low or no tuition

costs, and moderate commuting distance is a relative-

8
1y recent American phenomenon in higher education.
Many educational leaders believe that the commun-
ity college will be increasingly called upon to
meet the rapidly developing needs in American
higher education.
Although the community~junior college movement is
relatively new, it is possible at this point in
history to analyze some important historical fea-
tures of some of the pioneer institutions. The old-
est institution of this type in Michigan is Grand
Rapids Junior College, dating from 1914. This also
places Grand Rapids Junior College among the pio-
neer institutions nationally.
Historical research of the pioneer institutions will
permit a better understanding of the entire move-
ment, particularly roles, strengths, problems, and
weaknesses of administrative organization. This
type of research provides an understanding of our
present position.
As has been pointed out in the Encyclopedia of Educa-

tional Research in its section on the JUnior College

 

movement,1 the time for tracing and analyzing the
history of some of the earliest institutions is nowo
There is still available primary source material:

notably the pioneers themselves. These primary

 

1Encyclopedia of Educational Research, American

Educational Research Association. walter S. Monroe, Ed-
itor, (New York: McMillan Company, 1950). p. 630.

9

sources are valuable for effective analytical his-
torical research. If these studies are put off

much longer, much of this material, particularly

the early participants, will be lost to historical
research.

With the establishment of a new four-year state
college in the Grand Rapids area, Grand Rapids
Junior College will undoubtedly undergo some re-
evaluation of its community functions and import-
ance. Uncovering and revealing the past signifi-
cance of Grand Rapids JUnior College should provide
a better understanding of the college to the com-
munity.

A small number of historical research studies about
particular community-Junior colleges in other states
have been done. No really deep historical study
relative to the factors outlined in the statement

of the problem of this study has been done about
Michigan's community colleges. William valade's
study of selected colleges in Michiganl treats a
few historical trends, but is more concerned with
how these colleges fit into his prescribed defini-
tion of a community college. Michigan‘s pioneer
institution, Grand Rapids JUnior College, is not in-
cluded in the study in any way.

It is evident that there is a lack of true historical

lValade, op. cit.

3.

10
research in tracing and analyzing vital forces, fac-
tors, and problems as they were stated in the re-
search purposes of this study, section two, and
that outling and analyzing these factors will add
greatly to the understanding of the community col-
1ege movement. It is also apparent that since
Grand Rapids Junior College is the oldest Junior
college in Michigan, a study of selected factors
of the history of Grand Rapids Junior College will

constitute valuable research.

Delimitations

 

This study will be confined to Grand Rapids Junior
College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the Grand
Rapids School District as it pertains to the JUn-
ior College. .
This study will involve a period of time from 1914
to 1962.

This study will be limited to the program, staff,

and administrative structure of the college.

Definitions

 

Community college-—a multi-purpose, locally controlled,
two-year, post-high-school educational institution of-
fering freshman and sophomore college transfer paral-
lel work, occupational-technica1-terminal programs,
adult education, community services, and guidance

services.

11
Junior college--a two-year post-high-school in-
stitution offering at least college parallel
transfer work. Often, however, this type of in-
stitution possesses some or all of the character-
istics of the multi-purpose community college,
but not necessarily.
Community college terms:

a. transfer courses--courses or curricula designed
for acceptance for credit in senior colleges.

b. parallel courses--synonymous with courses
transferable to a senior college correspond-
ing to freshman and sophomore levels._

0. transfer students--those who expect to con-
tinue or have continued their studies in
senior colleges.

d. terminal students--those who do not expect to
continue their formal full-time collegiate
training beyond the community college or who
do not continue beyond that point.

e. occupational education--a11 organized commun-
ity college programs designed to prepare stu-
dents within two years or less for direct em-
ployment in a broad range of occupations.

f. technical education--a specialized category of
community college education designed to prepare
students in two years or less for immediate em-
ployment in a broad range of occupations.

g. remedial work--courses and programs designed to
afford students the opportunity to complete,
required courses not taken in high school, to
earn grade-point averages sufficiently high to
demonstrate competence to do college work, and
to increase basic skills in the fundamental
subjects such as English and mathematics to
enable students to undertake regular college
work requiring these skills.

h. adult education--credit and non-credit courses
open to adults in the community.

1. community services--generally denotes the var-
ious special services an educational institu-

12

tion may provide for its community. Examples
of such services are workshops, forums, and
institutes; research and advisory assistance
to community groups; cultural and recreational
activities; and use of the college plant for
community activities.

Grand Rapids JUnior College staff terms:

a.

b.

president-~chief administrative officer of
Grand Rapids Junior College until 1956.

dean-~chief administrative officer of the col-
lege after 1956.

assistant dean-~second administrative officer
in charge of the total instructional program.

registrar--registrar and director of admissions.

instructor-~uniform academic rank for all teach-
ing personnel.

"Open door" admissions~~a DOliCY 0f admitting any

high school graduate or adult of the community col-

legefis service area to any program offered by the

college.

Unified school district--a school district operat-

ing kindergarten-Junior college educational level

programs controlled by a single elected board with

the superintendent the chief administrative officer

of the entire district.

CHAPTER II

Assumption§_

 

1. That sufficient data, both in primary and
secondary sources, are available.

2. That the data cover a period of time long
enough to make it historically significant.

3. That unless primary source materials, par-
ticularly the people who pioneered the
movement in Michigan, are utilized soon,
these sources of historical research data

will be lost.

Methodology

 

I The method of research will be primarily that of sci-
entific historiography in relation to educational
research as outlined by William W. Brickman, Guide

W} This method
comprises: (1) the selection and delimitation of

the program; (2) the accumulation, classification,
and criticism of source materials; (3) the conse-
quent determination of the facts; (4)the formula-
tion of tentative interpretations to explain the

 

1William W. Brickman, Guide to Research in Edu-
cational History, (New York: New York University Book-
store, 1949), p. 91.

 

 

l3

14
facts; and (5) the synthesis and presentation of
the facts in a logically organized form.
II The following sources will be utilized:
A. Primary sources:

1. Personal interviews conducted with selected
persons related to the college throughou
its history: '
a. former administrators and instructors
b. former students
c. present administrators and teachers
d. past and present community leaders

2. Search of primary source documents:

a. college records

b. school board records
c. newspapers

d. college publications

B. Secondary sources:

1. Histories of the community-Junior college
movement

2. Histories of Michigan and Grand Rapids
3. Publications related to Grand Rapids Junior
College and the community-Junior college
movement
An important aspect of this study is the analysis
of the internal administrative development of the college
throughout its history. This will be done by tracing the
growth of the number of Grand Rapids JUnior College ad-
ministrators; by observing the administrative development

under each president or dean; by evaluating the functions

of each administrative officer; and by outlining the ex-

.15
tent to which responsibility and authority were delegated
in each administration. I
Another vital aspect of this study is the deter-
mination of administrative strengths and weaknesses of
the Junior college operating within the Grand Rapids
school district. Basically this will be done by examin-
ing the needs of the college historically and the abil-
ity and willingness of both the district and the college
to meet these needs. Included will be an examination of
the founding of the college; faculty selection, super-
vision and freedom; curricular requirements and innova-
tions; finances, as they relate to community support,
budget control, crises, and salaries; general administra-
tive autonomy; and basic philosophical differences be-

tween the district and college administrators.

CHAPTER III
FOUNDING AND PURPOSES

On the afternoon of JUne 10, 1914, the citi-
zens of Grand Rapids were first notified in The

Grand Rapids Press that Junior college courses would

 

be offered in the public schools beginning the fol-
lowing fall. On June 16, 1914, an article appeared
in The Grand Rapids Herald stating that Junior col-

 

lege courses based on the"same footing" as University
of Michigan ireshman courses would be inaugurated in
the public school system in the fall. The same arti-
cle mentioned the fact that thirty-five students had
requested that these courses be offered. Two days
later The Grand Rapids Herald reported that Superin-
tendent Greeson had addressed the graduating class

of Central High School the evening before and had an-
nounced that there would be courses offered in Cen-
tral High School paralleling the freshman year at the

University of Michiganol It is reported that the stu-
dent body cheered loudly. The article stated further

that of the two-hundred members in the Central High
School graduating class, thirty were expected to stay
to attend Grand Rapids JUnior College. Of the two-

 

1The Grand Rapids Herald. June 16, 1914.

16

17
hundred students graduating, approximately one-half
were expected to go on to some college. Some of the
early articles also mentioned that the opening of the
College would be dependent upon enrolling enough stu-
dents. Each class to be established was to have a

1

‘minimum of twelve students. Tuition was established

at sixty dollars a year for a four course curriculum.2

An article in The Grand Rapids Press on JUne 10, 1914
indicated that twenty-one students had pre-enrolled.
By June 18, 1914, thirty seniors had pre-enrolled, and
by August 26, 1914, The Grand Rapids Herald stated that
the JUnior College classes were assured. The assurance
of the opening was based on two factors: (1) suffic-
ient pre-enrollment of students; and (2) formal noti-
fication by officials of the University of Michigan
that credits earned at the Grand Rapids JUnior College
would be given full value at the University of Michigan.
The Grand Rapids Press of September 19, 1914

 

stated that the Junior college would open two days

later with thirty students. The total budget for the
school was to be $1,800, all of which was to be collect-
ed in fees. Five students were reported to be coming
from out of town, including one from Detroit. It was
reported that the college was attracting considerable

attention throughout the state.

 

lIbld.

21bid.

18

The Grand Rapids Press of September 21, 1914,
the opening date of the college, stated that the col-
lege had officially opened with forty-one students.
"The last minute rush was a great surprise to Jesse
B. Davis who is superintendent of the college," the
same article reported. Such is the chronicle of
events leading to the establishment and opening of
Grand Rapids Junior College.

What led to the establishment and opening of
Grand Rapids JUnior College as the first Junior col-
lege in Michigan and one of the first in the nation
is of primary concern to this study. In spite of the
cheers that were reported to have arisen from the grad-
uating class at Central High School when the announce-
ment of the adoption of a Junior college plan by the
Grand Rapids Board of Education was made in June, 1914,
the records and reports indicate a lack of public de-
mand for such a college. No citizens' committees were
established to lay the groundwork for the establishment.
There is no record of any popular appeal or organized
support for the establishment of Grand Rapids JUnior
College in the Grand Rapids Board of Education Proceed-
ings, the Board of Education Annual Reports, or any of
the newspaper reports of that time. Interviews with
persons living in the community in 1914, or with stu-
dents who were members of the first class, indicated

no recollection of any public appeal for a Junior col-

19

lege.

It is important to note at this Juncture in the
investigatiOn that there was no state enabling or per-
missive legislation relative to the establishment of
Junior colleges either within or without a unified
school district. It is also important to note that
the Junior college in Grand Rapids was not established
by the Grand Rapids Board of Education as an extension
of free public school education. It was intended to be
a self-sustaining institution financially, totally fi-
nanced by tuition feesc The Junior college in Grand
Rapids was established as a distinct educational entity
even though it was to be housed in the Central High
building. This fact was pointed out to the public in
the earliest article to appear relative to the opening
of the college. The Grand Rapids Press of JUne 10, 1914
stated that beginning in the fall of 1914, there was to
be a junior college in connection with, but distinctly
apart from, the public school work at Central High
School. This is also emphasized by the fact that a dis-
tinct bulletin of the Grand Rapids JUnior College was
printed prior to the opening of the college in 1914.

In his book, Founding Public JUnior Colleges, Fretwell
outlined the beginning of what is generally regarded as
the oldest Junior college in continuous operation in the
United States, Joliet JUnior College, Joliet, Illinois.
Fretwell points out that while Junior college credits

20

were granted in the high school in Joliet Township since
1901 or 1902, depending on the source, the term "Junior
College" was not generally applied to Joliet until
shortly ”efore 1917 and that a separate college bulle-

tin was not published until 1920.1 This is in sharp
contrast to the establishment of the Grand Rapids Junior

College. In fact, the Grand Rapids Board of Education
made a point of forthrightly establishing a distinct ed-

ucational unit.2

The first courses offered were rhetoric, mathe-
matics, history, German, biology and physics. These
courses, to be fully accredited by the University of
Michigan, closely followed and paralleled the same courses
at the University of Michigan. Many of the Junior col-
lege classes used the same examinations that were used

at the University of Michigan for similar courses.3
Evidence of this was found in old files in the central

office of Grand Rapids JUnior College. Actual exams
printed in Ann Arbor bearing the name of the University
of Michigan were filed for specific Grand Rapids Junior
'College course exams. In fact, most of the college paral-
lel courses at Grand Rapids JUnior College had the same

numbers as similar courses at the University of Michigan

lElberts K. Fretwell, Jr., Foundin Public Junior
Colle es, (New York: Teachers College, CqumEIa Univer-
S y: 54), p. 9.

2Proceedings of the Grand Rapids Board of Educa-
tion: June 7, 1915, p. 68.

 

31b1d.

21

until the numbering system was changed in 1962. The
connection between the University of Michigan and Grand
Rapids Junior College was evident from the beginning.
It will be pointed out that this connection with and
approval of the University of Michigan was one of the
motivating factors in establishing Grand Rapids Junior
College.

It has already been noted that Grand Rapids
JUnior College did not arise out of popular demand. It
can be determined that the establishment of Grand Rapids
JUnior College was the product of two men in Grand Rapids,
Jesse B. Davis and William A. Greeson. Indeed, numerous
reasons were outlined as to rationale for the establish-
ment of a Junior college at the time, but the impetus
and implementation came primarily from these two men.
Both of these men had a reputation as educational lead-
ers of the era. Both had had considerable training and
experience outside of Grand Rapids. Neither was a
native of Grand Rapids.

Jesse B. Davis was born in Chicago, Illinois, in
1871. He graduated from the University of Chicago and
earned his M.A. from the University of Michigan. Later
he received an honorary doctorate from the University
of Chicago. In 1907 he came to Grand Rapids from teach-
ing in Detroit to become principal of Grand Rapids Cen-
tral High School. He was instrumental in the construc-

tion of a new Central High School Building in 1910

22

which was for the time rather spacious.l

William A. Greeson was born in 1853 in Central,.
Indiana. Attending schools and colleges in Indiana,
Mr. Greeson earned an M.A. degree from the University
of Michigan. In 1881 Mr. Greeson came to Grand Rapids
from Flint, Michigan, to teach classical languages at
Central High School. After teaching in Central for
four years, he became principal. In 1896 Mr. Greeson
became dean of the faculty and professor of mathematics
at Lewis Institute in Chicago. He held this position
until 1906.2 It is of interest to note that Lewis In-
stitute of Chicago is regarded by many authorities as
the oldest private junior college in the United States.
During ten of its most formative years, William Greeson
was the dean of this institution.3 It is also signifi-
cant to note that while Mr. Greeson was affiliated with
Lewis Institute, William R. Harper, President of the
University of Chicago and early proponent of the junior
college, was on the board of trustees at Lewis Institute.

In 1906 Mr. Greeson came back to Grand Rapids to
become the superintendent of schools and remained in
this position until 1924. During his term as superin-

tendent, both the population of Grand Rapids and the

 

1The Grand Rapids Press, November 10, 1955.

 

21bid., November 26, 1942.

3Arthur Andrews, "Welcome to Grand Rapids " JUnior
College Journal, vol. 9, No. 8, (May, 1939), p. 5267"‘"‘

 

23

school census increased by 50 per cent.1

Jesse B. Davis was an innovator and leader in ed-
ucation. He is universally credited with founding the
National Vocational Guidance Association in Grand Rapids
in 1914.2 A text book he wrote relative to vocational
guidance was a standard for many years. In a speech
given to the American Association of JUnior Colleges in
Grand Rapids in 1939, Jesse Davis stated that after the
first decade of the twentieth century numerous experi-
ments in education were begun. Included among these
was the Junior high school movement, emphasis on organ-
ized extra-curricular activities, vocational guidance,
and the Junior college movement. Mr. Davis was eager
to try to establish all of these innovations. Grand
Rapids had by 1914 established a Junior high school as
well as many other innovations in education. Mr. Davis
stated that at the time: "The idea of the Junior col-
lege was in the air, and we breathed it to the extent
that I went to the superintendent with a plan for a Jun-
ior college. His first reaction was (and I am quoting
his exact words) 'Why, Davis, it can't be done. You
will be fighting the Kalamazoo case all over again. The
city will never stand for taxation for higher education!‘

But after we talked it over, that dear good man, William

 

l
The Grand Rapids Press, November 26, 1942.

2Jesse B. Davis, "Looking Backward and Forward Af-
ter 25 Years," Junior College Journal, Vol. 9, No. 8,

May, 1939, P. 539.

24

A. Greeson, said as he had on many other occasions,
“Well, Davis, if you think you can get away with it,
go ahead. I will not stand in your way.'"1

Davis stated that one of the reasons he was able
to consider establishing a Junior college at Central
High School was the fact that a new, large Central
High building had been built in 1910. Shortly there-
after the entire ninth grade had been taken out of
Central to attend the new Strong Junior High School.
On the east side of the city the grammar school had been
extended up through the twelfth grade. This decreased
the Central enrollment further. At the same time on
the south side of the city a new high school was also
being built, reducing Central's enrollment still fur-
ther. Central was left with a new, large building
with many rooms to spare, located in the central sec-
tion of the city, and possessing a fine faculty. Mr.
Davis stated that this situation led to the underlying
factor in the establishment of Grand Rapids JUnior Col-
lege-—expediency.2 Davis stated that coupled with this
underlying factor was the desire of the school leaders
to serve the youth of Grand Rapids in as many ways as
possible. This thinking, of course, is directly attrib-
utable to William Greeson. Once these basic personal

and physical considerations are recognized in the es-

 

1Davis, op. cit., p. 513.
21bid.

25
tablishment of Grand Rapids Junior College, other fac-
tors in the establishment of the college can be identi-

fied. Many of these were part of the rationale used by
Mr. Davis in promoting the establishment of the college.
The fact that the Central High School had a fine
faculty can be considered a significant factor in the
founding of the college. Central had something of a
high scholastic standing nationally, not a small part
of which was directly creditable to the fine faculty in
the school. This is clearly pointed out in the School
Survey conducted in Grand Rapids by many evaluative
educational experts during the school year 1915-16.1
Another important factor contributing to the es-
tablishment of Grand Rapids JUnior College was its close
relationship to the University of Michigan. The extent
of these ties has already been related. That credits
from Grand Rapids Junior College would be accepted at
the university of Michigan was a favorable condition for
the establishment of a Junior college in Grand Rapids.
During its second year of operation, enrollments at the
college fell and the continued existence of the college
was in danger; During this same year, 1915-1916, the
School Survey_was conducted. This survey stated that
.the close tie with the University of Michigan had been~
one of the establishing factors relative to Grand Rapids

 

1School Surve , Grand Rapids, MUchigan, Grand
Rapids Board of Eeucation, 1916, p. 213.

I". .I
J
L. k.)

Junior College. However, the close connection with the
University of Michigan in relation to all the stringent
requirements as to admissions, distinctly separate class-
es from all high school students, and rigid curriculum
offerings was impeding the growth and very existence
of the college. It was suggested that the University
of Michigan take a more flexible attitude relative to
these regulations as applied to the operation of Grand
Rapids Junior College.1
One of the important factors in the establishment
of Grand Rapids Junior College is the financial one. In
fact, this consideration comprises a combination of fac-
tors that must be examined and evaluated, particularly
as they relate to the establishment of a Junior college
within an existing unified school district. One reason
Mr. Davis presented to the Board of Education and later
to the public was that providing the freshman and sopho-
more years of college training in Grand Rapids would
save the student and his parents considerable expense.
Although there were other public colleges located nearer
to Grand Rapids than the University of Michigan, it was
obvious that the training at Grand Rapids Junior College
would serve primarily those students who wanted a course
of study in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is located approxi-

mately 130 miles to the southeast of Grand Rapids and

in 191# was reached by rail or a gravel road. It can

 

1Ibid., p. 274.

”NP"

c /

be seen, therefore, that the appeal of work parallel
to that offered in the University of Michigan had real
value for acceptance of the Junior college to the com-
munity._

Another sub-financial factor in the establish-
ment of Grand Rapids JUnior College was cited in the
local newspapers of 1914 and in the first bulletin the
college published. This was the argument that the cit-
izens of Grand Rapids were spending over $250,000 a year
to send their children to college out of town, and that
if many of these students would stay in Grand Rapids,
much of the money spent in other cities would remain
in the home town. This reasoning was mentioned in
numerous articles about the college and in the college
bulletins for many years.

One financial factor was extremely important in
considering the establishment and maintenance of a Jun-
ior college within a unified school district. The posi-
tions of Mr. Davis and Mr. Greeson concerning the finan-
cial difficulties of establishing a Junior college as
part of the school district have been noted. Conse-
quently, it becomes important in Mr. Davis' rationale
for establishing the junior college that the college not
be a financial burden to the school system and to the
taxpayers. An article in The Grand Rapids Press of
JUne 10, 1914 stated that Mr. Davis and the Board of
Education had decided that the college would not be an

28

additional financial burden on the school system. One
of the reasons for this was the fact that Central High
School already had vacant rooms. The faculty of Cen-
tral High was intact and not being used fully because
of the new schools being built. It was determined that
enough tuition would be charged to defray any expenses
that might arise in the operation of the college. It
was determined that no class would be run unless it had

1

at least twelve students. The first year also saw the

establishment of a normal course in public school

2 In a report to the Board of Education on June

music.
7, 1915, Mr. Davis pointed out that students in this
curriculum had been used as music teachers in the pub-
lic school system, which in effect was a financial sav-
ing to the school board in not having to pay these
teachers for their practice teaching while getting the
3

benefits of their endeavors for school pupils.

All these financial reasons were publicized in
an attempt to convince the school board and the public
that a Junior college could be established and maintained
without any additional expense to the local community.
It appears from the records at the time of the founding,
and from records throughout history of the Grand Rapids

 

1The Grand Rapids Herald, June 16, 1914.

1 4 2Grand Rapids JUniOr College Bulletin, No. 1,
91 o '

3Proceedings of the Grand Rapids Board of Educa-
‘tion, JUne-July, 1915, p. 69.

29

Jpnior College, that this financial factor was always
a very important one. The people of Grand Rapids
were evidently not persuaded that they should support
higher education financially. They were told of all
the advantages such an educational institution would
provide, but they were not tested in actively support~
ing the college financially. A later chapter dealing
wit. the historical relations of Grand Rapids Jpnior
College with the Grand Rapids Board of Education will
deal more specifically With this factor. Nevertheless,
it is important to note this vital financial considera—
tion in the establishment of Grand Rapids JUnior College.
Another factor cited by the proponents of the
ganior college in 1914 as a reason for its establish»
ment is the interest of the people of Grand Rapids in
higher education. It was reported that Just prior to
l91h the United States Cbmmissioner of Education indi-
cated that nationally 35 per cent of the high school
raduates planned to go on with their education, while
in Grand Rapids an average of over 50 per cent of the
high school graduates continued their education beyond
high school.1 This is indeed a significant comparison
and can probably be attributed to the character of Cen-
tral High School and its faculty in that era.2

Another factor used for rationale in the estab-

 

4 1The Grand Rapids JUnior College Bulletin, No. l,
191 .

2School Surve , Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand
Rapids Board of Education, 1916, p. 28.

3O
lishment of Grand Rapids JUnior College was the fact
that the addition of a junior college would add

1 It seems that

strength to the city high schools.
the value of this argument is selfmevident.

Another consideration cited at the time for the
establishment of Grand Rapids ébnior College was the idea
that many young people graduating from high school were
too immature to leave home and live in a strange city and
go to some large school such as the University of Michi-

gan.2 The Grand Rapids JUnior College catalogues for many

‘ears carried the statement that once a young person had

:4

.eft home it was very difficult for him to ever come back.

1...:

3

in fact, it was contended that once young people left

i

home they were never quite the same, and that it was a
real advantage to keep recent high school graduates home
for one or two more years so they could benefit from the
home environment. It was also contended that staying
home for a year or two more would give the student more

2

time to settle on his aims and goals in life. The value

of this rationale is still used.
Also cited as a factor, but not often mentioned,
in data dealing with the founding of the college, was the

provision of a higher educational opportunity to many

 

1Annual Report of the Grand Rapids Board of
Education, 1918, p. 36.

2Grand Rapids JUnior College Bulletins, 1914-
1923.

a.
1M .
'ibid.

 

31
young people who otherwise would not have one,1 This
factor may have been implied in the discussions rela-
tive to financial savings to students and parents in
going to a Junior college at home, but there is, never-
thelessg some distinction between the two basic con-
cepts, and this opportunity factor was not really
strongly reiterated.

Such were the factors, both real and argumenta-
tive, in the establishment of Grand Rapids JUnior Col-
legeo The persons behind the college can be considered
the prime movers of the college, and most of the other
factors were used as rationale by these persons to pro-

mote and ensure the establishment of the college.

The first paragraph of the first Grand Rapids

JUnior College bulletin states:
"Purpose of the JUnior College:

The purpose of the JUnior College is to offer to

the students of Grand Rapids and Western Michigan

the advantages of the first two years of the De-

partment of Literature, Science and the Arts at

the University of Michigan or at a standard col-

lege. The demand for higher education is grow-

ing rapidly. Our state institutions are finding

 

1Annual Reports of the Grand Rapids Board of Educar
tion, 1915-1921.

32

it a serious problem to handle properly the

greatly increasing numbers who are annually

entering their doors. Other states have al-

ready established Junior colleges in connec-

tion With the larger high schools. It is in

accordance with the policy recently announced

by the faculty of the University of Michigan

that the Central High School of Grand Rapids

is offering the work of a Junior college."
Thus it would appear that the primary purpose for the
establishment of Grand Rapids JUnior College was to of-
fer work parallel to the freshman year at the University
of Michigan. This was the basic purpose of the pro-
posed college as listed in most of the newspaper arti-
cles of the founding period.1 However, looking into
the catalogue of 1914 further under a paragraph en?
'titled WAdvantages," the following statement is found:
"The work of the Junior College may develop into other
fields of service in the future. It will be its pelicy
to meet the demands of the public as rapidly as its
needs are manifested." The same catalogue, while list-
ing the courses of instruction as rhetoric, mathematics,
history, biology, phySics, Latin, and German, also lists
a normal course in public school music. Much on-the-Job

training was offered in this program with the students

 

l 4 lThegGrand Rapids Press, June 10, 1914; JUne l6,
91 . . - ‘

33
spending considerable time participating in public school
activities.

One of the first newspaper articles announcing
the plan for Grand Rapids Junior College stated that
courses would also be made available for business men
who do not plan a whole college program.1 This sug-
gests the idea of adult education a few months before
the college opened.

There can be little doubt that the thinking of
the purposes beyond the University of Michigan college
parallel work was that of Mr. Davis, and possibly Mr.
Greeson. In a speech made in 1939, Mr. Davis stated
that the expediency which permitted him to open a Jun-
ior college was merely an unusual opportunity or a
means to a greater end.2 The acceptance of credits
for parallel work at the University of Michigan was
certainly one of the promotional factors in securing
the establishment of the college. Mr. Davis, however,
was obviously considering a broader concept because in
the same speech he stated that his philosophy of the
Junior college was service to the youth of the commun-
ity.

By 1916 the college bulletin under the heading
"Purposes" contained an additional paragraph as follows:

"It is also the purpose of the Junior Col-

 

1The Grand Rapids Press, June 10, 1914.

2Davis, op. cit., p. 531.

34
lege to offer special lines of advanced study
as the needs of the community may demand. At
the present time students may pursue work along
several lines, viz.--the college literary
course, a brief commercial course, an indus-
trial arts course, and a course for teachers
of public school music."

An examination of the courses offered in 1916 indicates

that work in these varied curriculums was indeed avail-
able, although on a limited scale.

Jesse B. Davis, in recalling the early years of
Grand Rapids JUnior College, stated that programs were
worked out in cooperation with the furniture and print-
ing industries in applied arts; with the public library
in the training of apprentices; with the banks and
business offices in the training of clerks and secretar-
ies; and with the three hospitals in the training of

2 An examination of Grand Rapids Junior

student nurses.
College through 1920 indicates the establishment and
‘implementation of these varied courses and curriculums.
It seems reasonable to postulate that the idea of the
establishment of Grand Rapids JUnior College was pre-
sented to the Board of Education and to the public with
University of Michigan parallel work as the primary pur-

pose for its Justification. All the original peripheral

 

l 6 lGrand Rapids Junior College Bulletin, No. 3,
91 .

2Davis, op. cit., p. 532.

35
rationale seem to center around this theme. Neverthe-
less, Mr. Davis and most likely Mr. Greeson understood
and believed in a broader purpose for the new Junior
college. It must be recalled that Mr. Greeson had a
leadership role with Lewis Institute in Chicago and
became associated with William R. Harper, who was one
of the initial advocates of the Junior college. The
growth of the purposes and curriculum offerings in the
first three and four years of Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege seem to bear out the broader visions of the found-
ers. It seems evident, however, that the establishment
of a Junior college was more assured because the Uni-
versity of Michigan parallel work was initially
stressed.

It seems that an examination of the motivating
factors relative to the origin of Grand Rapids Junior
College significantly contributes to the understanding
of a Junior college established and functioning in a
unified school district. Some of the strengths and
weaknesses of operating a community-Junior college with-
in a unified school district will be developed in a

later chapter.

CHAPTER IV
FACULTY: ORIGIN AND ORIENTATION

One of the significant activities in educa-
tional administration is to hire, supervise, and lead
faculty members. This is true of any institution of
higher education. It is especially true of the Junior-
community colleges where the primary activity of the
entire institution is teaching.

Medsker, in The Junior College, states that
teachers in any type of college inevitably influence,
by their attitudes, the nature and quality of the pro-
gram. They are the primary agents of curriculum devel-
opment, instruction, services to students, and commun-

l Medsker, in discussing faculties

ity relationships.
and their attitudes, cites what is known as the "refer-
ence group theory" relative to various faculty groups.2
He explains that according to this theory, a person may
not be identified primarily with the occupational,*

social, or economic group of which he is a member.‘ In-

stead, Medsker points out, one may more readily adhere

to the views of another group, presumably a group to

 

lMedsker, op. cit., p. 169.
21bid., p. 173.

36

37
which he aspires to belong or one with which he wishes
to be identified in his own mind or in the minds of
others. JUnior college teachers may reflect the ed-
ucational values or attitudes of groups to which they
either aspire to belong or to which they have recently
belonged immediately before coming to the Junior col-
lege. Medsker points out that Junior college teachers
often reflect the values or attitudes of teachers in
four-year colleges and universities because this is a
goal orientation for them. Frequently, however, the
new and inexperienced Junior college teacher will re-
tain a close identity with the graduate school or de-
partment from which he recently came; thus he will
visualize Junior college education as being similar to
his graduate school. Medsker points out that there is
another distinct possibility in faculty orientation in
the Junior college: he states that many teachers who
taught in high schools retain that perspective after
they transfer to Junior college teaching. This is a
significant factor to be considered in staffing in-
structors for Junior colleges within unified school dis-
tricts. Studies conducted by Medsker and Burton R.
Clark clearly indicate that those Junior college
teachers who come to the Junior college directly from
high school teaching generally have different atti-
tudes and concepts on a wide range of questions and

working situations concerning the Junior college and

38

Junior college teaching than do teachers coming from
other levels of teaching, study, or employment.
Medsker points out that Junior college teachers who
have not taught in secondary schools generally sub-
scribe to the proposition that "scholastic entrance
requirements for Junior colleges are too low for the

t."1 Medsker also points out that those Jun-

most par
ior college teachers coming directly from the second~
ary schools also believe more strongly than do in»
structors coming from other Junior or senior colleges
in the proposition that the level of instruction in the
junior college is as good as, or better than teaching

2 Opinions as to the neces-

in the fourayear colleges.
sity for state certification of Junior college teachers
also indicate that those teachers with secondary school
backgrounds favor certification requirements much more
strongly than do teachers coming from other positions.3
In summation, Medsker states that the opinions and be-
liefs of the Junior college teachers vary considerably
according to their previous teaching experience.)4 Con-
sequently, one can observe junior college faculties or-
ienting themselves into different reference groups.

Burton R. Clark in his examination of San Jose

JUnior College devotes a great deal of his study and

 

lIbid., p. 184. 21bid., p. 187.

3Ibid., p. 1936 “Ibid., p. 200.

39

findings toward demonstrating faculty attitudes, or-
ientation, and reference groups relative to the teachw
ing backgrounds of the members of the faculty. In an
opinion and attitude study conducted at San Jose JUn-
ior College, Clark outlines the difference in atti-
tudes held by various groups in the college. He
demonstrates that a significant factor among the dif-
ferent reference groups was previous teaching experi-
ence immediately prior to teaching at the Junior col-
lege. For example, 50 per cent of San Jose teachers
With a college teaching background agreed with a
statement, "The Junior college is too much like a glor-
ified high school," but only 21 per cent of those in-
structors with high school teaching background agreed
with that same statement.1 In response to a question
vital to community college operation, 11 per cent of
the teachers with secondary school backgrounds agreed
to the proposition that "students are frequently over-
counseled in a Junior college, whereas 33 per cent of
those teachers with college teaching experience agreed.2
It becomes evident that the prior teaching experience
of Junior college staff members influences their
thinking, opinions, attitudes, and consequently actions

relative to important issues in the Junior college

movement.

lClark, op. cit., p. 128.
2Ibid.

to

various other studies have indicated the char-
acteristics of Junior college faculties. Medsker found
that more than 6% per cent of the respondents to his
survey had once taught in either secondary or elemen~
tary schools.l Edinger, in a study of 589 new employees
of the.Junior colleges of California in 1957 found that
78 per cent of these instructors had come from other
teaching positions, 46 per cent of whom had previously
taught in high schools.2 Koosfls study indicates that
some three-fifths of all the respondents in his study
came from high school positions.3

Clark“s analysis of San Jbse Junior College of-
fers numerous reasons why so many Junior college.in-
structors, particularly those in unified school dis-
tricts, are drawn from high school ranks. Included
among his reasons are these facts: (1) Teachers in
Junior colleges operating within a unified district are
generally required to have state certification. Having
teachers in the Junior college with state credentials
makes them more inter-changeable with other teaching

positions in the system. (2) Working conditions are

 

lMedsker, op. cit., p. 172.

2B. Lamar Johnson, "Problems of Preparing JUnior
College Teachers,“*Report of the State-wide Conference on
the Preparation of JUnior College Teachers, (Sacramento:
'Califbrnia State Department of Education, 1958): P. 8.

3Leonard V. Koos, "JUnior College Teachers: Back-
ground of Experience," JUnior College Journal, Vol. 18,
April, 1958, p. 468. _

#1

generally better in the local Junior college than in
the local district high schools, making junior college
teaching attractive to district teachers. Conversely,
the fact that teaching loads are generally heavier in
Junior colleges than in four-year colleges makes it
easier for the district administrators to recruit high
school teachers than senior college instructors. (3)
The high school teacher generally finds that the Junior
college offers him greater freedom in his work, fewer
contact hours, and older, more mature students than he
finds in high school teaching, according to Clark.1
These are the basic reasons why Junior colleges,
particularly those in unified districts, have a high
percentage of teachers coming from high schools. These
studies, which have outlined the importance and scope
of existing characteristics of Junior college teachers,
have been cross—sectional in time, however, and have not
traced any one college or group of colleges longitudinal~
1y. As stated earlier, one of the reasons for this is
that the Junior-community college movement is relatively
new. Few colleges have existed for any length of time.
Faculty hiring and supervising is an administrative func-
tion. A historical administrative analysis of a Junior-
community college within the framework of a unified
school district must in essence include a longitudinal

presentation of the characteristics of its faculty. It

 

lClark, op. cit., p. 131.

,l ,\
1..-,r’

~—

was not the purpose of this faculty study to rate or
evaluate the faculty of Grand Rapids JUnior College
either presently or historically. It has been point-
ed out, however, that faculty characteristics are im-
portant to faculty attitudes and consequently to teach-
ing. With this in mind, a historical longitudinal fac-
ulty characteristic study was undertaken to determine
the overall characteristics of the Grand Rapids Junior
College faculty throughout the history of the college,
both to observe faculty characteristics under the vari-
ous college administrative heads and to observe faculty
characteristics under the different superintendents of
the school district throughout the history of the col-
lege. This last facet of the study is important because
hiring and supervising faculty members in Grand Rapids
Junior College has always been the responsibility of the
district administrators, primarily the superintendent and
deputy superintendent. The degree of participation of
the district administration, particularly in the selection
of Grand Rapids JUnior College faculty members, is some-
what difficult to ascertain as the district administrators
have historically attempted to create the impression that
they granted considerable autonomy to the college admini-
stration. However, final approval of faculty selection
has always been retained by the district administration.'
The primary purpose of this longitudinal faculty
study is to observe and ascertain the characteristics of

faculty selection and retention in a historical Junior

43
college operating in a unified school district. The per-
sonnel record of every teacher in Grand Rapids Junior
College since its inception at Central High School in
191” was analyzed for certain faculty characteristics.
These included the degrees the instructors held; the
type of teaching credential they had, it any; the year
they started teaching at Grand Rapids JUnior College;
the year they left; the total years served; their age
when appointed to Grand Rapids Junior College; the Job
they held immediately prior to coming to Grand Rapids
JUnior College; the number of years spent in the Grand
Rapids school system if applicable; total years spent
in teaching prior to appointment at Grand Rapids Junior
College; and the geographic location of the colleges and
universities from which degrees were earned. Data for
all these categories were not available for all in-
structors. Some of the personnel records dating back
to the late 1800's were not complete, but most of them
were complete. It might be noted that considering the
age of some of those records, the data not available
were relatively insignificant.' It should be pointed out
that the first faculty of Grand Rapids Junior College
was composed of the department heads of Central High
School.1 These teachers were highly regarded in their
fields.2

 

lGrand Rapids Junior College Bulletin, No. 1, 191a.

2School Surve , Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rap-
ids Boara of Education, 1916, p. 28.

x.

4A

The study of the faculty reveals that from its
inception in 1914, Grand Rapids Junior College nad a
total of 305 instructors. Ten instructors, including
Jesse B. Davis, the principal of Central High and the
first president of Grand Rapids Junior College, com-
prised the beginning staff. In 1963 the faculty num-
bered 11%. The growth of the faculty from 1914 to
the present has been steady except for a few periods
when some instructors were transferred back to the high
schools in the district because they were not needed at
Grand Rapids Junior College. This situation occurred
during the depression years of the 1930's, and during
World War II. After the "veteran bulge" following World
War II there was another period of adjustment when some
faculty members were not needed. As Clark points out
in his study, the characteristics of the average instruc-
tor hired for a Junior college in a unified school dis-
trict make him quite inter-changeable in the district
school system because of his teaching credentials and
secondary school orientation. The periods of adjustment
in the history of Grand Rapids JUnior College indicates
that there is positive value in the inter-changeability
of teachers in a district. Needless to say, this factor
can work to the disadvantage of the instructor as well.

Of the 305 instructors who had a place in the
history of Grand Rapids Junior College, 180 were men, 125
were women. The total historical breakdown of the high-

est degrees held by the faculty is as follows:

45

Baccalaureate 71
Masters 178
Doctorate 31
D.D.S. l
L.L.B. 2
R.N. 8
None 5
Data not available 9

The following types of teaching certificates were held
by all the instructors at Grand Rapids Junior College:

Temporary state 4
Community college 38
Life 132
State secondary 19
Special 34
VOcational Provisional 8
No certificate 26
Number not available 35

It seems significant to note in relation to certifica-
tion that most of the teachers in Grand Rapids Junior
College had some type of state certification. The
data available indicates that only 8.5 per cent actually
had no certification. Only l2.h per cent of the faculty
possessed community college certificates.

Another fact revealed by the faculty study was
that of the 365 faculty members at Grand Rapids JUnior

College, forty-two of them are listed as teachers of

46

technicalmterminal courses. This is only 13.7 per cent
of the total. For evaluation purposes this figure can
be cited as representing a position somewhat unfavor-
able relative to the emphasis on vocational curricu-
lums. It may be contended that not enough emphasis
has been placed upon the technicalmterminal curricu-
lums at Grand Rapids Junior College. Evaluating the
curriculums of the college as listed in the catalogues
by counting courses may be somewhat misleading in at-
tempting to assess the strength of one curriculum.
Enumerating instructors involved in the teaching of
each curriculum is more reliable in determining the
importance of each area. The number of instructors in-
volved with technicalmterminal teaching was obtained by
analyzing the teaching responsibility of each instructor
at Grand Rapids Junior College throughout its history.
The average years served by all the teachers at
Grand Rapids JUnior College was 7.3. The average age
of the faculty upon appointment was 37.7. The average
number of teaching years of those teachers who came
from some teaching assignment was 11.8. The number of
teachers at Grand Rapids JUnior College who came direct-
ly from the Grand Rapids school system was 120. The
average number of years taught in this system before
their appointment was 11.5. This is significant, for
many persons teaching in the district regarded an ap-
pointment to Grand Rapids Junior College as a reward

for successful and faithful teaching. The data indicate

47

that 39.3 per cent of the Grand Rapids JUnior College
faculty came from the Grand Rapids school system. In
addition to those instructors who came directly from
the Grand Rapids school system, fifty-six came from
secondary school positions outside the Grand Rapids
school system. Combined, 176 faculty members at Grand
Rapids JUnior College, or 58 per cent, came to Grand
Rapids Junior College from a teaching position below
the college level. Clark found that 67 per cent of
San Josefls instructors were appointed directly from
elementary or secondary teaching positions,1 and a
study of 589 new community college teachers in Cali-
fornia by Edinger indicated that 46 per cent of these

instructors had come from teaching positions below the

Junior college level.2 These two studies, however, as
well as others, were conducted on a current time basis
with no longitudinal perspective. This study spans
nearly fifty years. Furthermore, in the earliest
years of Grand Rapids JUnior College, all the faculty
came from the teaching ranks of Central High School.
Of the total number of instructors at Grand Rapids
JUnior College,eighty~eight taught somewhere outside
the Grand Rapids school district before Joining Grand
Rapids Junior College. Thirty taught in four-year.col-
leges or universities immediately prior to coming to

Grand Rapids JUnior College, and only two taught in

A

1Clark, op. cit., p. 116.
2Johnson, op. cit., p. 8.

48
other Junior~community colleges before appointment to
Grand Rapids JUnior College. The average teaching ex-
perience of these eighty-eight before coning to Grand
Rapids JUnior College was seven years.

The number who had non-teaching positions before
coming to Grand Rapids Junior College was thirty-seven.
This is 12 per cent of the total. Included among these
are many of the forty-two technical instructors.

The number who came directly from graduate school
was twenty-five. This is only 8.2 per cent of the total.
This figure is significant in view of some of the inter-
views that were conducted with the former deans and as-
sistant deans. All of them indicated their desire to
obtain college oriented faculty and expressed the opin-
ion that the graduate schools were ideal places from
which to obtain young people so orientated.

It seems that teaching experience was relied upon
as significant preparation for Grand Rapids JUnior Col-
lege teaching. The average number of years of teaching
experience for those who taught outside the Grand Rapids
system was 11.5 Years. Those instructors coming from
within the Grand Rapids system averaged 11.8 years of
teaching experience.

Another factor that influenced the hiring of ex-
perienced teachers rather than recent graduate students
was the influence of the district administration. It.
becomes apparent that the district administrators find

benefits in having district orientated instructors ap-

1+ 9
pointed to the Junior college. Clark explores these ad-
vantages in his study of San Jose and they have been
cited previously in this study. There is no data avail-
able for twenty-five instructors concerning their Job
immediately prior to appointment to Grand Rapids Junior
College. Most of these instructors taught in the early
years of the college when the personnel records were not
complete. It may be assumed with some degree of validity,
however, that many of these twenty-five actually came
from the district's high-school teaching ranks when one
considers the close tie between Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege and Central High. In fact, many of these twenty-
five are associated with Grand Rapids Jpnior College
through Central High when the college used the depart-
ment heads from Central as its initial staff.

An analysis of the degrees held by the faculty in
relation to colleges attended is as follows:
Baccalaureate Degrees:
University of Michigan 66
Michigan State University 22
Western Michigan University 34

Western State University 3
Other Michigan Colleges 55
Total out of State 147
Eastern United States 33
Midwestern United States 46
Western United States 13

Foreign 5

50

Of the total faculty, twenty-eight did not have a bacca-
laureate degree, or the college from which they graduated
was not specifically listed.
Masters Degrees:
University of Michigan 76
Michigan State University 16
Western State university
Western Michigan University
Other Michigan Colleges
Total out of State 66
‘ Eastern United States 32
Midwestern United States 28
Western United States 6
Foreign 2
Of the total number of Masters degrees, four were not
listed specifically as to college.

Doctorates:

University of Michigan 13
Michigan State University 6
Other Michigan Colleges 0
Total out of State 10
Eastern United States 3
Midwestern United States 6
Western United States 1
Foreign 1

It can be observed that relative to earned de-
grees, there is some distribution for colleges attended.

The predominance of University of Michigan relative to

51
earned graduate degrees is of particular note, however.
This undoubtedly contributed significantly to the Univer-
sity of Michigan orientation Grand Rapids Junior College
has experienced throughout much of its history. This
is particularly true of the 58 per cent of the entire
faculty who held the Masters degree as their highest
earned degree. Of all the Masters degrees held by the
Grand Rapids Junior College faculty, seventy-six per
cent or 42 came from the University of Michigan. or the
total number of Master's degrees held, 106, or 60 per
cent, were earned in Michigan. The rest were earned out
of state.

The earned doctorates show a University of Mich-
igan dominance with 42 per cent having been earned at
this single institution. This figure is of some Sig-
nificance, but not as important as the masters degree
analysis as only 10 per cent of the faculty had an
earned doctorate.

Inlanalysis of the degrees held by the faculty

throughout the years is as follows:

University of Michigan 120
Michigan State University 26
Western State University 3
Western Michigan University 16
Other Michigan Colleges 22
Total out of State 91
I Eastern United States 45

'Midwestern United States 36

52

Western United States 10

Foreign 3
Data of colleges attended was not available for twenty-
five instructors. Once again an analysis of this data
indicated a preponderance of the highest degree held by
the Grand Rapids Junior College faculty to have been
earned from the University of Michigan.

.To give the faculty profile meaning in time seg-
ments, it is necessary to observe characteristics of
faculty members hired under the various administrators
of Grand Rapids JUnior College and under the various
superintendents of the district. These administrations
overlap, but both are significant because it has been
determined from interviews with former deans and assist-
ant deans that throughout the history of Grand Rapids
JUnior College, district approval has been the general
rule in all appointments. The autonomy with which the
various administrators of the college have operated in
hiring faculty, has varied under different superintend-
ents. Interviews with the former deans and assistant
deans have produced this observation, although each has
stated his relative feedom in this matter. Each has
also manifested his desire and ability to bring col-
lege-teaching orientated faculty to Grand Rapids-Junior
.College. One interview with a former assistant dean
produced the observation that the person occupying the
superintendent's position directly influenced the degree

of autonomy enjoyed by the Grand Rapids Junior College

administration in appointing faculty. An examination
of the personnel records relative to the administra-

tive time periods is valuable in attempting to object-
ively present data relative to faculty characteristics

for these historical time segments.

Jesse B. Davis - President 1914-1920

Eighteen faculty members were appointed to teach
at Grand Rapids Junior College under Mr. Davis. The
average age of these teachers was 44.6 years. The
highest degree held by nine was the bachelors. Five
held a masters degree, and one a doctorate. No inform-
ation as to degree was listed for four instructors.
Twelve of these teachers taught in the Grand Rapids
school system before teaching at Grand Rapids Junior
College. The average number of teaching years of these
teachers who taught in the Grand Rapids system before
teaching at the college was 15.7. This indicates the
experienced nature of the first faculty. Two of these
instructors came from high schools outside of Grand
Rapids. Two came from other colleges. The average
number of years taught by those instructors who had
teaching experience outside of Grand Rapids was 9.4.

Two of the instructors employed under Jesse B.
Davis came from non-teaching jobs. None came directly
from graduate school.

The breakdown of degrees earned at various col-

leges by the faculty hired under Jesse B. Davis is as

follows:

Baccalaureate Degrees:

University of Michigan 8
Other Michigan Colleges 0
Eastern United States 1
Foreign 1
Not listed as to college 7
No degree 2
Masters Degrees:
University of Michigan 3
Other Michigan Colleges 0
Other United States Colleges 0
Foreign 1
Not listed as to college 3
Doctorates:
University of Michigan 1
Other Michigan Colleges 0

Once again there is a predominance of faculty orientated
toward the University of Michigan. This period of time
covers the founding and formative years of Grand Rapids
JUnior College and gives some insight into why Grand
Rapids Junior College has been strongly University of
Michigan orientated.

An examination of the teaching credentials held
by the faculty under Davis is as follows:

Life and permanent 6

Special 2
No credential 7
Not listed in records 7

55
Arthur Andrews, President 1920~1955.

Under Mr. Andrews 182 teachers were hired. The
average age of these instructors was thirty-eight years.
The highest degree held by fifty-four of the instructors
was the bachelors. One hundred-two held a masters de-
gree, and fifteen a doctorate. Eight of the total had
no degree, and information as to degree was not avail-
able for thirteen.

Seventy-five instructors taught in the Grand
Rapids school system before appointment to Grand Rapids
JUnior College. The average teaching years of those
teachers who came directly from the system was twenty-
two years. Forty-one per cent of the teachers hired
under Andrews were drawn from the Grand Rapids school
system. This is not excessively high when compared to
other studies cited in this study. However, for those
instructors who came directly to Grand Rapids JUnior Col-
1ege from the district, their average experience in the
district prior to joining the staff at Grand Rapids JUn-
ior College was twenty-two years. This seems to sub4
stantiate the observations of Mr. E. Ray Baxter, former
assistant dean, in interviews with him concerning the
origin and character of the faculty hired by Mr. Andrews.
Those that were drawn from the system represented many
years of teaching experience.

Information relating to prior job experience was

not available for eighteen of the total faculty hired

under Mr. Andrews.

56

The number of teachers who taught

somewhere else prior to Grand Rapids JUnior College

under Mr. Andrews was seventy-two.

Of this number,

twenty-nine came from high schools, twenty from col-

leges or universities, and four from other junior col-

leges.

structors was 6.4 years.

The average teaching experience of these in-

Nineteen of the faculty in

this time period came directly from graduate school.

This is 11 per cent of the total, not very high.

teen came from jobs other than teaching.

are as follows relative to earned degrees:

Baccalaureate Degrees:

University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Western Michigan University
Western State University
Other Michigan Colleges
Eanérn United States
Western United States
Midwestern United States
Foreign
No degree

Information not listed

Masters Degrees:

University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Western Michigan University

Six-

The colleges represented by this faculty group

57

Western State University 0
Other Michigan Colleges 3
Eastern United States 19
Western United States 5

Midwestern United States 21

Foreign 0
Information not listed 6
Doctorates:
University of Michigan 7
Other Michigan Colleges 0
Midwestern United States 7
Information not listed 1

Once again the dominance of University of Michigan ori-
entated faculty members is apparent. This is particular-
ly true of those holding the masters degrees.

Teacher certification for these faculty members

is as follows:

Community College 10
Life 107
Special 2
Secondary State 8
Temporary State 4
No certificate 10
Data not available 22

thn E._Tirre11, Dean, 1255-1258.
. Of the twenty-four instructors hired during the

tenure of thn Tirrell, thirteen, or 54 per cent, came

58

from the Grand Rapids school system. The average teach-
ing experience of these teachers in the district was
nine years. The number of the total who were hired

from teaching positions outside of the district was

six. Of this number, two came from other high schools
and four from four-year colleges and universities. None
came from other junior colleges. The average teaching
experience of this group who came from teaching posi-
tions outside of Grand Rapids was 12.3 years. One came
directly from graduate school and three from jobs other
than teaching.

Of the group employed under Dr. Tirrell, three
held the bachelors degree as the highest degree held,
sixteen the masters degree, and four the doctorate. The
average age was 36.4 years, considerably younger than’
those employed under the previous two administrators.
The college of training distribution of this group is
as follows:

Baccalaureate Degrees:

‘ University of Michigan

Michigan State University
Western Michigan University
Western State University
Other Michigan Colleges
Eastern United States
Midwestern united States
Western United States

No degree

OOOl-‘U'lU'll-‘U'IID-P'

Foreign

'59

Masters degrees:

university of Michigan 13
Michigan State University 3
Other Michigan Colleges 0
Eastern United States 3
Western United States 1
Doctorates:
University of Michigan 3
Other Michigan Colleges 0
Eastern United States 1

The type of certificates held by this faculty group is

as follows:

Community College 10
Life 9
State secondary 3
No certificate 1
No information 1

It is significant to note that ten persons hired in this
administration qualified for the community college cer-

tificate.

thn E. Visser, Dean, 1958-1962.

Of the sixty teachers employed while Dr. Visser
was dean, the highest degree held by seven was the bacca-
laureate. Thirty-nine held the masters degree and ten
had earned the doctorate as their highest degree. Four
held no degrees and information was not available for

two. The average age of this group was 36.9. Of the

60

total, twenty per cent came directly from the Grand Rapids
school system with an average of 7.7 years of teaching .
experience. This is significant because Dr. Visser, of
all the chief administrators, brought in the lowest per-
centage of instructors directly from the Grand Rapids
School District. It is also significant because this
was a rapidly expanding period in the college's history.
The lower average of teaching experience is also note-
worthy. It would tend to indicate that during this per-
iod appointment to Grand Rapids Junior College was not a
reward for long and faithful service to the district.

The number of instructors who taught outside the
district before coming to Grand Rapids Junior College
was seventeen with an average of 6.7 years of teaching
experience. Of this total, eleven came from high
schools, six from four-year colleges, and one from an-
other junior college. Ten of the total came directly
from graduate school. This is 17 per cent, the highest
percentage in the administrative history of Grand Rapids
Junior College. Eleven of the total came from non-teach-
ing jobs.

Evaluatively, there seems to be the highest cor-
relation in Dr. Visser's tenure between what was expressed
by the administration as an ideal and the implementation
of this concept by obtaining persons most likely to be
college ttaching orientated.

The colleges where the instructors employed during

the tenure of Dr. Visser earned their degrees are as

61
follows:

Baccalaureate degrees:

University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Western Michigan University
Western State University
Other Michigan Colleges
Eastern United States
Midwestern United States
Western United States
Foreign

None

Data not available

Masters degrees:

University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Western Michigan University
Western State University
Other Michigan Colleges
Eastern United States
Midwestern United States-
Western United States

Doctorates:

University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Other Michigan Colleges
Eastern United States
Midwestern United States

I'DKOON\O

13

10

F' 4: l4 F’

20

OCDOIDIU-P’Kl

HUGO-PB)

62
Western United States 0

Information not available 1
It is significant to note that institutions other than
the University of Michigan begin to supply more teach-
ers to the Grand Rapids JUnior College staff. The
University of Michigan dominance seems to abate dur-
ing this period.

Certification breakdown is as follows:

Community College 21
Life ' 16
State Secondary 4
Special 15
No certificate 1
Information not available 3

Here again it is interesting to note the relatively high
number of the instructors appointed who qualified for
the community college certificate. This diminishes the
interchangeability of the teachers at Grand Rapids JUn-
ior College with other positions in the district.

Donald D. Fink, Dean, 1962-.

Twenty-one instructors have been employed under
Dr. Fink. Of this number, two held the baccalaureate
degree as their highest degree, sixteen the masters,
and two the doctorate. One had no degree. The average
age of the group was thirty-seven years.

Of the total of this group, twelve, or 57 per

cent, came directly from the district. The average ex-

63

perience of these instructors was 10.8 years. A reversal
of the employment trend under Dr. Visser can be noted.
The number of instructors coming from teaching posi-
tions~outside of the district was three, with 7.6

years of experience. All three of these came from

a high school. None came from colleges or junior col-
leges.

The number who came directly from graduate school
was two, only 9.5 per cent. This is another reversal of
the pattern under Dr. Visser.

The breakdown in terms of college training of
these faculty members is as follows:

‘Baccalaureate Degrees:

University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Western Michigan University
Western State University
Other Michigan Colleges
Midwestern united States

Foreign

p4 :4 I4 ox F4 4: .= t»

No degree

Masters degrees:
university of Michigan
Michigan State University

Western Michigan University
Western State University

Other Michigan Colleges

l-‘I'OOUJ-k'U‘l

Eastern united States

64
Midwestern United States 2
Foreign 1

Doctorates:

University of Michigan 0
Michigan State University 2
Other Michigan Colleges 0

The trend toward employing the graduates of Michigan
colleges other than the University of Michigan is defin-
itely continued under this administration. Representa-
tives from colleges in other sections of the nation
definitely diminish among this group.

Certification of this group is as follows:

Community College 3
Life 10
State secondary 3
Special 2
No certificate 2
Information not listed 1

The data relevant to certification is significant. Just
prior to Dr. Fink's administration, the State of Michigan
discontinued the requirement of certification of commun-
ity college instructors. An analysis of the certificates
held by the instructors appointed during this administra-
tion indicates that almost all of the faculty in this
group possessed some state certificate common with second-
ary school teachers. Only 14 per cent held a community
college certificate.

These are the characteristics of instructors em-

65
ployed by the chief administrators of Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College throughout its history. The constant prob-
lem relevant to faculty hiring as revealed in inter-
views with the former deans and assistant deans was
that of attempting to be autonomous in selection. The
pattern of faculty characteristics of instructors em-
ployed by the various administrators has direct rela-
tionship to the degree of autonomy each college admin-
istrator had. All of the administrators, except Jesse
B. Davis, expressed the desire to employ faculty with
characteristics most conducive to college orientated
teaching.

A study of faculty characteristics employed under
the various superintendents of the Grand Rapids school
district was also made. As stated earlier in this
study, the years of service of the chief administrators
of Grand Rapids Junior College and the superintendents
of schools over-lapped, and consequently, the validity
and importance of this particular phase of the study will
be less significant. This last tabulation is included,
however, to contribute another dimension to the factors
involved in hiring faculty members for a junior college
operating in a unified school district. In this type
of administrative organization pressures can be exerted
on the chief administrator of the junior college to
select particular individuals for appointment to the
faculty. Clark's analysis as to the reasons the dis-

trict administration may wish to do this have been pre-

66

sented.l The analysis of the characteristics of faculty
hired under the administrators of Grand Rapids Junior
College compares favorably with other studies cited.
The purpose of including a tabulation of the charac-
teristics of faculty members hired under the various
superintendents of the Grand Rapids School District
will be to introduce another variable into the his-
torical perspective of the entire faculty analysis.

The data relevant to this phase of the study

will be presented in tabular form only.

William A. Greeson, Superintendent, 1214-1224.
Number of teachers hired 55
Average age 35.5
Highest Degrees held:

Bachelors 9
Masters 26
Doctorates 8
No degree 4
No information 8

Number of total who taught in the Grand Rapids
school system before appointment to Grand Rapids
Junior College 15
Average teaching years of this group -- 11.7
Number of teachers who taught outside of the dis-
trict before Grand Rapids Junior College -- 15
Average teaching years of this group -- 8.7

 

lClark, op. cit.. PP. 118-121.

67
Origin of teachers coming from other teaching
jobs:
High School 9
College 5
Other Junior College 1
Number for whom there is no prior job data -- 18
Number from non-teaching jobs -- 1
Number directly from graduate school -- 6
College degree distribution:

Baccalaureate Degrees:

University of Michigan 12
Michigan State University 3
Other Michigan Colleges 2
Eastern United States 6
Midwestern United States 8
Western United States 1
Foreign 2
No degree 3
No data available 18
Masters Degrees:
University of Michigan 15
Other Michigan Colleges 0
Eastern United States 1
Midwestern United States 7
Foreign 2

Doctorates:
‘ University of Michigan
Other Michigan Colleges 0

68
Midwestern United States
Foreign
Certification distribution:
Life
Community.College
Special
Temporary
None

No data available

Leslie A. Butler, Superintendent, 1225:;222,
Number of teachers hired
Average age

Highest Degrees Held:

Bachelors 14
Masters 24
Doctorates 2

No data 3

21

43
37.5

Number of total who came directly from the Grand

Rapids district -- 18

Average teaching years in district -- 12.3

Number who taught outside of Grand Rapids district

before Grand Rapids Junior College -- 13

Average teaching years of this group -- 5

Origin of teachers coming from other

teaching jobs:
High School
College
Other Junior College

69
Number for whom there is no data available as to
prior job -- 4
Number with non-teaching job prior to Grand
Rapids Junior College -- 0
Number directly from graduate school -- 8
College degree distribution:
Baccalaureate Degrees:
university of Michigan 16
Michigan State University 2
Western Michigan University 2
Other Michigan Colleges

Eastern United States 4
Midwestern United States 12
Western United States 0
No data available 7

Masters Degrees:

University of Michigan 12

Other Michigan Colleges 0

Eastern United States 6

Midwestern United States 8

Western United States 0
Doctorates:

University of Michigan 2

Other Michigan Colleges 0
Certification distribution:

Life ' 30

Special 4

70
Community College
Temporary

No certificate

m-PIOO

No data

Arthur W. Krause, Superintendent, 1236-1248.
Number of teachers hired 80
Average age 39
Highest Degree Held:

Bachelors 25
Masters 41
Doctorates 7
No degree 2
No data 5

Number of total who came directly from the Grand
Rapids district -- 35

Average teaching years -- 13.8
Number of teachers who taught outside district
before Grand Rapids Junior College -- 28

Average teaching years of this group -- 6.3
Origin of teachers coming from other teaching jobs:

High School 18

College 9

Other junior colleges 1
Number of teachers who had non-teaching jobs prior
to Grand Rapids Junior College —- 11
Number of teachers who came directly from gradu-
ate school 7‘ 4

No data available as to prior job -- 2

71
College degree distribution:

Baccalaureate Degrees:

University of Michigan
MiChigan State University
Western Michigan University
Western State University
Other Michigan Colleges
Eastern United States
Midwestern United States
Western United States

No degree

No data

Masters Degrees:

University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Western Michigan University
Western State University
Other Michigan Colleges
Eastern United States
Midwestern United States

Doctorates:

University of Michigan
Other Michigan Colleges
Midwestern United States

Certification distribution:

Life
Community College

Special

22

12

17

15
14

61

72

State Secondary 3
No certificate 4
, 'No data 5

Benjamin J. Buikema, Superintendent, 1949-.
Number of teachers hired 127
Average age 37.4
Highest Degrees Held:

Bachelors 17
Masters 85
Doctorates 16
No degree 8
No data 1

Number of the total coming directly from the
Grand Rapids district -- 53 '
Average teaching years before Grand Rapids
JUnior College -- 11.8
Number of instructors who taught outside the Grand
Rapids district before coming to Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College -- 3o ' '
Average teaching years of this group -- 5.3
Origin of teachers coming from other teaching jobs:
High School 18
College 12
Other Junior College 0
Number of teachers with non-teaching jobs prior
to appointment to Grand Rapids Junior College -- 24
Number coming directly from graduate school -- l4

73
Number for whom no prior job data is available -- 5

College degree distribution:
Baccalaureate Degrees:
University of Michigan 12
Michigan State University 17
Western Michigan University 23

Western State University 3
Other Michigan Colleges 28
Eastern United States 12
Midwestern United States 16
Western United States 4
Foreign 2
No degree 5
No data available 5
masters Degrees:
university of Michigan 48

Michigan State University 16
western Michigan university
Western State University
Eastern United States 11
Midwestern United States 12
Western United States
Foreign

Doctorates:
University of Michigan
Michigan State University
Other Michigan Colleges

mom-t:

Eastern United States

74

Midwestern United States
Certification distributions:

Life

Community College

Special

State Secondary

No certificate

No data

These, then, are the characteristics of the faculty
employed throughout the history of Grand Rapids Junior
'College under the different chief administrators of the
college and under the various superintendents of the
district from 1914-1963. The importance of these char-
acteristics relative to faculty attitudes, orientation,
and actions as related to other studies has been cited.
The differences in faculty characteristics employed

under the various administrative heads of the college

have also been presented.

42
us
22

9

7
u

CHAPTER V
INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND ADAPTATION

During its forty-nine years of operation, Grand
Rapids Junior College has had a total of twenty-four
persons who can be classified as administrators. Of
this total five have been deans, three of whom were ap-
pointed in the last eight years. Of the total number
of administrators, nine are current. Prior to 1956,
there was a minimum of administrators appointed to the
staff of Grand Rapids Junior College and the turn-over
until that time was extremely low. Since that time the
college and the staff have expanded rapidly and the
turn-over in positions has been equally rapid. Before
an analysis is made of the development of the internal
administration, an overall characteristics report will
be presented, primarily because the characteristics and
orientation of the administrators is vital to the entire
operation of the college. The internal adminiStration
of the college has had and still has a profound effect
on the total program of Grand Rapids Junior College.

Clark analyzed the characteristics of San Jose
Junior College administrators and found, among other

things, that all of them came from some position within

75

76
the unified district.1 This job origin factor prior to

appointment in a junior college seems significant inas-
much as it determines the orientation of the admini-
strator. Many educators contend that there is a basic
difference in philosophy between secondary-level and
college-level education. One of the basic issues in
the junior-community college movement is whether the
junior-community college is part of higher education
and consequently distinct from secondary schools, or
whether it is a logical extension of the local high
schools. This basic philosophical problem as manifest-
ed in the junior college operating within a unified
school district will be explored more fully in the next
chapter. Nevertheless, the characteristics and orienta-
tion of the administrators will affect the junior-com-
munity college. Such has been the situation at Grand
Rapids Junior College.

Of the total number of administrators employed
throughout the history of Grand Rapids Junior College,’
eight out of the twenty-four, 33 per cent, came directly
from the Grand Rapids school Instrict. The average num-
ber of years in the diatrict including teaching at Grand
Rapids Junior College prior to appointment as an admin-
istrator was eleven. This seems to follow the pattern
of making administrative jobs rewards for faithful
teaching. The number of the total who came from high

 

1Clark, op. cit., p. 103.

77
schools outside the Grand Rapids district was two. Two

came from other colleges and six came directly from grad-
uate school. Four came from positions other than educa-
tional experiences. The average age of the administrator
when appointed to Grand Rapids Junior College was 36.5
years, relatively young. Two of these appointed held
the bachelors degree; eighteen held a masters degree;
five held a doctorate; two had no degree; and data was
not available for one administrator. The average years
served by Grand Rapids Junior College administrators was
nine. Of the administrators, two held state secondary
provisional certificates, ten held life certificates,
one held a special certificate, five held community col-
lege certificates, two had no certification, and data
was not available for three of the administrators.

The following data indicates the colleges the
administrators attended and the highest degree attained:

Baccalaureate Degrees: .

University of Michigan 1

H

Eastern United States
Masters Degrees:

University of Michigan

Michigan State University

Eastern United States

Western United States

I-‘UJl-‘GJ

Doctorates:
university of Michigan
Michigan State University 2

78

Eastern United States 1
Western United States 1
No degree 2
Data not available 1

A historical characteristics analysis of the
chief administrative officers of Grand Rapids Junior
College and those administrators below that level is
included. The term "president" and"dean" apply to
the same position at Grand Rapids Junior College.
"President" was used until Mr. Andrews' retirement in

1955, and "dean" has been used since that time.

Presidents and Deans:

Total 19
Number who came directly from Grand Rapids
high schools -- 3
Average years of experience in the district
before Grand Rapids Junior College appoint-
ment -- 8 years
Number who came from college employment -- 1
Number who came directly from graduate
school -- 1
Average age at appointment as administrative
head -- 37 years
Highest Degrees:
' Masters 2

Doctorates 3

Average years served as dean -- 10 years

79
Teaching credentials:

Life 4
Community College 1
Institutions granting degrees:
Masters Degree:
university of Michigan 2
Doctorates:
Michigan State University 1
Eastern United States 1
Midwestern United States 1
A11 administrators below president or dean:
Total 19
Number who came directly from
district 5
Average years experience in district before Grand
Rapids Junior College administrative po-
sition 11 years
Number who came from college
employment 0
Number who came directly from graduate
school 6
Number who came from positions other than
education 4
Average age at appointment at Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College 3 36 years
Degree distribution:
. Bachelors degrees 2
Masters degrees 16

8O

Doctorates 2
No degree 2
Data not available 1
Credentials:
State secondary provisional 2
Life 5
Special 1
Community college 4
No credentials 2
Data not available 3
Institutions granting degrees:

Baccalaureate_Degrees:

University of Michigan 1

Eastern united States 1
Masters Degrees:.

University of Michigan 6

Michigan State University 1

Western United States 1

Eastern United States 3
Doctorates:

University of Michigan 1

Michigan State University 1
The preceding profile of the characteristics of the Grand
Rapids Junior College administrators indicates a rela-
tively good distribution of origin and other historical
characteristics relative to the administrators.
Historically, the development of the internal

administration of Grand Rapids Junior College was slow.

81

Fourteen of the twenty-four administrators were appoint-
ed since 1955. Of the ten listed among the administra-
tive ranks from 1916 to 1955, only four could be termed
"administrators" in the current administrative sense.
It becomes evident that for over thirty years of the
college's life, most administrative functions were han-
dled by a very few persons. The size of Grand Rapids
Junior College for many years contributed to this fact,
but the personalities involved in these years of the
college was a determining factor.

The first administrative head of Grand Rapids
Junior College, Jesse B. Davis, was called the president
and served a dual role as president of Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College and principal of Central High School. He
served in this capacity from 1914, the founding year,
until 1920. During this period of time in the history
of Grand Rapids Junior College, the internal administra-
tive structure of the college was relatively simple, and
little if any thought was given to the total concept of
administration as it is presently conceived in theory
and practice. An examination of the School Survey_of
1916, which evaluates the various operations of the Grand
Rapids school board, reveals no reference to internal
administrative structure in any form.1 One reference is
made to the district-college administrative structure

which will be discussed in the next chapter.

1School Surve Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand
Rapids Boafa of Education, 1916.

 

82

Internal organizational administrative structure
and function, even within the entire district, was
superficially treated in the 1916 school survey, no
doubt because such concepts had not been as well de-
fined then as they are currently. Personal leadership
was of prime importance in this era of any type of ad-
ministration; indeed, this was the case in Grand Rapids
Junior College during this period. Leadership by strong
personality can be postulated as being the dynamic force
in any type of administration, but it seems evident from
history that this was particularly true of the early
1900's of many forms of organization.

From the records, it appears that the leadership
of Jesse B. Davis was the principal administrative force
and structure in the early years of Grand Rapids Junior
College. There is little doubt, as pointed out previous-
ly, that William Greeson was favorable to the establish-
ment of Grand Rapids Junior College and the possibilities
of its types of programs. Nevertheless, the records in-
dicate that the initiative and responsibility for the
program of Grand Rapids Junior College rested with Davis.
The records indicate that the administrative officers of
any of the educational institutions of the city did not
get much assistance in this era. It is recorded that
when William Greeson was principal of Central High School
prior to the principalship of Davis, Greeson for many
years had no assistance, including clerical help. In an

interview with a former faculty member, it was revealed

83
that to obtain some assistance, Mr. Greeson hired a
student part-time, paying her earnings from his per-
sonal funds. Jesse Davis had an assistant principal
while he was principal of Central High School and pres-
ident of the junior college.1 It can be assumed, how-
ever, that the activities of the assistant, Miss Alice
M. James, were confined primarily to the operation of
the high school as she is recorded as having made little
or no contribution to the program or operation of the
college. Articles from the newspapers during this era
indicate that Davis performed almost all the duties
relevant to the operation of the college such as meet-
ing prospective students, representing the college at
various functions, enrolling students, counseling stu:

dents, supervising the teachers, collecting tuition, and

many other such activities.2 It is quite evident that
during the early years of Grand Rapids Junior College

under Jesse B. Davis, internal administration was pri-
marily a one man operation. It must be pointed out, how-
ever, that the first catalogue of Grand Rapids Junior
College, 1914, listed a director for the normal course in
public school music, Mr. John W. Beattie. In 1916 the
college was broadened to offer the second year of col-
lege work and a variety of business-technical courses.
Mr. Harry Kurtzworth was named director for the "course

in industrial arts" which was a curriculum of various

 

1Grand Rapids Junior College Bulletin, No. 3, 1916.
2The Grand Rapids Press, 1914-1916. ‘

84

technical subjects. Mr. Arthur Holmes was listed as
director for the "course in business practice" which
was also a curriculum.1 These two directors were in
addition to the existing director of public school
music. By 1916, then, it appeared that there was a
president and three directors. This appeared to have
been quite a highly structured organization for eight-
een instructors. By 1917 there was only the president
and one director listed, that one being for the school
of art and industry which replaced the "course" in art
and industry.2 It appeared that these directorships
were primarily in name only and that most administra-
tive functions, as are generally recognized, were per-
formed primarily by Davis. The persons listed as
directors were essentially the instructors in these
various areas. The listing of the various directors
points out an interesting facet of the administration
of Jesse B. Davis. It was pointed out that initially
the college was to offer the first two years of work
similar to that offered by the University of Michigan.
There were indications from the statements of Davis
even from the beginning that he had broader purposes
in sight for the future of the College. These were
quoted in Chapter III. By 1916, only two years after
the establishment of Grand Rapids Junior College, the

offerings of the college were expanded to include tech-

 

1Grand Rapids Junior College Bulletin, No. 3, 1916.

2Grand Rapids Junior College Bulletin, No. 4, 1917.

85

nical and business courses, the first offered by any jun-
ior college in Michigan. These courses were offered on
a wide scale considering the size and age of the college
as well as the novelty of the whole concept. The curric-
ulum in industrial arts included classes in molding,
metal craft, art advertising, and other forms of com-
mercial design. The courses included in the 1916 bus-
iness practice curriculum were bookkeeping, shorthand,
typewriting, stenography, commercial law, economics,
salesmanship, and business methods. Admission require-
ments to these curriculums, as well as the public school
music curriculum that was included in the original course
offerings in 1914, were less rigid than were admission
requirements to the literary curriculum which paralleled
the first two years in liberal arts at the University of
Michigan.1

The presence of business-technical curriculums
and courses has been continuous in Grand Rapids Junior
College from 1916 to the present. The curriculums other
than the college parallel were given varied amounts of
attention and importance by the administrations of the
college and by the community.

Under the leadership of Jesse B. Davis, an even-
ing program was established in 1917 offering courses in
all of the curriculums of the college to any interested

adults.

 

l

6 Grand Rapids Junior College Bulletin, No. 3,
191 . . _

86

Jesse B. Davis continued as administrative head
of Grand Rapids Junior College and Central High School
until his resignation in January, 1920. He left to be-

come supervisor of secondary education for the State
of Connecticut. Dr. Davis joined Boston University in
1924 and did some teaching at Harvard University. In
1935 he was named Dean of the School of Education at
Boston University, a position he held until his re-
tirement in 1950.1

On January 22, 1920, the Grand Rapids Board of
Education appointed Arthur Andrews as President of Grand
Rapids Junior College and Principal of Central High
School.2 It is recorded that Mr. Andrews had the sup-
port of Mr. Davis and Mr. Greeson, the superintendent
of schools. One member of the board opposed the ap-
pointment.3 It is interesting to note that in the same
article recording the appointment of Mr. Andrews as
dual head of the two institutions, the students of
Grand Rapids Junior College voiced an appeal to the
Board of.Education to be more independent from Central
High School, particularly in the physical sense. The
board pointed out that it was impossible to provide a
separate building for Grand Rapids Junior College at
that time but that this was their goal when and if the

 

JThe Grand Rapids Press, November 10, 1955.

 

2Ibid., January 23, 1920.‘
3Ibid.

87

funds became available."L

The coming of Arthur Andrews to the presidency
of Grand Rapids Junior College in 1920 saw the estab-
lishment of an administration that remained until the
retirement of Mr. Andrews in 1955, a thirty-five year
period. This Grand Rapids Junior College administra-
tion out-lived the tenure of numerous district super-
intendents, each of whom altered the basic administra-
tive structural relationship within the district. The
effects of these external administrative relationships
will be discussed more fully in the next chapter. It
will be the attempt at this point to characterize the
nature and administrative organization and operation
of the Andrews administrative era. '

Structurally, the administrative chart of the
Andrews administration, had there been one, would have
been very simple. Andrews, as administrative head of
the college and high school, was responsible for all
administrative details and responsibilities. At the
beginning of AndreWs' administration there is a record
of two persons in addition to Andrews involved in any
way with administration. One is the assistant prin-
cipal of the high school who is determined to have had
little to do with the actual administration of Grand
Rapids Junior College; the other is the registrar, Iva
Belden, who also served as clerk of Central High School.

 

”Ioid.

88

Records and personal interviews indicate rather clearly
that neither of these individuals had any influence in
the decision making processes of Grand Rapids Junior
College; indeed, the evidence indicates that they had
little to do with the actual college administrative
processes as we know them today. In 1931 the name of
Felix Wilcox is listed as assistant to the president.
As can best be determined from the interviews con-
ducted with faculty members on the scene at the time,
the subsequent assistant to the president, Mr. E. Ray
Baxter, and from the records, the most that can be
credited to Mr. Wilcox in the administrative sense was
that he relieved Andrews of some of the procedural de-
tails necessitated by college operation. The decision
making process on all levels seems to have been firmly
controlled by Andrews. In 1941 E. Ray Baxter replaced
Mr. Wilcox as assistant to the president. Mr. Baxter
had been almost continuously associated with Grand Rap-
ids Junior College as student and instructor since the
opening of the college in 1914. Mr. Baxter held the po-
sition of assistant to the president until his retire-
ment in 1959. The role and position of Mr. Baxter and
consequently the role and position of the job of assist-
ant to the president was different than it was with Mr.
Wilcox. Mr. Baxter was a personal friend of Andrews.
Mr. Baxter took on additional administrative responsi-
bilities as the college grew, but the decision making

processes and basicadministrative authority-responsi-

89

bility patterns remained basically and primarily with
Andrews. This fact was expressed by Mr. Baxter and
“by others. One faculty member who served many years
under Andrews expressed the philosophy and administra-
tive operation of Andrews relative to the faculty in a
quote by Andrews in which he is purported to have said:
"My job is to administer and your (teacher's) job is
to teach, and seldom the twain shall meet."

Mr. Andrews, it can be stated with considerable
emphasis, constituted the administration of Grand Rap-
ids Junior College during his thirty-five years as pres-
ident. Although he had an assistant and a registrar,
it has been reported that Andrews found it very diffi-
cult to delegate much authority or responsibility.
Andrews was deeply involved in all phases of the col-
lege's operation both personally and professionally.
In a mimeographed document (Appendix I) he sent to all
alumni and faculty during the last year of his thirty-
five years as president, he stated: "I am concluding
almost thirty-five years of service as president of
Grand Rapids Junior College. No one in the united
States has administered a junior college for such a
long period of time. Under these circumstances I may
be permitted to make some personal observations. My
tenure in the Junior College covers not what is com-

monly said to be the best years of my life but from

the point of professional service my association with

90
the College has been my whole life."1 It is difficult

to project in print the involvement and personal re-
sponsibility Mr. Andrews felt toward Grand Rapids Junior
College as determined from the various individuals inter-
viewed and documents available. Mr. Andrews throughout
his thirty-five years was actively involved in all the
details of Grand Rapids Junior College administration
from personally recruiting students in high schools
throughout the West Michigan area to personally reviewa
ing all candidates for graduation and counseling each
relative to goals and opportunities. Mr. Baxter,
Andrewsa longmtime associate and assistant, stated that
it was very difficult for Andrews to delegate any

duties of Grand Rapids Junior College administration.

He felt it necessary to personally direct all opera-
tions and activities. Mr. Baxter also stated that
Andrews was driven by two basic goals or philosophical
tenets: one was the continual drive for excellence in
all phases of the operation of the college (particular-
ly scholastic standards); the other was the desire to
make a college education available to young people in
the area who would not have a chance to go to college
were it not for Grand Rapids Junior College. Coming
from a farm background, Andrews was very appreciative of
the change higher education had made in his life. He
wanted all qualified young people to benefit from a.

similar experience.

 

1Arthur Andrews, Unpublished review of thirty-
five years as administrative head of Grand Rapids Junior
College, 1955, p. 18. ~

91

It can be postulated that because of these deep
and sincere motivations, Andrews never felt secure or
happy to delegate responsibilities and authority. He
was driven by the feeling that he should do whatever
he could to improve the standards and the opportuni-
ties of Grand Rapids Junior College.

Andrewsu relationship to the faculty relative
to the authoritarianmdemocratic scale could be classi-
fied as tending toward the authoritarian-patriarchal in
nature, as can be determined from interviews, corres-
pondence, and documents. A faculty policy committee
was created by Andrews to review some routine proced-
ural matters and to assist in some of Andrews' decision
making. It was interesting to note from personal inter-
views, particularly with Mr. Baxter, the nature of the
decision making process under Andrews. The policy com-
mittee was created and hand-picked by Andrews and had
something of the nature of a "kitchen cabinet." Mr.
Baxter, long a member of this group, stated that it
was difficult for Mr. Andrews to make decisions because
he was so deeply concerned that the consequences of de-
cisions consistently and unalterably be in the best
interests of Grand Rapids Junior College and its;ob-
jectives. In the words of Mr. Baxter, Andrews was an
administrative perfectionist and suffered all the ram-
ifications of such a nature, both positive and negative.

To assist in the clerical and procedural details

of the administration, Andrews had the services of a

fullmtime registrar with four different individuals
filling the position during Andrewso tenure. Here
again, Andrews delegated little administrative author-
ity or responsibility to this position. What he del-
egated was clerical in nature and the functions per-
formed by the individual in this position were indeed
limited considering the duties and functions typical
of a registrar. The position of registrar remained
clerical in nature until the administrative reorgani-
zations which occurred after the retirement of AndreWs.
A clear indication of the position of registrar during
the entire Andrews tenure is indicated by the fact that
the annual reappointment of the registrar was made along
with the clerks of all the high schools, as reported
in the minutes of the Proceedings of the Board of Edu-
cation.l

There is some difference of opinion regarding
the administrative emphasis of Andrews relative to the
basic purposes and emphases of Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege. Although the college catalogues through the
Andrews years contain the listings of many vocational-
terminal curriculums, there is evidence that all of
these curriculums were not operative, at least to any
important degree. Close associates of Andrews stated
that although he understood and advocated the multi-

curricular approach of the junior-community college,

 

1Proceedings of the Grand Rapids Board of Educa-
tion, 1914-1955.

93

his first love relative to Grand Rapids JUnior College
was the college parallel program, very similar to the
University of Michigan curriculums. Mr. Andrews'
consistent emphasis was quality. He saw no substi-
tute for this and continually tried to make Grand Rap-
ids Junior College programs definite contributions to
higher education. Mr. Baxter stated that Andrews was
opposed to any thinking that placed Grand Rapids JUnior
College or the Junior college movement as an extension
of the high school. Relative to this position was
Andrews" belief that terminalavocational curriculums
and courses should be established as something above
and beyond those that could be offered on the high
school level.

The criticisms of Andrews that he did not emphap
size terminalmvocational education enough is refuted
by those persons on the scene at that time who state
that these curriculums were attempted by Andrews but
that they were not at all popular with students or po-
tential students. Credence is given to this contention
by Andrews' successor who, in one of his annual reports,
stated that it was not the thinking of the people of
the Grand Rapids area to send their children to school
beyond high school unless they were going into one of
the professions that normally requires a degree. From
the long association of this writer to the Grand Rapids

area, this position seems entirely reasonable. In fact,

94

delving a little further into the nature of the predom-
inant nationality group, the Dutch, it was long the
thinking of many of these people that unless a son
were going into the "queen of all sciences," theol-
ogy, there was little need for higher education.
Throughout the early history of Grand Rapids Junior
College, large segments of the population of Grand
Rapids were immigrants or first descendants of immi-
grants. Considerable public persuasion would have been
necessary to promote the importance and acceptance of
diverse curriculums in higher education. It is prob-
able, however, that this effort would have failed at
the time. Only the passing of time and the changing
nature of society would make Grand Rapids more aware of
the importance of diverse postahigh-school curriculums.
Nevertheless, in his report on the thirtymfive years of
his administration, Mr. Andrews stated that Grand Rap-
ids JUnior College had spent more time and money in
giving publicity to terminal educational programs, but
that sometimes the results had been discouraging.l

Administratively, the organization of Grand Rap-
ids Jhnior College under the thirtyufive years of
Andrews was simple. The entire structure consisted of
Andrews the president, an assistant to the president,
a registrar, and a hand-picked policy committee. The

authority and responsibility of each of these roles was

 

lArthur Andrews, op. cit., p. 12.

ontlined. It becomes cl.ar that anministratively the
college was in she Bands of Andrews with some help,
primarily clerical, from a few others. Throughout
these years the college was relatively small, six;
hundred to onesthousand students, and allowed for this
type of dedicated onewman administration. Administra-
tive changes after the Andrews era were to come, and
relatively often.

In the fall of l955 John Tirrell became dean of

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officer of the college was changed at this time to
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relationsh ps.

Tirrell came to the jet finding little administra~

:1;

tive structt re or crgaliz tion. Mar my duties were in-
formally undertaken and all faculty members reported
directlf to the dean {president}. Administrative duties
were not clearly delegated, nor was commensurate author~
ity granted. Tirrell attempted to organize the college
structurally and administratively. Throughout his first
year as dean, Tirrell operated with the same administra-
tive organization, r lack of it, as had functioned un-
der Andrews. In his annual report for the year 1955-56,
Tirréll proposed an administrative reorganization which

included the addition of more administrative staff mem-

bers (Figure 1). This was to become operative for the

96

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97
year 1956-57. Under this plan the assistant dean was
to report to the dean and have no authority lines rel-
ative to the faculty or other administrators. A posi-
tion of coordinator of student affairs was to be cre-
ated as well as a director of counseling and director
of the evening program. Withthe existing registrar,
a position to be somewhat expanded along authority-
responsibility lines, the administrative reorganiza-
tion under Tirrell Was to be complete. All of these
proposed positions became operative within the next
three years. No structural organization was estab-
lished for the faculty. Under TirrellVS administrative
tenure, each faculty member remained directly responsi- -
blé to the dean. No supervisory personnel was created
in Tirrell's administrative reorganization for 1956-57,
or in the plan of reorganization proposed by Tirrell
if the college grew large in the future (Figure 2).
When a cursory study of Grand Rapids Junior College
was made in March, 1959, by a visitation team of The
North Central Associates, the absence of some form of
formal faculty structure or supervisory system other

than the dean was one of the criticisms of the report.1

From interviews with faculty members on the scene at the
time, informal power structure among the faculty created
numerous instances of friction and breakdown in communi-

cation. A similar situation continued under Tirrell's

 

1Group Report of the Visit of The North Central
Association to Grand Rapids Junior College, 1959, p. 5.

98

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The records do indicate that there was a defin-
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faculty so that thay might participate in some of

rrell indicated in

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a personal interview that it was one Of his goals to
make faculty administration more democratic, but that
this was diff {malt because there had been little experu
ience on the part of the faculty with this type of ad-
minis tra tive operation. Ne erwth les ss, begixnings of

ed fa ' Alty prrfi ip tion in th decision maki.ng

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The history of the administration at this point in time
undoubtedly had something to do with this. The size of
the college also had some tearing in ’c-hi,~ respect, the
college now averaging between ninemhundred to fifteen-
hundred students. Another factor which seems important
is the college-district administrative relationship

which demanded rather close supervision of all activ-

lOO

ities of the college by the iean of Grand Rapids JUnior
College. This concept will be expanded in the next
chapter.

The administrative emphasis of the Tirrell era
was mainly an attempt to popularize the college to the
students and to the community. It is indicated from
interviews with Tirrell that he was attempting to make
the college more an image of a “community college" as
the term has zone to be defined. He stated that con-
siderable inertia had to be overcome, but that defin-
ite attempts were initiated. There was an attempt made
at this time to promote the area of community service
with all of its ramifications. Some surveys of the
community were made to determine possible areas of
increased service. An evening college program was be-
gun in Tirrellfls second year of administration as an
attempt to serve the needs of the community. An ad-
ministrator was brought in from one of the local high
schools to direct the program. and from the records,
he seems to have enioyed the greatest degree of admin-
istrative independence relative to all other sub-admin-
istrators. In his annual report of 1957-58, Tirrell
outlined his attempts to have the evening program in-
clude more offerings than the day college°s parallel
courses. Short courses to help local executives were
attempted as were programs designed to help train city
firemen. This was indeed a novel experiment for Grand

Rapids Junior College. It can be observed, however,

l O I

that as the evening college expanded in enrollment, the
offerings began to duplicate more closely the day
courseso

The administration of John Tirrell was a dynamic
one, although relatively shorto At this period in his-
tory the college began to change in character primar-
ily because of increasing enrollments and the in-
creased importance and acceptance of higher education
for a larger percentage of the areaGS youtho Tirrell”s
short era saw the beginning of the development of an
administrative structureo Authoritywresponsibility
lines and patterns did not become very clear during
these yearsg but they did begin to developo Faculty
organization remained largely unchanged from the
Andrews years with each member of the faculty still
reporting directly to the dean of the college and all
supervision of the faculty coming directly from the
deano

In the late summer of 19589 John E. Visser re-
placed JOhn Tirrell as dean of the college° Tirrell
was a young man and took advantage of an opportunity
to move to a position at the University of Michigan;

JOhn Visser°s first year as dean saw a 28 per
cent increase in enrollmento The total enrollment of
Gran” Ragiis Junior College in l958~59 was Just over
two-thousand studentso To teach this expanding enroll-

ment additional faculty members were hired which con-

.102
tributed to the problems created by lack of faculty or-
ganization, It became concurrently obvious that there
was a definite lack of administrative organization rel-
ative to all aspects of the college°s operation. Al-
most immediately Visser began a selfmstudy of the
college administratively to neet the needs of daily
operation and expansion. It might be said that the
self study of the college at this time (1958-59) and
the resulting proposed administrative reorganization
was the first significant change of the administrative
philosophy and operation of Grand Rapids JUnior Col-
lege relative to authoritymresponsibility patterns.
To accomplish this change, Visser began a self study
that included a critical look at the following: (1)
the philosophy and objectives of the college; (2) the
number of fullmtime and partmtime instructors and the
current and predicted student enrollments; (3) the
quality and extent of the collegens educational and
student services program; and (4) the capabilities
and personalities of the existing administrative staff
and facultyo In the spring of the 1958~59 academic
year, a team from the North Central Associates visited
Grand Rapids Junior College for evaluative purposes;
The visitation team strongly indicated that the col-
lege, as it existed under VisserVS initial year, was
under-administered in almost all areaso There was

little delegation of responsibility or authority and

103

lines of communication were not clear. The report
strongly reiterates the necessity for some faculty
organization so that everything would not come direct-
ly from and to the dean. By the time this evaluation
was made, however, Visser had developed a proposed ad-
ministrative reorganization of the entire college
(Figure 3). The reorganization, as proposed and
adopted, increased the number of the administrative
staff, and in doing so, more clearly defined areas of
delegation of authority and responsibility. Most of
the members of the administrative staff were not to be
fullutime administrators, This was due to two factors:
first, Visser held the philosophical belief that all
administrators should be educational people and remain
in close contact with the profession of teaching;
secondly, it became clear that the board of education
would not adopt an increase in the administrative staff
without some built~in economy of operation.

In Vissergs administrative reorganization, the
faculty was divided into five divisions with division
chairmen chosen from among the ranks of each division.
These divisional chairmen were to be responsible to the
assistant dean of instructional affairs who was responsi-
ble to the dean. The position of assistant dean of V
instructional affairs was a position quite different
from the old assistant to the president. The assistant

dean here was to have specific responsibilities and au-

 

 

 

Aeetetenc neen of

1e-.s

 

Llnetructionel Affelre
f I

 

 

10“

I '-Chend-Repide 1
n

_ _—— _- ..-_-

 

[Superintendent of Schoole l

 

»-»--9

Evening College

 

 

 

 

j

l I
A been of the Junior College]

   

 

Director of the

 

lo--------4

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L Student Attelre '
...... o‘lh-oo-UI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Director Co-ordtnggog negletrer l Director or Director of rbltector of _
of of end Guldence a Student ; Pleceeenc .
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Cheirmen Chlirmln Co-Chelrmen Chelrlen Cheirlen
Divieion of Bus. Divieion Divlelon of Dlvtelon Dtvlelon o! .
e Techntcel of Hithenetlce & l of Heelsh;.leire:tton
Soc el Sciencee in ye ce
Studiee Hueenltiee Sciencee lduceclon
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Retelling Philoeophy Microbiology Sociology
Secrecerlel scudlee Spenleh Phyelce ‘
Speech Zoology I

 

 

 

eeeeeeee l

 

 

t officee Currently Non-Operative

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3.——Administrative Reorganization of Grand
Rapids Junior College Adopted Under Dean Visser.

105
thority relative to the faculty. There was to be
another aSSistant dean. in charge of student af—
fairs. Under this position was to be the co-ordinator
of business affairs. the registrar and director of ad-
missions, the director of“ guidance and counseling,
and the director of student activities. Throughout
Visser's tenure this second assistant dean's position
remained non-operative so that each of the above listed
officers reported directly to the dean.

The new administrative structure was aided in
its formation by the community college specialists at
Michigan State University and the University of Michi-
gan, Dr. Max S. Smith and Drs. Jesse Bogue and Algo
Henderson respectively. This in itself was an innova-
tion in the administrative development of the Grand
Rapids JUnior College.

Faculty participation was utilized in the pro-
posal and adoption of the reorganization. This was an
extended attempt to make the administrative process
more democratic for the faculty. Visser stated that
there was a definite problem in attempting to promote
democratic participation of the faculty in the admini-
stration because they were very inexperienced in this
methodology. Possibly one of the factors related to
this observation was that many of the faculty members
came from secondary school systems, as was pointed out
in chapter four, and that many of these teachers were

authority orientated.

106

It can be observed that the administrative reor-
ganization as proposed and adopted under John Visser
did much to effectively establish lines of authority,
responsibility, and communication. By no means was
the process complete; indeed, the reins of most of the
decision making processes were still held by the dean.
Visser stated that one of the reasons for this was that
some of the administrative positions were new and most
of the persons filling the key administrative roles were
new and not fully acquainted with their Jobs or Grand
Rapids Junior College. It seems fair, however, to make
another observation about the necessity of the dean's
keeping close control on the administrative processes
of the college, and that is the fact that the district
authorities, in their relationship with the college, de-
manded this in an implied manner.

Nevertheless, John Visser had in his four years
a definite impact upon the administrative development
of Grand Rapids Junior College. Under his leadership
the college reorganized and emerged from the small per-
sonally controlled type institution to a structured unit
more capable to meet the demands created by a student
enrollment of some three-thousand and a faculty of
nearly one—hundred full time instructors. After a year
or two, the administrative development slowed and the
demands of a growing school began to strain again.

In review, then, it can be observed that for most

107
of its history Grand Rapids JUnior College was under
administered due to a combination of factors. In-
cluded among these were size, personalities, faculty
loyalty patterns, financial limitations, and board at-

titudes and controls.

CHAPTER VI
ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATION WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Grand Rapids JUnior College was founded and con-
tinuously operated by the Grand Rapids Board of Educa-
tion for nearly a half century. It is possible to
observe Grand Rapids JUnior College through this per-
iod of history to outline and analyze many of the
strengths and weaknesses of a juniorwcommunity college
administratively structured in a unified school dis-
trict. The period from 1914 to the present was a
crisis-laden segment in American history which consider-
ably influenced any public institution and movement.
Nevertheless, this is the growth period of the American
Junior~community college and must be analyzed to under-
stand the growth problems of the movement.

The analysis of the administrative strengths and
weaknesses of operating a juniorucommunity college in
a unified school district is greatly involved with per-
ception and perspective. This was made abundantly clear
in the personal interviews that were conducted to out—
line respective strengths and weaknesses. What might
be regarded as an element of strength or as a positive
aspect by the district administrators, may be looked

upon as a weakness in the operation of a Junior-commun-

108

109

ity college within a unified school district by the
college administrators. It will be the procedural
method in this chapter to attempt to objectively
state and outline the vieWpoints expressed and to
interpret them, where possible, from the standpoint
of the well-being of the college as an entity in it-
self.

Foundation Period

 

Most personal interviews and Grand Rapids JUn-
ior College historical sources cite beneficial impli-
cations of establishing Grand Rapids Junior College
within the Grand Rapids School restrict. In 191a
there was noienabling or permissive legislation of any
type in Michigan authorizing the establishment of a
Junior college. It was noted in the chapter dealing
with the establishment of the Grand Rapids JUnior Col-
lege that Superintendent Greeson told Jesse Davis that
in advocating the establishment of a Junior college
within the school system, he (Davis) might be precipi-
tating another court fight similar to the Kalamazoo
case as it related to using school board funds for the
support of a college.

The fact that there was an existing educational
system and unit with public support must be regarded as
an important contributing factor to the establishment

and well-being of the college. Rooms were available for

immediate use. The faculty at Central High School was

l 10

available to teach in the college, and only the heads
of departments were initially utilized. The newspapers
of that time pointed this out in announcing the opening
of the college, noting that Central High School enjoyed
a national reputation.1 In an interview, hr. E. Ray
Baxter pointed out that the Grand Rapids school dis-
trict contained some outstanding administrators in-
cluding Greeson and Davis, and that these people were
the essence of the college in the early days.

A review of the proceedings of the Grand Rapids
Ebard of Education during the period of the establish-
ment of Grand Rapids {Unior C llege points out what
can be regarded as a negative implication of operating
a college in a unified school district. In the proceed-
ings of September 8, 1914, the board of education ap-
proved the use of a certain text book for the college.
This action was probably rather perfunctory as the
texts used and course outlines followed for most of the
early courses were the exact duplicates of those used
at the University of Michigan. Nevertheless, this ele-
ment of administrative procedure was the same pattern
followed for the elementary and secondary schools.

Overall, it can be stated that the establishment
of Grand Rapids JUnior College within and by the Grand
Rapids School District accounted for the opening and
being of the college. Without the district in 1914,

 

lThe Grand Rapids Press, JUne 10, 1914.

111

there would have been no public Junior college. The
resources of the district not only made the college

possible, but promoted and insured its early excell-
ence.

Proceeding through the early years of the col-
lege's operation, Davis, in his annual report to the
board of education in 1917, stated that in a lean year
of the college“s operation the district had saved the
college by its support.1

In the founding period of the college it was
determined by the board of education that tuition would
be charged so that there would be no financial burden
to the district. It transpired, however, that tuition
would not cover the operation of the college, partic-
ularly if enrollments fell, as they did in the second
year of operation. This is why Jesse Davis made the
statement cited above relative to the saving of the
college by the board of education. In the same re;
port, Davis indicated that the school survey conducted
by the district administration in 1915-16 was most
helpful to the college.2 This report strongly sug-
gested broadening the services of Grand Rapids Junior
College to more diverse curriculums including terminal

courses and programs. The 1915—16 School Survey indi-

 

1Proceedings of the Grand Rapids Board of Edu-
cation: September 8, 1917, p. 165. .

2Ibid.

112
cated that one of the reasons for the decrease in enroll-
ments at Grand Rapids JUnior College was the narrow con-
fines of the curricular offerings. When these were
broadened, enrollments increased.

An interesting feature of the early curriculum
at Grand Rapids Junior College which points up an early
strength of operating within the Grand Rapids School
District was the curriculum in public school music. In
this program Grand Rapids Junior College music school .
teacher trainees taught in the public schools part-time
as a portion of their program. This program is said to
have worked well, and can be cited as something of a
precedent for the Student Teacher Educational Program
initiated at Grand Rapids JUnior College in connection
with Michigan State University in 1958. Dr. thn
Visser, in an interview, cited this latter program as
demonstrating one of the strengths of operating a Jun-
ior-community college within a unified school district.

In 1918 Jesse Davis, in his annual report to the
board of education, stated that he viewed the admini-
strative structure of Grand Rapids JUnior College oper-
ating within the Grand Rapids School District as lend-
ing strength to the college.1 ”As the college began to
grow, however, an examination of the board of education

annual reports indicates that the presidents of Grand

 

lAnnual Report of the President of Grand Rapids
JUnior College to the Superintendent of the Grand Rapids
School District, 1918.“

 

113
Rapids Junior College expressed concern over the limit-
ed physical plant of the college. This cannot be
properly regarded as a definite weakness of a commun-
ity-Junior college operating within a unified dis-
trict, as this situation could arise under any admini-
strative organization. By 1926 the Grand Rapids board
of education had provided a separate building for the
college. Interviews with two later deans of Grand Rap-
ids Junior College regarding the problem of lack of
space indicated rather negative reactions. One stated
that in his opinion Grand Rapids JUnior College has
historically suffered in lack of physical space due to
its being part of the Grand Rapids school system. The
other dean pointed out the negative aspects of operat-
ing a college in the same building that houses the dis-
trict administrators. This situation contributed to
some faculty members approaching the district admini-
stration with problems, circumventing the college ad-
ministration. This physical proximity situation also

has many implications in lack of autonomy.

Faculty
Chapter IV contained a longitudinal analysis of

faculty characteristics at Grand Rapids JUnior College.
The orientation and aspiration patterns of any college
faculty influence its effectiveness as college teachers.

To the students, the faculty is the college. Recruit-

ing, selecting, and administering a faculty in a Junior-

114

community college administratively structured within a
unified school district presents some unique implica-
tions.

There appear to be positive and negative aspects
to selecting and hiring a faculty for a college which
is a part of a unified school district. One element
of strength is that the college has a relatively large
school district from which to secure qualified instruc-
tors. This proves particularly beneficial when a
vacancy occurs unexpectedly and must be filled hurried-
ly. There is also the possibility of promoting teachers
within the school district up to the Junior college as
a reward for faithful service. There appears to be some
.evidence of this in the history of Grand Rapids JUnior
College as the statistical analysis of the faculty in
Chapter IV indicated. There also appears to be some
evidence in interviewing a part of the district admin-
istration that there are recognized differences between
qualifications of the secondary and the Junior college
teachers.

One former dean stated that one of the biggest
deficiencies in recruiting faculty members for the col-
lege was the fact that the college was tied to the sin-
gle salary scale of the district with a $300.00 differ-
ential for Junior college instructors. Former admini-
strators representing all prior college administrations

expressed the opinion that faculty additions were limit-

115

ed due to district control.

Supervising a faculty in Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege's basic administrative structure has proved rather
interesting through the years. The fact that the col-
lege's main physical facility has been located in the
same building as the district administration since l9h3
contributes to the uniqueness of the situation. Admin-
istrators representing two former Grand Rapids Uhnior "

College administrations complained that numerous faculty

members circumvented the college administrators and pre-

E.“ ‘ii‘3ilj “sci—Wanuj

sented their problems or complaints directly to the dis-
trict administrators. At various times it was reported
that this practice was not only tolerated, but encour-
aged.

Another thorny problem developed in relation to
the district“s supervisors--particularly in the areas”
of specialized curriculums. It seems that the line and
staff relationships of the district supervisors were '
never clearly defined, a situation which on more than
one occasion led to administrative clashes. It also
appears that the direct authority of the district super-
visors ebbed and flowed depending on the personalities
occupying the administrative positions of the district
and the college.

Another vexing problem related to the basic ad-
ministrative structure of Grand Rapids Junior College

was faculty working conditions. Administrators repre-

A

llfi
senting all former administrations of the college strong-
ly indicated that it was a constant struggle to promote
and ensure more favorable faculty conditions. The prob-
lem of teaching loads has been evident throughout the
history of the college. Being tied into the district,
it has been extremely difficult to achieve teaching
loads which approximate typical four-year college as-
signments. All the administrators interviewed were in
agreement that the problem lay with the fact that the
elementary and secondary teachers had specified hour
assignments of full days, and it has been consistently
difficult to promote the concept of low hour assign-
ments for the Junior college instructors. The result
has been that the average teaching load at Grand Rapids
JUnior College has been around seventeen to nineteen
hours with a few instructors carrying more than twenty
hours some semesters.

This problem is tied in with the larger problem,
as seen by some of the former administrators, of having
to administer the faculty within the framework of the
district°s teachers“ regulations. These include stip-
ulations regarding leaves, conference attendance, aca-
demic freedom, required meeting participation, and pro-
motions. It does not appear that the administration of
these rules and regulations has been particularly rigid
at Grand Rapids JUnior College, but they are ever-pres-

ent and are generally followed out of habit and condi-

117

tioning. It becomes evident that it is easier to im-
pose these conditions and regulations upon faculty re-
cruited from school district ranks than upon persons

with prior college teaching experience.

Curriculum

Except for the problem of limitation, curricu-
lum considerations seem to have prewwnted relatively few
problems to the administration of Grand Rapids JUnior
College as it operates within a unified school district.
Former administrators pointed out that curricular and
course offerings through the years were dictated large-
ly by the demands made by programs transferable to
senior institutions. Because of this, district curric-
ulum co—ordinators and administrators were generally pre-
cluded from decision-making on the Junior college level.
One former dean did state that upon occasion the district
administration promoted certain programs. This same
former dean expanded his opinion to include the contenr
tion that Michigan communityojunior colleges have suf-
fered under district control. It is his position that
these Junior colleges are kept so busy keeping what au-
tonomy they have that they cannot solve the major prob-
lem of establishing their own curriculums instead of
following the first two years of four—year college cur-

riculums.

Finance

The financial aspects of operating a Junior-com-

118

munity college within a unified school district probably
present the most vexing problems relative to this basic
administrative structure. This seems to have been the
case throughout the history of Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege. In the establishment of the college in 191A it
was determined that tuition was to be charged the stu-
dents so that the college would not cost the board of
education any money. It was noted in Chapter III that
when Jesse Davis first proposed the idea of a Junior col-
lege being operated by the Grand Rapids Board of Edu-
cation, Superintendent Greeson told Davis that he was
sympathetic to the idea but that it was very doubtful
that the people of Grand Rapids would favor using schOol
tax monies for supporting a college. From this point,
there seems to have emerged the beliefthat the Junior
college was fine as long as it did not cost the board

of education money. In point of fact, the college cost
the board of education some money its first year and
every year thereafter. Nevertheless, it seems rather
clear that the people of Grand Rapids never really
.adopted the prospect of adequately supporting the Jun-
ior college with public funds. Its operation was often
regarded as something of a financial appendage subject
to financial limitations and threats, particularly in
times of financial stress for the board of education.

This was the case numerous times in the history of the

college.

119

Although the board of education financially sup-
ported the college, financial threats to its existence
came early. In 1918 the Grand Rapids Common Council
appropriated the budget to operate the Grand Rapids
Board of Education. During this year the city coun-
cil considered the proposition of eliminating Grand
Rapids Junior College from budget allocations for the
school budget.1 At this time it was seriously ques-
tioned whether the citizens of Grand Rapids should be
expected to support a college. The same question was
raised in 1924 by the city council, but once again the
college survived due to the support of some key public

2 During the Great Depression of the 1930's

figures.
when the board of education no longer received its
budget from the Common Council, members of the board

of education again questioned the wisdom of using tax
funds to support the college.3 At this time tuition
was raised to meet expenses in an attempt to make Grand
Rapids JUnior College self-supporting. Thereafter
raising the tuition in financial crises became standard
procedure. Threats to close the Junior college occurred

three separate times during the depression years on the

thesis that support for higher education was the best

 

J
2

The Grand Rapids Press, April 3, 1918.
Ibid., March 19, 1924.

31b1d., April 20, 1932.

120
function to cut in a financial crisis.

A new threat to close Grand Rapids Junior College
occurred during World War II when enrollments at the
college fell. It was reported that in 1942 the board
of education had secretly adopted a resolution to close
Grand Rapids Junior College and had offered Dr. Andrews
the principalship of one of the city high schools.

Dr. Andrews negotiated two developments which permit-
ted the college to continue to exist. One was acquir-
ing an Air Force cadet group to use Grand Rapids Junior
College; the other was to secure an extension of the
University of Michigan to offer adult evening courses.

In addition to the financial threats listed above
as documented in the newspapers and board of education
proceedings, retired faculty members recalled in per-
sonal interviews the general precariousness of the col-
lege any time school district finances were discussed.
Not until the coming of the Michigan Junior college
state aid formula in 1956 was any degree of stability
given the college financially.

The basic attitude of the district toward pub-
licly supporting higher education also becomes more evi-
dent in the stipulations regarding the establishment of
the Grand Rapids Junior College evening program and the
summer session. When the first summer school was pro-
posed in 192M, the board of education approved provid-

ing there would incur no expense to the taxpayers.1

 

1Proceedings of the Grand Rapids Board of Educae
tion, Jhly 7,1924, p. 4h. ,

121

This was also the case when the summer session was re-
established in 1952.1

The same financial limitations were applied to
the establishment of the evening division of the col-
lege which was designed to serve the adult education
needs of the area. The self-supporting limit was
placed on the first evening program in 1925, and again
when it was re-instituted in 1956.2

In addition to actual financial limitations and
cuts, interviews with former administrators represent;
ing all prior administrations indicated financial
strengths and weaknesses in operating Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College in a unified school district. Budget con-
siderations as related to the college and the district
have proved difficult from a Junior college administra-
tive standpoint. Although this was not universally con-
ceded from the district administration vieWpoint, a key
district administrator has acknowledged this as a gen-
eral problem area. A former dean stated in a personal
interview that having the Junior college budget tied in
directly with the district budget generally worked to
the detriment of the college. This was due to the fact
that in spite of increased student tuition, rising
state aid, and increased enrollments, the Junior college

lost financial ground if the district budget position

 

lIbid., June 2, 1952, p. 27.

2lbld., September 21, 1925, p. 104.

122

weakened. This same dean pointed out that the college
dean was not brought into the budget formulation for
the district which included Grand Rapids JUnior Col-
lege. He went on to state that once the budget was
formulated and adopted, the Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege business co-ordinator or dean had little if any
control over expenditures. This situation prevailed
throughout the history of Grand Rapids Junior College.
It becomes apparent that in this situation the crea-
tive and decision making activities of the Grand Rap-
ids Jhnior College business cowordinator are generally
minimized, if not entirely negated.

Another consideration which has presented diffi-
culties in the financial picture of Grand Rapids Junior
College relates to the control of special funds col-
lected or earned by the college. Many of these funds
are turned over to the district's general fund with lit-
tle, if any, college determination. This is not true
of all funds, but the pressure to include more is per-
sistent. Included in these considerations are student
fees, bookstore profits, and student organization mon-
ies. All major sources of income to Grand Rapids Junior
College, including tuition and state aid, go directly
to the district budget and are controlled by the dis-
trict business office.

Another financial consideration which has been
regarded by most of the former Grand Rapids JUnior Col-

lege administrators as a problem was the fact that the

123
salary schedule of the junior college was based upon
the same single salary schedule used for the entire
system. Although this may be philosophically defens-
ible, the former deans universally indicated that the
salary schedule, which has no negotiable element what-
soever, has made it difficult to recruit competent col-
lege instructors on a competitive basis. In most in-
stances evening college teaching, as well as all summer
instruction, is done for extra compensation. As a re-
sult, those junior college instructors who teach in the
evening or during the summer earn considerably more sal-
ary than do the district secondary teachers. This, how-
ever, is compensation for extra teaching.

One former dean pointed out that the basic admin-
istrative structure of Grand Rapids Junior College was
beneficial financially relative to the district's assum-
ing and covering some of the administrative costs of
the college. Certainly it must be noted that in the
midst of many weaknesses of such an administrative
structure, the financial resources and operations of the
district can be considered to be supporting the college.
This is particularly effective in the formative or lean
years of a junior-community collegeVS existence, but
seems to become a hindrance and a limiting factor when
the college grows and comes into a position where it
should become more self-directive to meet its expand-

ing needs.

124

Administrative Autonomy

Grand Rapids Junior College's administrative
autonomy has presented a varied picture historically.
Tracing the autonomy of the administrative officer of
the college relative to the district administration
from the founding of the college in 1914 to the pres-
ent seems to indicate rather clearly that the degree
of this autonomy was largely determined by the person-
alities of the persons occupying the Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College presidency and the district superintendent.
This vieWpoint was substantiated by Mr. E. Ray Baxter
and the living former deans in personal interviews.
In this period Mr. Baxter served in various capacities
in the college and had many opportunities to observe
inter-personal workings of the college administrators
and the district administrators.

As part of the Grand Rapids school district,
Grand Rapids JUnior College is administratively struc-
tured as one of the secondary schools. The dean of
Grand Rapids Junior College is regarded as a "building
administrator" on the school district organizational
chart (Figure 4). Within such a structure it is possi-
ble to view the college dean as occupying the same ad-
ministrative niche as a high school principal. It must”
be pointed out that this vieWpoint has not been followed
in general historically, but upon occasion it has been

invoked relative to certain issues or procedures. What

125

 

 

 

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Superintendent ol
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ln chorge of

Instructional
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Curr. El. Sec.
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DebulY
Superintendent

 

Ass't Supt.

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Iuslnoss Alleirs

 

 

 

 

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Mail". '0‘. '0'. g.“
‘ ‘ ‘ Services
Oper- Acct. Supp.

 

 

 

 

 

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.1

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r Supervisory Personnel .1

 

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Figure 4.——Grand Rapids Board of Education Administrative

Organization

 

f

120
seemed germane in most of these instances was the per-
sonal relationship between the college president or
dean and the district superintendent. It was pointed
out by two of the former deans, however, that even when
these inter-personal relationships were generally pos-
itive, college administrative autonomy was subject to
curtailment at any time. These curtailments, however,
were usually practiced with discretion.

Numerous examples of breakdown in administrative
autonomy were related in personal interviews with former
Grand Rapids Junior College administrators. A detailed
accounting of these episodes does not appear to further
the scope of this study. They include disputes over
the role or actions of the district supervisors rela-
tive to the college; breakdown in self selection by
the college of all of its staff; no college administra-
tive direction in the college cafeteria which was and
is completely controlled by the district administra-
tors; attempted interference by the district business
administrators in petty college financial situations;
college bookstore operational interference by district
administrators, particularly relevant to profits; ap-
propriated budget expenditures control and interfer-
ence; and inability to determine physical plant changes.

Important in understanding the position of Grand
Rapids Jpnior College to district control is the fact

that the college administrators do not have access to

127
the board of education. Onlv rarely throughout the his-
tory of the college has the college administration been
able to go directly to its board of control, the Grand
Rapids board of education. It may be philosophically
contended that as long as the college is represented
to the board of education, it doesn‘t matter too much
who does the representing. It must be recognized, how-
ever, that the superintendent of the district represents
all the school units and programs to the board, and it
is very difficult to expect him to consistently repre-
sent the junior college when he is responsible for the
entire program of the district. As a result, former
deans have indicated that the board of education was
not adequately informed as to the uniqueness of the col-
legels function, operation, and problems. Interviews
with former board members substantiated this view.

As the district and the college grow, commun-
ication between the district and the ccllege becomes
increasingly difficult. This has been the case in the
history of Grand Rapids JUnior College. It has been
recognized by the former deans and the present superin-
tendent of schools. As a result, a form of autonomy of
operation appears, but in reality, this supposed auton-
omy is a lack of decisive leadership for the college.
Administrators begin to feel that they are functioning
in a vacuum and tend to become defnsive about their ac-
tions and the independence which appears to be theirs.

A similar situation occurs on the district end of the

128
administrative structure. Such was the history of Grand
Rapids anior College-district administrative relation-
ships.

One former Grand Rapids Junior College dean
stated in a personal interview that Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College has lost its administrators due to its lack
of autonomy. Another dean broadened this statement to
conclude that Michigan junior-community colleges oper-
ating within a unified school district have generally
suffered by their constant lack of, and struggle for,
autonomy. A contrary opinion was expressed by the dis-
trict administration when it was stated that Grand Rap-
ids Junior College needs have been met as they become
evident, and that Grand Rapiis Junior College never suf-
fered because of district control. Perhaps the actual
situation lies somewhere between these two positions.
It does seem evident that as the size and complexity of
both the collese and the district increase, a modified
basic administrative structure should be formulated
rather than attempting to sputter along on the 1914,
or for that matter, the 1945 model.

Philosophical Concepts

Underlying all the considerations that have been
presented relative to the consequences of operating a
junior-community college in a unified school district
are the basic philosophical concepts of education in

general, junior-community college education specific-

129
ally.

Once again it could be philosophically contended
by some that education is a long continuum from the
kindergarten through graduate work and on through life.
Others contend this is not the case. Regardless of
these philosophical differences, the problems and oper-
ations of higher education differ from elementary and
secondary problems and operations in our present educa-
tional structure and society.‘ If these differences are
not recognized, and the college is not treated differ;
ently and granted considerable autonomy, administrative
level friction will develop and the quality and scope of
the program of instruction will suffer.

An examination of the history of Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College relative to this problem indicates that upon
occasion the uniqueness of Grand Rapids Junior College
was recognized and appropriate action was taken or al-
lowed. Often, however, the uniqueness of the college
was neither presented properly nor recognized.

Mr. Baxter, in interviews, pointed out that President
Andrews spent a considerable portion of his time at-
tempting to keep Grand Rapids Junior College recognized
as a college and treated as such by the district admin-
istration and the board of education. Baxter and the
other former deans pointed out that the board of educa-

tion is not orientated towards college operation.

130

Dr. Visser substantiated this vieWpoint with specifics.
He stated that the dean of the college is accorded the
same administrative status as the district's high school
principals. He stated that he was never able to per-
suade she district administration of the uniqueness of
a college library. The college "climate of learning"
concept was not adopted by the district. Budgetary con-
siderations, including purchasing policies, could not
be divested from district rules and procedures. In his
1961 annual report, Dr. Visser stated that the relation-
ship of Grand Rapids Junior College to the total program
of the board of education was not clearly defined, and
he was never able to define it in real college terms.1

Here again, the philosophical differences regard-
ing the position and role of the junior-community col-
1ege in a unified school district, and the consequences
of these philosphies, are largely determined by the per-
sonalities who occupy the district and college admini-
strative positions. The history of Grand Rapids Junior
College seems to substantiate this. Indeed, varied
vieWpoints relative to the position and autonomy that
Grand Rapids Junior College should enjoy were presented
in personal interviews with district administrators.
It seems that the importance and complexity of education

on all levels demand administrative organization and

 

1Annual Report of the Dean of Grand Rapids JUnior
College to the Superintendent.of the Grand Rapids School
District, 1960-61. .

131
functional operation more clearly defined than by ad-

ministrative personality. One district administrator
advocated the overt recognition of levels of education
in the district. In doing this, definite policies and
guide lines should be established for responsibility-
authority areas. Numerous alternatives could be postu-
lated including reorganization of the basic administra-
tive structure of the college with its own board of
control and its primary service area extended to Kent
County.

As it was stated in the beginning of this chapter,
enalyzing the strengths and weaknesses of operating a
community-junior college in a unified school district
is largely a matter of perspective and perception when
considering administrators in both the district and the
college. Such relativity becomes less tolerable, how-
ever, when the sole consideration is the welfare of

the junior-community college.

CHAPTER‘VII
CONTRIBUTIONS

It is difficult to assess the contributions any
public institution makes. This is true of any educa-
tional institution. The training, fact-imparting,
concept-giving, thought-producing, critical-reflec-
tion, and self—understanding functions of what is
thought of as higher education are by their very nature
impossible to measure. The end products of such an ad-
venture may not be evident for years, if ever. They
may take forms so subtle but so significant that they
are never associated with any one course, curriculum,
or college. These end products are present and are
among the major forces molding our society. Higher ed-
ecation works with and for people. It changes and lifts
them so that they can change and lift other men's prob-
lems. Because of this fact, education,and particularly
higher education, has become the great American dream
and goal. Any agency, institution, or movement that
has made this goal more readily attainable can be re-
garded as having made a significant contribution to the
community in the local and universal sense.

The presence of Grand Rapids JUnior College in
the local community offering higher education to the

132

133

citiznes of the area constituted its major contribution.
For half a century Grand Rapids Junior College has been
meeting the economic and sociological factors which have
historically limited college enrollments to many strata
of society. By offering college level educational op-
portunities locally, Grand Rapids Junior College was
among the pioneer institutions to activate the community
sociological forces which contribute to an increased pop-
ular participation in higher education. In its half cen-
tury of service, over 45,000 students have enrolled at
Grand Rapids Junior College. Enrollments have grown

from the 1914 class of forty-two, to the present en-
rollment of 3500, with an expected 7000 by 1970.

Beyond this primary contribution to the commun-
ity, various aspects and phases of Grand Rapids JUnior
College can be outlined in relation to community con-
tributions. In doing so, it must be recognized that no
listing, even when totaled, can approximate the real
impact the college has made upon individuals or the com-
munity. Nevertheless, an attempt will be made to in-
dicate some significant achievements and results of the
college's existing in Grand Rapids for a half century.

All former administrators of Grand Rapids Junior
College concur that the outstanding accomplishment made
to the local community by the college has been offering
quality higher education comparable to the first two
years in the'finest colleges and universities at a low

cost to local students. Students could obtain the first

134

two years of college in a public institution without
leaving home. In 1914, and from that point on, higher
education became readily available locally. This is
a potent force in the present mushrooming growth of
junior-community colleges, and was equally, if not
more, significant in 1914.

As the first junior college in Michigan, Grand
Rapids JUnior College can be cited as leading the move-
ment as it developed in the state. Jesse B. Davis,
William A. Greeson, and the Grand Rapids Board of Edu-
cation showed courage and leadership not only in found-
ing the college, but in the manner they did so. Al-
though there was no state enabling legislation, Grand
Rapids Jhnior College was established openly as a
separate and distinct unit of the public school system.

Although the principal emphasis of Grand Rapids
anior College has been college parallel curriculums,
the college developed numerous other curricular offer-
ings, pioneering many of them in Michigan and the find-
dle West. As early as 1916 the School of Art and In-
dustry was established within the framework of Grand
Rapids Junior College, offering numerous business, vo-
cational, and terminal programs. As cited in Chapter
III, Jesse B. Davis did not envision Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College as a college offering only college paral-
lel work. He foresaw the inclusion of business and
inGUStrial courses as Well as adult education courses

for the community. As a result, Grand Rapids Junior

135 .

College pioneered many types of programs. Included
among these were a public school music teaching curric-
ulum with practice teaching; library training; affili-
ated nursing; practical nursing; terminal engineering;
subject matter educational conferences; and numerous
courses and curriculums in arts and industry partic-
ularly associated with the furniture industry which
flourished in Grand Rapids.

A valid criticism has been made of Grand Rapids
JUnior College because of the heavy emphasis on the
college parallel function of the college at the expense
of the terminal-vocational areas. Some of this criti-
cism may be traced to the change in emphasis which came
with the change of the Grand Rapids Junior College ad-
ministration in 1920. More realistically, however, the
reason for this curricular emphasis situation can be
traced to demands and needs of the students of the com-
munity. I

The college has offered numerous specialized
courses and programs designed to meet specific commUn-
ity needs. Included among these are civil technology
programs for city engineers; in-service programs for
community firemen,,medical secretaries, bankers, and
business men; Americanization classes for immigrants
seeking naturalization; driver safety courses for traf-
fic offenders referred by local courts; evening high
school courses for adults seeking to complete high

school; European tour courses for persons planning to

136
tour Europe with college guides; and lecture series in
art, history, and literature. Grand Rapids JUnior Col-
lege has been utilized as a regional testing center by
many agencies, public and private. A police cadet pro-
gram has recently been established in connection with
the local police department. Local high school students
are offered opportunities to take work at the college
for college credit or high school enrichment if they
are qualified.

One of the most important curricular offerings
of the college is the remedial program for students.not
adequately skilled or prepared to take college level work
either in college parallel or vocational-terminal pro-
grams. No high school graduate has been denied admission
to some level of work at Grand Rapids JUnior College.
Upon successful completion of these remedial courses,
students are guided into a program relative to their in-
terests and abilities. Many aspects of counseling are
offered by Grand Rapids Junior College in aiding its
heterogeneous student body.

Individuals associated with Grand Rapids Junior
College can be cited as having made significant con-
tributions to the Grand Rapids community and the edu-
cational community. Certainly Jesse B. Davis and William
A. Greeson, cited frequently in this study, initiated
many educational programs, not the least being Grand
Rapids Jenior College. They made many contributions

to the junior-community college movement in its early

137
growth years.

Arthur Andrews, the second president of Grand
Rapids Junior College, made numerous contributions to
the local community and to higher education (See Ap-
pendix II). His interest in aiding students, primar-
ily through personal counseling, toward raising their
educational and life goals is notable. Andrews had
a vital faith in the power of higher education for
social mobility, and he consistently attempted to
make the advantages of higher education not only avail-
able to but recognized by area youth.

Andrews can be considered to be the driving
force behind course content and quality at Grand Rap-
ids Junior College. He contributed substantially to
the formulation of many policies and practices utilized
at Grand Rapids Junior College and other junior colleges.

Andrews was a leader in establishing the Michi-
gan Association of Junior Colleges and The American As-
sociation of JUnior Colleges. He played an important
role in formulating the "G.I. Bill" for junior college
students. Mr. Baxter stated that Andrews is credited
with the responsibility for establishing the policy of
regarding junior college students on the same basis as
senior college students for compensation under the
"G.I. Bill."

" '- ‘Subsequent deans could be cited for their sig-
nificant contributions to the Grand Rapids community

and to the Michigan junior college movement. Dr. Tirrell

138
did much to promote the college to the community and
to broaden the offerings of the college to better
serve the community. Dr. Visser consolidated the po-
sition and direction of the college. In his years as
dean of the college, he became the leader and spokesman
for higher education in the Grand Rapids area. He
also contributed toward promoting and formulating the
new four-year college in Western Michigan. Dr.'Visser
also made vital contributions to the state community
college movement.

Numerous faculty members have served as consult-
ants and lecturers to community groups, although these
activities are rather recent.

An important contribution the college has made

throughout its history has been to add strength and
depth to the district school system. College resources
contribute to the district in various ways. This was'
first formally noted by Jesse B. Davis in his annual
report of 1918.1 Likewise, through its association
with the public schools and by its contacts with the
public, Grand Rapids JUnior College has been a contrib-
uting factor in the educational and cultural life of
the community.

The alumni of the college have made significant
contributions in a variety of areas of endeavor in'numa

erous geographic settings. Included among the long

 

1Annual Reports of the Grand Rapids Board of
Education, Forty-sixth Annual Report.

’0

'139'

line of Grand Rapids JUnior College former students who
have distinguished themselves are bank presidents,
actors and actresses, concert artists, industrial
leaders, ranking military men, educational administra-
tors (including the president of Michigan State Uhi-
versity), scholars and teachers, congressional repre-
sentatives, and persons in all the professional areas.
A list of some of the distinguished alumni represent-
ing various fields of activity is included in Appendix
II.

To more specifically measure the educatibnal im-
pact of Grand Rapids Junior College on the Grand Rap-
ids community, a survey was conducted as part of this
study to determine the number and percentage of the
area‘s professional persons who attended the college.
The methodology utilized in collecting this data was to
compare the names on the rosters of all the recognized.
professional organizations in the Grand Rapids area
with the names of the students who attended Grand Rap-
ids Junior College from its establishment. The lists
of names arrived at by this method were then checked
by telephone to determine if, indeed, each professional
person whose name appeared to be on the Grand Rapids
Junior College alumni list had attended the college.

By utilizing this method, as opposed to the community
survey approach, 100 per cent participation was

achieved.

140

Of the 466 medical doctors listed on the rolls
of the Kent County Medical Society, seventy-two, or
15.4 per cent, received some pro-medical training at
Grand Rapids Junior College. Of the 279 dentists in
the area, seventy-nine, or 28.3 per cent, attended
Grand Rapids Junior College. Of the 365 lawyers in
the Grand Rapids community, eighty-four, or 23 per
cent, attended the college. Of the eighty architects
in the metropolitan area of Grand Rapids, thirteen, or
16.7 per cent, attended Grand Rapids Jenior College.
There are 165 engineers registered in the community.

Of this number fifty-five, or 31 per cent, attended
Grand Rapids Junior College. Of the 1548 teachers in
the Grand Rapids school district, 353, or 22.8 per
cent, attended the junior college. Included in this
number of Grand Rapids Junior College alumni employed
by the Grand Rapids School District are sixteen in-
structors at the junior college, seventy-three teachers
in the high schools, twenty-five in the junior high
schools, 148 in the elementary schools, eight in special
schools, fifteen consultants, five supervisors, and the
deputy superintendent.

Beginning in 1917, Grand Rapids JUnior-College of-
fered an affiliated nursing curriculum which eventually
involved the three major hospitals in the area. The
number of students taking work at these hospitals and
Grand Rapids Junior College through the years include

141
986 at St. Nary's Hospital, 1345 at Blodgett Memorial
Hospital, and 724 at Butterworth Hospital for a total
of 3055. This is indeed a significant contribution on
the part of Grand Rapids Junior College to medical
service in the community.

Practical nursing has been offered at Grand Rap-
ids Junior College as a one-year terminal curriculum
since 1948. During the years of its operation, 1238
students were enrolled in the course, with 1025 grad-
uating.

Most of these data do not include the numbers of
Grand Rapids Junior College alumni who are making pro-
fessional contributions outside the Grand Rapids area,
but they do indicate the educational impact Grand Rap-
ids Jhnior College has made on its local community. It
is not difficult to determine that many of the persons
included in these data were able to be listed on these
rosters due to the presence of Grand Rapids JuniOr Col-
lege in the community. Many of those personally con-
tacted volunteered that this was true in their case.

A community survey of the business fields in
the Grand Rapids area to find Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege alumni was not undertaken as part of this study
for three reasons. First, there are few, if any, or-
ganized groups in these fields to survey in this area.
Second, a community type survey of these fields is be-
ing planned as part of a vocational needs study in the

coming year. Included in the survey will be an attempt

142

to determine the number of business persons in the com-
munity who attended Grand Rapids Junior College. Third,
throughout its history, the primary emphasis of Grand
Rapids Junior College has been in the college parallel,
pre-professional areas. Measurements of contributions
through its alumni in these areas more accurately re-
flect the educational contributions of the college to
the community.

It can be summarized that the educational com-
munity contributions of Grand Rapids Junior College over
the years since its establishment have been significant.
It could be contended, with evidence, that in certain
periods in its history, the college has fallen short in
adequately performing the wide range of services ex-
pected of a community-junior college. This is particu-
larly true of the vocational-terminal curriculums and
the community service functions. As pointed out prev-
iously, however, much of the reason for this lies with
the leadership, but a community college must be consid-
ered in its community setting and not be compared strict-
ly with some model or norm. A fair assessment of the.
situation suggests that through the years Grand Rapids
Junior College performed exceedingly well in the manner
and scope expected of it by the community. This seems
particularly significant when its administrative struc-
ture with its inherent limitations are considered. Cur-

riculums and services other than the basic function of
college parallel and pre-professional programs were at-

143

tempted. Some were successful. Others failed or were
ineffective. Much of the reason for this lies with

the nature of the community and the demands of its par-
ents and students. There is reason to believe that
this situation is beginning to change and that the com-
munity W111 increasingly recognize the college as some-
thing more than a pro-professional school and begin to
expect a more diversified program..

Relative to its basic purpose for most of its
history, college parallel and pro-professional training,
Grand Rapids Junior College, as the evidence indicates,
has made significant contributions to higher education
and to the community. Its pioneering role in estab-
lishing a junior-community college in Michigan, and its
pioneering of numerous features of a junior-community
college contributed significantly to the junior college
movement in the state and region. Its administrative
leaders have played important roles in the growth of
the junior-community college movement as well as being
higher education leaders in the Grand Rapids community.

The higher educational opportunities the college
has offered young people in the Grand Rapids area for:
almost fifty years is remarkable. Throughout this long
period of history, Grand Rapids Junior College has been
meeting the financial and sociological factors which
have traditionally hindered college attendance. At

the same time, the college has activated the sociolog-

144

ical factors which promote increased participation in
higher education. In short, the very existence of the
college as a public junior college has been a vital
force in an opportunity sense to the youth of the area.
The examination of Grand Rapids Junior College
alumni in the professional groups of the community in-
dicates that the college has made significant contrib-
utions not only through its higher educational oppor-
tunities to the youth of the area, but through the qual-
ity of its programs. Throughout the history of the col-
1ege, its students have performed well in the institu-
tions to which they transferred. For many years after
its founding, the Grand Rapids Junior College cata-
logues included the statement that no Grand Rapids Jun-
ior College graduate had failed in any of the senior
institutions after transfer. As the number of students
continued to grow, this record was finally broken. Nev-
ertheless, studies of Grand Rapids Junior College trans-
fer students to senior institutions throughout the his-
tory of the college have indicated that these students,
with few exceptions, did as well, and in most instances
better, than the native students in the senior institu-
tions. The significance of this is even more notable
when the caliber of the senior institutions to which
the Grand Rapids Junior College alumni generally:trans-
ferrdd is considered. They include some of the finest

colleges and universities in the nation.

CHAPTER VIII
COMPOSITE

Many of the observations and conclusions that
have been cited in the preceding chapters can be sum-
marized. Some of these conclusions pertain primarily
or solely to Grand Rapids Junior College. Others have
more universal application to colleges similarly estab-
lished and administratively structured. It seems pre-
sumptuous to specify what observations can be regarded
as being applicable to all or most junior-community
colleges operating under the control of a local school
district, as the situations in each college must be
interpreted individually to the findings of this study.
Consequently, the summary statements and the observa-
tions and conclusions will be stated together. These
will be followed by recommendations which relate to
the problems and weaknesses of the factors discussed

in the preceding chapters.

Summary and Conclusions
I. The founding of the college was not due to pub-
lic pressure or demand. It was primarily the creation
of two strong educational leaders in the Grand Rapids
School District, William A. Greeson, superintendent of
Schools in 1914, and Jesse B. Davis, principal of Cen-
' 145

146
tral High School. Grand Rapids anior College was es-
tablished as a distinctly separate unit within the local
school district, the first separate junior college in
Michigan. The ability of its founders to establish close
ties with a major univeristy, the University of Michigan,
was a significant factor in the acceptance of a junior
college to the Grand Rapids Board of Education and the
local citizens.

Outstanding leadership and vision were demon-
strated by its founders not only in the initial estabé
lishment of a local public college with its opportuni-
ties to local youth, but also in their understanding
and early implementation of the broad range of programs
and functions they believed to be associated with a
junior college.

As the leadership of the college changed, the
emphasis of its basic function was also altered. Some
of this alteration was the result of community pressure.
The emphasis became quality college parallel instruction
and remained so. The results of this emphasis have been
evident, particularly in the professional life of the
Grand Rapids community. It has also been evident in
the achievement levels of its students who transferred
to senior institutions through the years.

The pursuit of this latter emphasis occurred at
the expense of a broader and more diversified program.
This situation, however, as it developed through the

history of the college, was not far removed from the ex-

147
pectations and demands of the community. It is possi-
ble to theorize and postulate the benefits that would
have resulted to the community if other functions had
been provided. Such speculation does not properly
recognize community apathy for such programs, how-
ever.

The basic administrative structure of Grand Rap-
ids Junior College, a unit within the Grand Rapids
School District, has worked both to the advantage and
disadvantage of the college. In the founding period
such an administrative arrangement was generally bene-
ficial. This was due to numerous factors. Included
among them is the fact that the district superintendent,
William A. Greeson, was sympathetic to the establishment
and operation of the college. The Grand Rapids School
District lent its resources to the newly established col-
lege including physical facilities and staff. The fi-
nancial stability of the school district enabled the col-
legs to exist.

As the college and the district began to grow and
new personalities occupied the administrative posts of
Grand Rapids JUnior College president and district super-
intendent, communication between the college and the dis-
trict became more ineffectual. The problems that can
be inherent in operating a college as a unit in a school
district became more evident. The persistence and de-
gree of these problems became directly tied to the per-

sonal relationships of the administrators of the col-.

148

lege and the district. These varied and complex

problems revolved around two fundamental issues. One
was the constant necessity to present and promote the
needs of the college which were ultimately financial.
The other was the constant struggle for some autonomy

of operation. Both of these basic issues might be
viewed simply as a constant attempt on the part of

the college administration to convince the community

and the school district that Grand Rapids Junior College
was a unique operation in the district with problems

and needs quite unique to other units in the district.,
As one former dean pointed out, much of the administra-
tive energy of this college, as well as junior-community
colleges similarly operated in Michigan, has been ex-
pended attempting to promote and achieve this uniqueness
in the district's view and operation.

The college had no voice in establishing budget
needs and expenditures. The single salary schedUle of
the school district limited the recruitment opportuni-
ties of the college to be competitive in attracting
professional college teachers. The Grand Rapids Board
of Education and its chief administrators were under-
standably elementary and secondary school orientated
and found it difficult to recognize the college's prob-
lems and needs.

Local school district control inhibited the
growth of the college in certain periods of its his-
tory. This was due to the college's being closely tied

149
to conditions and regulations of the school district.

It can be stated rather positively that Grand
Rapids JUnior College lent strength and status to the
local school district. The college's enrichment pro-
grams for local youth and adults have been advantag-
eous to the local school district as well as the
local adult community.

It has been very difficult to alter or reduce
school district administrative controls over Grand
Rapids Junior College regardless of diminishing fi-
nancial support by the school district. It seems that
once a format of administrative operation is adopted,
it is very difficult to make any substantial changes
in the established pattern.

Long-range planning has been difficult and lim-
ited on the part of the Grand Rapids Junior College ad—
ministrators due to school district procedures and con-
trols. In an era of rapidly expanding college enroll-
ments, Grand Rapids Junior College administrators have
not been delegated the responsibility and authority for
effective planning. Essentially there has never been
access to the board of control by the college admini-
stration. As a result, presenting and meeting the needs
of the college have historically depended upon the rap-
port between the district superintendent and the chief
college administrator. This is a precarious admini-
strative basis upon which to operate and promote the

college.

150
Not all of the problems of the college operating in its
school district were evident all the time. Upon occa-
sion, the strengths of such an administrative structure
were more in evidence than the weaknesses. Neverthe-
less, the special problems in this basic administrative
structure were always possible and posed many threats'
to Grand Rapids Junior College administration. This
was substantiated by the data presented in chapters
four and five which analyzed historically the faculty‘
and administration respectively. Although some autonomy
was permitted the college in selecting faculty (an ad-
ministrative function which affects the very nature of
the college), district orientated selections are mudh
in evidence according to the data. This results in
district rules, procedures, teaching loads, and loyalty
patterns being more easily applied to the junior college..
Such a result weakens the college's position as a col-
lege. Such was the case with Grand Rapids Junior Col-

lege.

Recommendations

Grand Rapids JUnior College has occupied a sig-
nificant position in the educational community and the
Grand Rapids community for nearly half a century. Weak-
nesses and strengths of its program and operation have
been cited and discussed. The following recommenda-
tions are included to suggest guide lines to improve

the operation and scope of the college's functions.

151
Many of these recommendations and suggestions would be
applicable to junior-community colleges structured and
operated similarly to Grand Rapids Junior College.

Primary consideration should be given to alter-
ing the basic administrative control of the college.
Grand Rapids Jhnior College needs a full-time board of
control with its sole attention directed toward the
college. The disadvantages of attempting to operate
a large community college in a relatively large school
district under the control of the district have been
cited. Grand Rapids Junior College has gone beyond the
stage in its development when independent control and
support become essential. The tax base of the college
should be broadened to include its service area.; An
independent community college district is needed to
free the college in operating, planning, and securing
needed funds.

Closely related to this need is the recommenda-
tion that a vigorous attempt be made to seek real pub-
lic support by the citizens of the area for local higher
educational opportunities. Although the Grand Rapids
Board of Education established and supported Grand Rap-
ids Junior College, the principle of actual financial
support for the local college by the community has never
been established. Recent developments in a current fi-
nancial crisis in the Grand Rapids school district have
again raised public sentiment against the local district

supporting a higher educational enterprise. The possi~
ble legal challenge of using public school funds to
help support a local junior college that Jesse Davis

feared in 1914 was never litigated in Grand Rapids.

_ +
1‘}
("f
3;.
(“f
(D
U)
l. D
m
("4"

Subsequent state s..' 115 hed the right of a
district to use local school distri:t funds to suppport
a junior college.’ cheve., public am: epta.nce of local
financial support for the lot a] college was also never

penly dis ussed an established in G and Rapids.. It

is recommended that this basic pr rixr iple be faced and

can be cited. Methods and proo-dures of recruiting and
selecting professional staff should be established. More
emphasis should be placed on recruiting instructors
'with college teaching experience or directly from grad»
uate school. Ttis is vital in promoting and maintain-
ing collegiate level instruct: on and in creating col»
legiate teaching conditions. To assist in this endeavor,
Grand Rapids senior College faculty salaries should be
improved to a-tr~:- professional college teachers. Also
important concerning the faculty is to bring teaching
loads in line with what is accepted as iVnormal" college
teaching hours. Eighteen and twenty hours of classroom
lectures per week should be avoided.

New methods should be developed and utilized in

evaluating the instructors at Grand Rapids Junior Col-

lege. The same criteria and forms cannot be used to
evaluate elementary and college teachers as is now
the practice in the Grand Rapids School District.
Programs should be instituted to encourage pro-
fessional growth in subject matter areas. Under the
present administrative structure with Grand Rapids Jpn-
ior College controlled by the Grand Rapids School Dds-
trict and subject to its regulations. leaves. grants.
and travel funds are not beneficial for collegiate level
professional growth.
Faculty participation in the internal administra-
tion of the college should be encouraged and practiced.

This recommendation is closely related to the necessity

f.

H.

to recruit college orientated s»af .

(

More accurate methods should be established to
determine additional staff needs. teaching. and admin-
istrative The administrative history of Grand Rapids
JUnior College indicates long periods of time of under-

. administrative area. Guide-

'1)

staffing. particularly in th
lines should be determined to recognize needs and poten=
tial need areas so that efficiency and excellence can

be attained.

Closely related to this suggestion is the recom-
mendation that the internal administrative structure of
the college be further develOped with more clearly de-
fined authoritynresponsibility lines. If a professional

administrative staff is to be developed. it is essential

154

to create and promote areas of responsibility and au-
thority.

Grand Rapids JUnior College should begin to en-
gage in extensive long-range planning. This recom-
mendation is directly related to altering the present
administrative structure and control, as are most of
the other suggestions. Grand Rapids JUnior College
needs to plan its direction in purposes, curricular
offerings, physical growth, and organization. The
college should take a leadership role in developing a
two-year transfer program acceptable to all area senidr
colleges without attempting to meet the changing de-
mands of all the four-year institutions. .

Regardless of its basic administrative struc-
ture and control, steps should be taken to prevent
circumventing the dean of the college in dealing with
superior control. This weakens the efficiency and
morale of the entire college.

Grand Rapids Junior College should diversify
its curriculuar offerings. Great attention should be
placed upon the business-technical-terminal curricu-
lums. As the only Junior-community college in a
large urban and rural area, Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege is the logical center for non-collegiate trans-
fer programs of all types, including area vocational
training.

It is recommended that Grand Rapids Junior Col-

lege recognize the importance of, and begin to partic-

155

ipate in, a strong program of public relations. Through
much of its history, most of the purposes, activities,
and accomplishments of the college were largely unknown
to the citizens of the area. To broaden the functions
of the college and to secure and ensure financial sup-
port, it is imperative that the service area public be
made aware of the needs and services of the college.
This suggestion should be tied in with the establish-
ment of citizens9 advisory boards to promote the col-
lege“s operation and growth.

An examination of some of the important admini-
strative factors in the history of Grand Rapids Junior
College reveals a record of numerous problems, diffi-
culties, and threats relative to the existence, opera-
tion, and growth of the college. Regardless of these
problem areas, Grand Rapids JUnior College has devel-
oped into a respectable collegiate institution, pri-
marily in the liberal arts, premprofessional areas.

It has made significant contributions by many criteria.
Its educational impact on the local community is not-
able, particularly in the professional areas. It is
to be hoped that the analysis of these strengths and
weaknesses in their historical perspective will serve
as a prologue--a prologue to recognizing and meeting

current and future problems and needs.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

156

BIBLIOGRAPHY
A. PRIMARY SOURCES
1. Books

Grand Rapids School Surve Grand Ra ids Michi an.
Grand Rapids Board of fiducation, 1939. lWIEIIam

C. Revis, Director)

 

School Surve Grand Rapids, Michigan. Grand Rapids
Board 0 Education, 1916.

2. Newspapers and Others

Alumni Newsletters, Grand Rapids JUnior College,
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1952-1955.

Andrews, Arthur. Unpublished review of thirty-five
years as administrative head of Grand Rapids
JUnior College, 1955.

Annual Reports of the Grand Rapids Board of Education:
1914- 1936. (Discontinued after 1936.) .

Annual Reports of Presidents and Deans of Grand Rapids
Junior College to Sufierintendent of Grand Rapids
School District, 191 196 2

Deans' Correspondence, Grand Rapids Junior College,
1914- 1962.

Faculty Committee's MUnutes, Grand Rapids Junior
College: 1920-1962.

The Grand Ra ids Herald. Grand Rapids, Michigan,
IgIH-1968.lfiefunct after this date.)
Grand Rapids JUnior College Bulletins: l9lG-l962.

Grand Rapids Junior College special publications
and brochures, 1915-1962.

The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, Michigan,
1914-1962.

Personnel Records of the Grand Rapids Board of Ed-
ucation.

157

158

Proceedings of the Grand Rapids Board of Education:
l9luwl962.

Articles

.go

Andrews, Arthur. "Welcome to Grand Rapids," Junior
fiollege JOurnal, V01. 9, No. 8 (May, 1939), pp.
20~42l.

Davis, Sesse B. "Looking Backward and Forward After
25 Years," JUnior Colle e Journal, V01. 9, No. 8,

(May, 1939). pp. 530—5 .

B. SECONDARY SOURCES

13 Books

 

Bogue, Jesse Parker. The Communit Colle e. New
York: McGraw-Hill Book company, .

. The Development of JUnior Colle es. Wash-
ington: American Association of Junior Colleges,

1957.

Brickman, William W. Guide to Research in Educational
Histor . New York: New York UniversitleOOk-

store, 949.

Brownell, Baker. The College and the Community.
New York: Harper and Brdthers, 1952.

Clark, Burton R. The Open Door College§ The gfien Doorv
Colle e; A Case Stud'. New York} c raw-

Eoo :ompany, inc., 960.

 

 

 

Diekhoff, John S. The Domain of the Facul_y,‘ New
York: Harper and‘Brothers, 1956..

Encyclopedia of Educational Research. American Educar
tional Research Association. *Walter S. Monroe,
Editor. New York: McMillan Company, 1950.

Folwell. W. W. University Addresses. Minneapolis:
H. W. Wilson COmpany, 1909.

French, Sidney J. Accent on Teaching. New Yerk:
Harper and Brothers,I1954. ” ,

Fretwell, Elberts K., Jr. Founding Public Junior
Colleges. New York: Teachers College,.Cqumbia

University, 1954.

159

Gleazer, Edmund J., Jr. (ed.). American Jpnior Col-
leges. Fifth Edition, 1960. ‘Washington: Amer-
ican Council on Education, 1960.

 

Harbeson, John W. The New American College. New
YOrk: Harper and Brothers, 1946.

Harper, William Rainey. The Trend in Higher Educa-
tion. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,

EOE.

Havinghurst, Robert J. and Rodgers, Robert. "The
Role of Motivation," Chapter VII in Byron.S.
Hollinshead, Who Should Go to College. New York:
Columbia University Press, 1952.

Henry, Nelson B. (ed.). The Public JUnior College.
The Fifty~fifth Yearbook of the National Society
for the Study of Education, Part I. Chicago:
The University of Chicago Press, 1956.

Higher Education for American Democracy. A Report
of the Presidentis Commission on Higher Educa-
tion. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1948.

Hofstadter, Richard and Hardy, C. DeWitt. The Devel-
opment and Scope of Higher Education inithe United
States. ’New York: *Columbia University Press, 1952.

Jamrich, John X. A New College. The Center for the
Study of Higher Education. East Lansing, Michigan:
Michigan State University, 1959.

Jehnson, B. Lamar. "Problems of Preparing Jhnior Col-
lege Teachers," Report of the Stateuwide Confer-
ence on the Preparation of anior collegeITeaChers.
Sacramento: California State Department of Edu-
cation, 1958.

Koos, Leonard V. The Junior College Movement. Boston:
Ginn and Company, 1925.

Medsker, Leland L. The JUnior College: Progress and
Pros ect. New York:. MCGrawéfiill Book Company,
Inc., I9 0. ,

Montorana, S. V. The Community College in Michigan.
The Survey of Higher Education. Sta ‘ u y 0.
1, Lansing, JUne, 1957.

Mueller, Kate H. Student Personnel Work in Higher Ed-
ucation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1961.

Russell, John Dale. Institutional Planning for Higher

160

Education in Michigan. The Survey of Higher Educa-
tion in Michigan, Staff Study, No. 11.. Lansing:
July, 1958.

Second Report to the President. President's Committee
on Education Beyond the High School. Washington:
Government Printing Office, 1957.

Secondary Schools and Junior Colleges. 23rd edition:
#1958é1959. Chicago: The University of Chicago
Press, 1958.

Tappan, Henry P. University Education. New York:
G. P. Putnam, 1851.

Thornton, James W., Jr. The Community JUnior College.
New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1960.

Ward, Phebe. Terminal Education in the JUnior College.
New York: Harper and Brothers, 1947}

Winters, Clifford L. ”The Community College in Adult
Education," New Directions for Adult Education.

Syracuse University Press,—1958.

 

2. Articles

Bolman, Frederick De W., Jr. "Signs of Changes in High-
er Education," Journal of Higher Education, Vol.

26. (May, 1955). pp. 249453.

Campion, Howard A. "The Role of the Junior College
in Higher Education," College and University, V01.
35, No. 4, pp. 426-30.

Colvert, C. C. "Professional Development of Junior
C011ege Instructors,” Jpnior College Journal,

Vol. 25. (April. 1955), pp. 474-478.

Davis, J. B. "Administrative and SupervisOry Pract-
ices for Improving Instruction III " Junior Col-

lege J0urna1, V01. 18, (March, 1948),.pp. 355-7 r

Duff, J0hn Carr. "A Home-Grown College for Your Home
Town " School Executive, Vol. 76, No. 11, (July,

1957). pp. 43-45.
Fallon, Berlie J. "Modernizing Junior College Budget

Prac ices," School Executive, Vol. 72, (March,
1953 3 ppo 863-570 -

"Graduate Study for Faculty Members " Higher Education,
Vol. 113, No. 2, (October, 1956),.p. 28. .

 

 

Green, James E. "The Role of Evaluation in the Improve-
ment of Instruction in Institutions of Higher Learn-
ing," Journal ongxperimental Education, V01. 25,
(September.1956). pp. 33l35.

161

Hannah, John A. "No Master Plan," Junior College Jour-
nal. Vol. 28. No. 9. (May, 1958). pp. 490-497.-

Harrington, J0hns H. "Blueprint for Developing Commune
ity Colle e Curriculums," Junior College Journal,
V01. 22, December, 1951), pp. 193-200.

Harris, Norman C. "Technical Education in the Com-
munity College," Junior College Journal, V01. 21,
(December, 1950), pp. 207alo.

Jenkins, H. E. "A Guide for the Organization and
Evaluation of Community Junior Colleges,“ Ameri-
can School and University, 1950-51 Edition, pp.
113-18.

Johnson, Helen R. "An Open Door for Learning," JUnior
College J0urnal, Vol. 30, (September, 1959),.pp.
40-41. .

Kempfer, Homer.‘ "Adult Education in the Community
College," Junior Colle e J0urna1, V01. 21, (Sep-
tember, 1950), pp. 1 - 5}. . -

Koos, Leonard V. "JUnior College Teachers: Degrees
and Graduate Residence," Junior College Journal,

V610 18: ppo 77‘890

. "JUnior College Teachers: Background of
EEperience," Junior Colle e J0urna1, V01. 18,
(April. 1958). pp. 4574H6 .

. "Junior College Teachers: Preparation in
Education," Junior College J0urna1, V01. 18, (Feb.,

1948): PP. 332-344.

. "Preparation for Community College Teachi ,
4 Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 21, (June, 1950 ,.

Pp. 309-317.

MacLean, Malcolm C. "Social Forces and the Junior
College," Educational Digest, V01. 22, pp. 18-21.

Martorana, S. V. "Patterns of Organization and Fiscal
Support in Public 2-Year Colleges," Higher Educa-

. "Recent Legislative Proposals Affecting
unfor Colle es," JUnior Colle e Jburnal V01. 28,
(March, 1958 , pp.7372:3797“‘s“7“""’ ;
McCall, Roy c. "The Role of the Junior College in
American,Education," American School and University,

1959-50. Pp. 51-56..

162

Mulligan, Raymond A. "Socio-Economic Background and
College Enrollment," American SociologicalgReview,
V01. 16, NO. 2, (April, 1951), pp. 188—196.

 

Price, Hugh. "Public Schools Through Grade 14," 32?
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(Dec., 1959): pp. 18‘200

Price, Hugh G. "The Role of Administration in Ex-
cellent Teachingj" JUnior College J0urna1, V01.

24: (Sept., 1953 . Pp. 37-42.

Prierce, A. C. "Deans in the Organization and Admin-
istration of Junior Colle es," JUnior College J0ur-
nal, Vol. 21, (Feb., 1951 , pp. 364-366. .

Spindt, H. A. "Establishment of the JUnior College
in California, 1907-1921," California Journal of
Secondary Education, Vol. 32, (N0v., 1957), pp.

391-396.

Stone, James C. "The Preparation of Academic Instruc-
tors for the Junior College," JUnior Colle e J0ur-
nal, Vol. 28, (March, 195 ), pp. 368-370.

valade, William J. "The Community College Ideal 4
Junior College Journal, V01. 28, (Feb.,.1958),

PP. 332-35.

Wilson, J. Douglas. "Junior College and Apprentice-
ship Curriculum Construction through Advisory Com-
mittees," Junior College J0urna1, V01. 21, (Dec.,
1950), Pp. 207-216.

 

3. Pamphlets

 

Teachers for Tomorrow. Bulletin No. 2. New York:
The Fund*for the Advancement of Education, 1955.

 

4. Unpublished Material

 

Marousek, L. Richard. "Grand Rapids Junior College."
Unpublished Master's thesis, State University of
Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1939. ,

valade, William James. "A Study of the Origin, De-
velopment, and Trends of Selected Community Col-
leges." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Wayne
State University, Detroit, Michigan, 1956.

163

5. Newspapers and Others

 

Ingalls, Rosco C. "Problems of Staffing the Community
College," National Association of Seconda School
PrincipalsBBulletin, V01. 37, (April, 195‘ , pp.
393‘uOTe

 

 

APPENDICES

164

APPENDIX I

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THIRTYeFIVE YEARS
AS PRESIDENT OF GRAND RAPIDS.JUNIOR COLLEGE
BY ARTHUR ANDREWS
In completing some thirty-five years as the
administrative head of the Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege it is, I believe, proper to present a statement
describing the educational program of the College and
some of the considerations that influenced the develop-
ment of this program. While many, if not most, of the
points of view presented here have already been stated
in annual reports made to the Board of Education of
the Grand Rapids School System, it would seem proper
that something of a review and summary of these should
be presented at this time.
To understand some of the objectives of the
JUnior College that have developed through the years
it is necessary to recall a little of the history of
the Junior College Movement. Probably the first sig-
nificant statement made in the United States in regard
to what later came to be called Junior Colleges was
made in 1852 by Dr. Henry Tappan who at that time was
President of the-University of Michigan. In his in-
augural address made over one-hundred years ago he
stated that he saw a time in the future when the first
two years of college work would be offered in the larger

165

166

municipalities in Michigan. He had been influenced by
his study of the German GymnaSium and the French Lyggg,
This point of view played a part in the university of
Michigan's establishing in 1882 what was called the
"University_College." In this program the first two
years of work in the University were considered as an
independent unit and in it were offered general courses
leaving specialization to the last two years of col-
lege or university training. In the University_§glf
lege_a member of the faculty was assigned a group of
students for which he was given responsibility of coun-
seling and guidance. Since the one assigned this
task was given a light teaching schedule the program
proved expensive and largely because of this was aban-
doned a few years later.

It was during this period, however, that A. F.
Lange was a student at the university of Michigan. "His
familiarity with this venture resulted in his carrying
the idea as a "potent bacillus" to the state of Cali-
fornia where he afterward made an unusual education
record. The idea found fertile media in California
and resulted in the establishment of the JUnior Col-
leges in California almost at the beginning of the
twentieth century. It is to be noted that these were
looked upon as College programs.

Toward the close of the nineteenth century
President W. R. Harper of the University of Chicago
recognized that the first two years of college train-

167
ing had somewhat different objectives from those of the
concluding two years, and following his leadership the
first two years at the University of Chicago were set
aside as an independent unit. This segment of educa-
tion was called the Junior College as distinguished
from the last two years which were designated as the
Senior College. About 1900 those completing the first
two years of college training at the University of
Chicago were awarded a "title" of Associate in Arts.

In passing it may be noted that in 1905 Presi-
dent James of the University of Illinois stated: "Sure-
1y it is true that the work done at present in the fresh-
man and sophomore years at the University of Illinois'may
Just as well be done at any one of fifty or one-hundred
centers in the State of Illinois as at Urbana.

The Grand Rapids JUnior College, established in
1914, became the seventhpublic Junior college created
in the United States. The first president, Dr. Jesse
B. Davis, was also principal of Central High School. 'It
is probable that Dr. Davis was familiar with the argu-'
ments that had been presented by the educators mentioned
above, but these were not the important considerations
that led Dr. Davis to advocate the Junior College in
Grand Rapids.‘ For many years there had been only one
seniorflhigh school in Grand Rapids. Union School car-
ried students first through the tenth grade and later
through the eleventh grade, but all who were to be grad-
uated completed their secondary school training in Cen-

168
tral High School. In 1911, however, Union High School
for the first time offered a full secondary school pro-
gram so that students did not have to transfer to Can-
tral High School, and in 1915 what was then known as
South JUnior High School was opened. These changes
greatly depleted the enrollment in Central High School.
In view of this Dr. Davis advocated the establishment
of the Junior College to take up the light teaching load
of the Central High School faculty and to make use of
empty recitation rooms. In conversations Dr. Davis re-
ferred to the Junior College as a "filler."

While these very practical Considerations led
to the advocacy of the Junior College, Dr. Davis was
most concerned about educational considerations in set-
ting up the program of the college. Before making a
public announcement of the establishment of the college,
he appeared before the faculty of the University of Mich-
igan and made arrangements whereby the University of
Michigan would give full transfer credit for certain
courses offered in the Junior College.

And so it was from the very beginning that the
courses offered in the JUnior College were college courses,
and through the years this point of View has never been
abandoned. While the college program later offered a
variety of semi-professional courses, it has always of-
fered two years of training in the Liberal Arts.. We have
sought to maintain standards in these courses comparable

with the standards of other approved colleges and univer-

169

sities. We have not looked upon the JUnior College as
two more years of high school. With the beginning of
Junior College training, we have assumed that the stu-
dent is more mature, that he elects to secure college
training, that he is more-competent, and should be
capable and willing to make a more serious educational
effort. We have checked repeatedly with other col-
1eges and universities concerning textbooks, require-
ments, courses of study, and have insisted that our pro-
grams correspond in a general way with those offered at
the University of Michigan, Michigan State, and other
standard colleges. Over a period of thirty years we
have repeatedly checked the records of Junior College
graduates when they have transferred to senior colleges
and universities, and, on the whole, these students
have made very satisfactory records. In some instances,
as I shall point out later, the students have made bet-
ter records than those who have entered the University
as freshmen.

When the JUnior College was organized as indi-
cated above, the work offered consisted of standard
liberal arts courses. In addition some work in indus-
trial art was given by Mr. Harry Kurtzworth who after-
wards attained a national reputation in this field.
Shortly after my appointment as administrative head of
the Junior College, plans were made to offer two years
of engineering, the college becoming the first Junior
College in the Middle West if not in the United States

17O

to offer such training. Almost from the very first, a
year9s training was offered for those students plan-
ning to complete the nursing course at local hospitals.
I believe the Grand Rapids Junior College was the first
Junior college in the United States to have such a hos-
pital affiliation. The students taking this work to-
gether with those in the Practical Nursing Course, which
I shall mention later, make up a considerable portion
of the Junior College enrollment.

Almost from the first the college gave a good
deal of attention to pre-medical, pre-dental, and pre-
legal education, and some of our most outstanding alumni
are graduates in these professions. As time went on we
added preliminary training in architecture and teaching,
including vocational-industrial, and business education
curricula. We developed the first two years of work of-
fered in business administration, and training for
social workers. We developed courses in stenographiC'
instruction, preliminary work in dental hygiene, pharm-
acy, home economics, forestry, and landscape architect-
ure. One of our graduates in this latter field designed
and helped with the creation of the Junior College Memor-
ial Campus with which some of you beCame acquainted after
last year's graduation exercises. It was not long before
we were able to offer preliminary training in hotel man-
agement, medical biology, and even preliminary work for
those interested in optometry, mortuary science, in po-

lice administration, foods distribution, public admini-

171

stration and sanitary science. These and many other
courses of training are offered at the college level
and the credits earned, taken in accordance with the
programs outlined by the college for special fields

of advanced study, are accepted at full value by
standard colleges and universities in all parts of

the United States. For practically every professional
and business field in the country students may start
their training in the JUnior College and receive full
transfer credit.

I dwell upon this point because we hope our alumni
can help in disseminating this information. Sometimes
unpleasant rumors reach us that some student, in trans-
ferring to an institution of higher learning, has lost
credit. We check all such reports, and without exception
we find some element of irregularity. We find, for in-
stance, that a student may have taken two years of pre-
liminary medical training and then has shifted to an
engineering division. It does not take any unusual acu-
men to understand that preliminary medical training can-
not be substituted for engineering training. Sometimes
the student has followed a program outlined in our cata-
logue for those expecting to transfer to Michigan State
and then the student changes his mind and transfers to
the University of Michigan. It is conceivable in such
instances that the student might not have Just the re-
quired courses. Tris would also be true if the student

had spent his first two years at Michigan State and then

172
transferred to the University of Michigan or if he had
spent two years at the University and then transferred
to Michigan State.

Again, we have heard of some instances where the
student complained of loss of credit when the quality
of the student's work was such that we have been sur-
prized, not that he lost transfer credit, but that he
was accepted at all. In dealing with transfer credits
it is standard practice among approved colleges not to
accept courses carrying a grade of D. This applies to
students transferring from Harvard or from any other col-
lege. We follow this practice in accepting students
transferring to the JDnior College.

While this is the general practice, the Univer4
sity of Michigan is liberal in applying this rule to JUn-
ior College transfer students. What actually happens is
that if the record of the student is, on the whole, sat-
isfactory the University may accept some courses where
the student has earned a grade of D. Some other col-
1eges have been even more liberal.

A little later I shall make some mention of what
we call terminal courses. These are designed to be func-
tional rather than pro-professional training, and in re—
gard to these we say in our catalogue that partial credit
for these courses is given by some institutions and full
transfer credit may be given by other institutions. The
interesting fact is that in nearly every instance the.

students receive full transfer credit. They get more.than

173
we promise them.

As far as I know if the student does not receive
full transfer credit there is in every instance a good
reason. Miss Lyvonne Riisberg who has been registrar
of the Junior College for nearly four years reports that
she has not had a single student report to her that full
transfer credit has not been given. After dealing with
students for forty-two years it is my conviction that
they are not hesitant in demanding those things that
have been promised them. The stories of loss of credit
are not brought back to us directly because those in—.
volved know that if there has been a loss of credit we
know the reason. The University of Michigan, Michigan
State College, Wayne University, the church related col-
leges, and the normal colleges all are glad to make it
clear that properly selected courses completed satisfac-
torily at the Junior College are accepted at full value.

In a study made a few years ago it Was discovered
that Junior College students over a period of five years
had transferred their credits to 386 different colleges
and universities in all parts of the United States. As
a corollary it should be noted that many of our alumni
are now identified with important positions in various
phases of professional life in many parts of the coun-
try. What is more important, in a way, is that large
numbers of our graduates have become identified with
the professional and cultural life of our city. .Dr.

W. M. Proctor of Stanford University, writing in 1929

174

in regard to Junior colleges in California, observed that
"The most important contributions of the Junior college
to the state of California cannot be stated in terms of
money cost and money economy. The presence of thirty-
one public Junior colleges, not to mention ten or twelve
private Junior colleges, means that there are scattered
throughout the state Just that many cultural and higher
educational centers which tend to raise the standard or
living and thinking in those communities." In making
application of this to Grand Rapids, I would like to
point out that a study made four years ago revealed that
more than one-third of all those identified with the pro-
fessions of medicine, dentistry, law, and engineering in
Grand Rapids had had preliminary training in the Grand
Rapids Junior College. This percentage is undoubtedly
higher at the present time and will be even higher in
the future. The role these people are taking in the in-
tellectual life of this city is a part of the JustifiCa-
tion for the maintenance of college standards. To have
offered these fine people two years of diluted educa-
tional experience would have been to sell them short.
We have tried to keep faith with those who were contrib-
uting to the support of the JUnior College as well as
with the students themselves. I

In 1922 I attended one of the first meetings of
the American Association of Junior Colleges held in Cin-
cinnati, Ohio. It was a small meeting, but I was im-

pressed with the fact that there is a special type of

175
training much needed which the Junior college is pecul-

iarly fitted to offer. I shall not go into the consid-
erations that led to the development of the traditional
four-year college in the United States. This unit of
higher education has its critics and its defenders;

but the fact remains that there are many fields of
service in modern society where, if one is to succeed,
he should have training beyond the secondary school,’
yet a Bachelor of Arts degree is not necessary. This
type of training is often described as semi-professional
education. Such programs may be one year, two years, or
even three years in length; and since these are in a

way complete units in themselves, they are usually re-
ferred to as terminal courses. In these shorter courses
less attention is given to cultural or general education
and most of the courses are intended to be functional;
that is, they are expected to give specific training for
tasks that are associated with the positions for which
the student is being trained.

While I would be the last to deprecate the value
of extended higher education, it is true that in many
areas there is a tremendous demand for people with some
special technical training which does not require four
years to attain. As an illustration may I point out that
it is generally agreed that at the present time there is
a shortage of engineers. The recent study concerning
human resources has made it clear that there is need

for more trained people in all of the professions. The

176

only area where we seem to have enough people to meet
the demand is in coaching high school athletics. In
engineering the shortage is acute, and at the same time
it is recognized that many of the things trained engin-
eers are now doing might Just as well be done by those
who have about two years of technical training. The
need for young people with this type of training is
shown by the fact that those who have it are paid about
as well as those who have engineering degrees.

To meet this demand we have established a two-
year course in the College which we call training in
Mechanical Technology. Nearly every course in this our-
riculum is a practical, fundamental course preparing the
student to do certain kinds of technical work such as‘
drafting, testing, and inspecting. He is trained to do
supervisory work in operating a department; to work in
plant maintenance; to engage in human relations work.
This training should also be of value for technical sales
work, and in positions requiring cooperation with exec-
utives. The students start with a study of the most mod-
ern manufacturing processes and with thorough drill in
industrial mathematics. They are given training in draft-
ing and blue print reading, and extended experience in
machine operations. Here we are not interested in making
lathe hands, but in training the students in regard to

the broad area of machine operations. We want them to
acquire a knowledge of many processes such as heat treat—

ment, welding, metal processes, and other industrial oper-

177
ations. I earthCJy hope that this point of View may be
maintained. When vocational education is organized on
a low level, or organized to appeal to incompetents, the
result has been tragic. When this type of education is
planned for those who have made poor school records,
the experience in many parts of the United States has
shown that such education has little value and for this
reason has already been abandoned in many communities.
We should not repeat that mistake here.

This then is a typical terminal training course
operated in the Junior College, and we have developed
many of them. We have a two-year course in Industrial
Chemistry, and many of those completing this work are
hired directly by the Dow Chemical Company at Midland.
The success of this program may be Judged by the fact
that without our knowledge the Dow Company advertised
in the Grand Rapids Herald that it was seeking the serv—
ices of chemists and that graduates of the Grand Rapids
Junior College were preferred.

We have a two-year course in Retailing where the
students have formal academic training in college in the
morning and are employed by commercial enterprises in
the afternoon. The work is so organized, directed, and
supervised that college credit is given for this work'
experience. What the student earns in the afternoon
more than meets the cost of his tuition and other col-
lege expenses.

We have similar cooperative courses in secretar-

178
ial work, and many of our students who are taking other
terminal courses work about fifteen hours a week and se-
cure some practical experience while they are getting
formal training. In the one year course in Practical
Nursing, the students spend full time during the first
semester in taking special nursing training; and during
the second semester they go to local hospitals where
they secure clinical experience under the supervision
of the hospital and the JUnior College faculty. While
at the hospital the girls earn $3.50 a day. A good deal
of special equipment has been secured for this course,
and in general this division of the college has succeed-
ed much better here than in most of the other centers in
the states where this experiment has been tried.

Among other terminal offerings we should list
two-year courses in Art, Commercial Art, Costume Design,
and Interior Decoration. We offer technical business
curricula in Salesmanship, Small Business Management,
Accounting, Advertising, and General Business. We offer
a number of two-year Home Economics courses; one of these
is for young women interested in general training in home
economics, one for those interested in hospital dietetics,
and another for those who may wish to work with young
children in nursery schools, health clinics, and commer-
cial nurseries. The program includes some courses deal-
ing with child development, and students in this program
of study obtain cooperative training at local nursery

schools. In this as in many areas we cannot begin to fill

179
the demand for students having this special training.

I have already mentioned the cooperative course
in Secretarial Training. In addition, special courses
are offered in General Secretarial Training, and in
Clerical Training. We have some students who prepare
to be physicians“ assistants, some who take the train-
ing in drafting, and others take what is called terminal
training in Junior engineering. After some study we
have evendeveloped a program for those who wish to be-
come airline hostesses.

About two years ago some institutions that had
formerly been known as Junior colleges changed their
names so that they are now known as Community Colleges.
In doing this, much was made of the fact that these local
colleges had a definite responsibility to offer practical
courses, giving the impression that those institutions
which retained the name of JUnior College were offering
a much narrower type of training. The survey of the
University of Chicago also tended to add to the confusion.
That there may be no misunderstanding of the facts in the
case, I have had a special chart prepared showing the ed-
ucational offerings of all the Junior and community col—
leges in Michigan as shown by the 1953-54 catalogues of
these institutions. You will note that in number of
curricula and variety of courses offered, the Grand Rap-
ids Junior College is far ahead of any other Junior or
community college in the state. You will note that we
offer 27 terminal, or what might be called practical,

180

courses. One or two of the so-called community colleges
have the most restricted offerings of all the Junior or
community colleges in the state. This is not intended
in any way to be critical of any other institution.
Most of the Junior or community colleges in the state
are located in smaller cities. The terminal educational
program was initiated in Grand Rapids earlier than in
other communities.

Two factors have limited the development of ter-
minal courses in Grand Rapids. First, there has been a
limitation of funds, but fully as important is the fact
that students are often reluctant to take such courses.
Parents and students often feel that if education is to
be continued beyond the high school, the student should
be interested in securing a college degree. The idea
that all Americans have a right to aspire to a baccalaur-
eate degree is a wonderful part of American culture, but
the result is that many students seek a college degree
when they have more aptitude in some semi-profession.
We have spent more time and money in giving publicity
to terminal education than to other phases of the Junior
College educational program and sometimes the results
have been discouraging. Even with some of the most suc-
cessful terminal courses we have had to start with small
enrollments and years of patient planning have been neces-
sary, but regardless of this once and for all let it be
known that in the breadth of its offerings the Grand Rap-

ids anior College far exceeds the offerings of any other

181

junior or community college in the state. The chart that
has been referred to makes this clear, and our alumni
can do us a service in carrying this information to the
citizens of Grand Rapids.

There are other courses of this kind that should
be developed. We have always felt that it was and is
the responsibility of the college to offer any courses
needed in the community if it is possible to do so. Some
study has already been made of programs in Medical Tech-
nology and Electronics. A proposal has been made that we
develop training for land surveying, and we believe that
there should be more cooperative courses. Much energy
has been given to these possibilities. One of the major
difficulties in developing cooperative courses has been
that where they have been suggested, organized labor is
inclined to feel that students who are in cooperative
work cannot be given assurance that they can be employed
for any set period of time. If unemployment develops in
the industry, the rules of seniority require that the
student would be the first to go. It would seem that at
the present time the only way this difficulty could be
met would be for the industry in which we have a coopera-
tive program to have one man relieved of productive labor
for every student for the period the student was getting
his work experience. Not many industries feel that this
is feasible at the present time. If cooperative work can-
not be assured for at least a semester, the establishment

of cooperative courses is made very difficult. This has

182
not developed in our cooperative courses in retailing or
secretarial training, but in industries it has been a
real problem.

Sometimes we are asked why we have not developed
an adult education program to be offered in the evening.
There is a very simple explanation. In 1942 after the
United States had become involved in World War II it be-
came immediately apparent that the enrollment of the col-
lege would be so curtailed that the expense of operation
caused some to think the continuation of this program.
should be questioned. To meet this situation I contacted
Dr. Alexander Ruthven, who at that time was President of
the University of Michigan, and asked if it would not be
possible to set up a University of Michigan extension cen-
ter in the Grand Rapids JUnior College. While there were
a number of preliminaries including the approval by the
Grand Rapids Board of Education and the Board of Regents
of the University, the Extension Division was opened in
1942. Following this there was no suggestion that the
JUnior College could not be kept open. The adult educar
tional program offered by the University has far exceeded
anything that the Grand Rapids school system could have
hoped to offer, and since it has been ready to give train-
ing wherever there is a need, it would have been super-
fluous for the College to have paralleled the program.
The extension offerings have meant much to the cultural
life of this city.

This report is already longer than was intended,

183

but before closing there are some general considerations
I feel should be mentioned. From time to time public-
ity has been given some of the special features of the
college; and it should be noted that the features given
this publicity have not been secured through tax money
but have been earned by one means or another. During
the last twenty-five years we have spent over $20,000
giving publicity to the terminal courses offered by the
college and $15,000 has been raised for the Memorial Cam-
pus. We have also been able, without the use of tax
money, to assemble one of the largest collections of
books about Abraham Lincoln found in this area. Dr.
McMurtry of Lincoln University has stated that we now
have become a research center for those interested in
Lincoln. We have outfitted five complete lounges and con-
tributed for the outfitting of three others. And so I
might go on at length. The money for most of this has
come from various student activities and some from the
earnings of the school bookstore. $300 came in gifts
from the Alumni. Altogether, through the years we have
raised about $65,000 which has made it possible for us
to have many things that have meant much to the College
and which would not have been possible otherwise.

Since the point has been raised by some people,
I may say that the desirability of establishing general
or survey courses has been considered by the faculty
many times. We were debating this isSue as far back as

1925, and while this trend in education has resulted in

184

some things that are good, our faculty has felt that we
might better put emphasis upon the depth of the program
rather than upon the breadth. However, many of them

feel they are not qualified to teach some of these
courses. When they read of a single course in sdienCe
which purports to give an introduction to physics, chem-
istry, zoology, botany, bacteriology, and astronomy-eall
this in a single course and at college level--some of the
instructional staff in science feel with becoming modesty
that they are simply not qualified to teach such a course.
Perhaps we will have in the future specially trained peo-
ple to meet this situation. The point I wish to make in
this connection is that it is not a matter of chance that
such programs are not ordinarily a part of our regular
college offerings. The decision has been reached after
numerous and deliberate discussions by the faculty. This
does not mean that the content of courses and the.point
of view in presenting them is not constantly changing.
Modern research often makes a textbook obsolete in five
years. It should be noted in paSsing too, that in for-
mer years many college courses were presented as prelim-
inary training for advanced courses. Studies have.made
it clear that such an objective is not warranted as the
majority of these students who take the beginning course
in a department never take another course in the same de-
partment during their college career. And so it is new
planned to offer beginning courses in such a way that

they will be most useful if no other courses are taken,

vi
9

185
and will be related to life experiences more than in

former times.

Sometimes we are asked why we do not have an
R.O.T.C. division in the College. I am not sure I
know all the answers but I know we have tried. In this
connection a number of years ago I made a special trip
to Washington endeavoring to secure such a unit for the
College. The chief result of this effort so far as I
can determine was that while I was received courteously
in many offices my only accomplishment was that I learned
to find my way around the Pentagon Building. Afterwards
a number of junior college administrators took the matter
up with Dr. Jesse Bogue who is secretary of the American
Association of JUnior Colleges. Dr. Bogue's office is
in washington, and he has often been able to do excellent
work in seeing to it that the interests of the junior
colleges are favorably considered by the Congress. The
army gave Dr. Bogue the same answer that was given me,
and a little later the army made a public announcement
to the effect that there was no need to increase the num-
ber of R.O.T.C. units at the time, and that if they were
created, it was the plan to establish them in four-year
degree-granting colleges or universities. Quite recently
after a conference with me, Mr. Rorabacher took up the
same matter with Congressman Gerald Ford. From the reply
given to Mr. Ford by Mr. T. A. Young, Special Assistant
to the Secretary of the Army, it appears that the army'
is still taking the position which it took a few years

18E
ago.

In closing this I think it is appropriate to make
some statement concerning the standing of the Grand Rap-
ids anior College as an education unit. The college
has been continuously approved by the North Central As-
sociation of Colleges and Secondary Schools since 1918,
the first year that the North Central Association took
the responsibility of accrediting Junior Colleges. Our
college is accredited by the National Accrediting Assoc-
:ation, and the Practical Nursing Division is accredited
by the Michigan Board of Nursing and the National Associ-
ation for Practical Nurse Education. So far as I know
we are listed by every agency accrediting any area of
junior college education. The JUnior College holds mem-
bership in the Michigan Junior College Association, the
Michigan College Association, the American Association
of Junior Colleges, the Michigan Association of Colleg-
iate Registrars and Admission Officers. The college has
been identified with leadership in all these associations.

Some mention has already been made of the records
made by our students when they have transferred to other
colleges and universities. A number of years ago Dr.

W. Congdon made a study of the records made by three
groups of students in the junior and senior years of the
Engineering College at the University of Michigan. He
first examined the records made by students who had come
from the State of Michigan and who entered the Engineer-
ing College as Freshmen. The second group of students

187

whose records were examined were those who came from out-
side the State of Michigan and entered the College of En-
gineering as Freshmen. Finally Dr. Congdon examined the
records made by Junior College students from Michigan
transferring to the Engineering College as Juniors. He
found the lowest records were made by those who had come
from Michigan high schools. The group coming from schools
outside of Michigan made better records. This probably
means that those coming from out of the state were a more
selected group. I have sometimes said in discussing this
that the fact that they come from other states to attend
the Engineering College in Michigan is in itself evidence
of superior intelligence. The best records were made by
the students transferring from JUnior Colleges and we
were pleased of course that the very best records were
made by students who had transferred from the Grand Rap-
ids Junior College.

In a study made by the American Medical Association
a few years ago it was discovered that of 498 colleges
and universities sending students to grade A medical
schools only 8 of the 498 had not a single student dis-
missed for unsatisfactory scholarship over a period of
ten years. Grand Rapids Junior College was one of the
8, the only college or university in the state of Mich-
igan, making such a record.

A few years ago Look Magazine asked a group of ed-
ucators including college and university presidents,

state superintendents of public instruction, and others

188
to name the best one-hundred schools in the United States.
The schools selected were partly private and partly pub-
1ic; and the list included elementary schools, secondary
schools, junior colleges, normal colleges, liberal arts
colleges, and universities. The Grand Rapids Junior Col-
lege was selected as one of the best one-hundred. This
citation came largely because of the records our alumni
have made. As I have said many times, in a very real‘
sense our graduates have been our very best friends. The
record through the years reflects competent and enthusi-
astic teaching, and the faculty of the college deserve
wholehearted commendation.

It is with some emotion that I present the last
paragraphs of this report. I am concluding almost thirty-
five years of service as president of the Grand Rapids
Junior College. No one in the United States has adminis-
tered a Junior College for such a long period of time.
Under these circumstances perhaps I may permitted to make
some personal observations. My tenure in the Junior Col-
lege covers not what is commonly said to be "the best
years of my life" but from the point of professional Serv-
ice my association with the College has been my whole
life. In looking back it is easy to see where greater
service could have been given, but through the years the
college has had a definite policy and it has been consist-
ently followed. I offer no apology. We have been inter-
ested in presenting real educational opportunity to ser-

ious minded students and we have been aware that if it

189

were not for the existence of the JUnior College in the
community many of these would never have been able to
secure advanced training. The great majority of these
students have been capable and to have offered them
superficial training would have been a serious dis-
service. As I look back upon my association with thou-
sands of fine young people it is a great satisfaction to
feel that we have tried to appeal to the very best that
was in them, to give them the background that would make
it possible for them to render distinguished service to
their fellows, and be able to share in the finer things
of life. We have aspired that they should not be content
with mediocrity of service or with mediocrity in living.
We have believed that learning and integrity are
essential to the kind of life we hope Americans will live.
We have believed that culture is something which comes
from broad and sympathetic understanding, that citizen-
ship is measured by our conduct in every act of our
lives, and that effective living is not taught in a
course but something that we hope to achieve through a
lifetime of consecrated service. We have believed that
the reputation and position of the college is not to be
achieved through grandiose statements of policy but more
by thoughtful and thoroughly honest procedures in every-
day administration. There have been no pressure groups
or powerful individuals who have dictated what we have
done in any instance. The faculty give the grades and

all students have been treated alike. There is no sub-

l9o
stitute for integrity in those things any more than in
other situations in life.

I appreciate the loyal support Mr. Baxter has
given me for more than thirty years. I am thankfulthat
although the faculty are well trained they have not been
interested in trying to create a supercilious impression
of great learning, but with sincerity and humility have
taught their classes day after day. I have observed that
the greatest scholarship and the greatest teaching are in-
variably associated with modesty. These things we have
believed.

In the course of the next ten years it is almost
certain that the college will double in size, and when
the program of the College is evaluated at the end of a
decade it is to be expected that its part in advancing
the ideals and standards of education will be commen-
surate with its physical growth. The operation of the
college has occupied the attention of many capable peo-

ple. For me it has been my life.

APPENDIX II
GRAND RAPIDS JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

R. Hiley Davis -- Personnel Director, American Seating
Company.

E. Ray Baxter -- Retired Assistant Dean, Grand Rapids
Junior College.

Richard M. Gillett -- President, Old Kent Bank & Trust
Company

John T. Bangert -- Director, Transmission Technical Lab-
oratory, Bell Telephone Company

Robert Lindquist -- Vice-President, Harris Trust and
Savings Bank

Lawrence J. Fuller--Assistant JUdge Advocate General, Pent-
agon, Wash., D.C. ’Brigadier General)

Rev. Andrew Kosten -- Presbyterian minister and teacher

K. William Stinson -- U. S. Representative from the State
of Washington

Russell L. Christopher -- Soloist, Metropolitan Opera Com-
pany

Dr. John A. Hannah -- President, Michigan State University
Arnold Gingrich -- Publisher, Esquire Magazine

Edward N. Cole -- Group Vice-President, General Motors
Corporation

Elizabeth Wilson -- Television and stage actress

Dr. Jay L. Pylman -- Superintendent of Schools, Grand
Rapids, Michigan

Dr. Clarence R. Straatsma -- Plastic surgeon and-medical_
professor, New York City

Rt. Rev. John Burgess -- Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese
of Massachusetts

Dr. Gould A. Andrews -- Pioneer in Atomic Medicine, Oak
Ridge, Tennessee
Chairman of the Dept. of Medical
'Research, Atomic Energy Commission

Lumen Winter -- Artist

Dr. Keith Berwick -- Historian and author, University of
California at Los Angeles ’

Mrs. Nancy Stephenson -- Vice- President, J'. Walter Thomp-
son Company, New York

Harry E. Chesebrough -- Vice-President, Chrysler Corporation

APPENDIX III

INFORMATION SUMMARY OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 0F
,GRAND RAPIDS JUNIOR COLLEGE
BY ARTHUR ANDREWS

It is hardly necessary to remark that those of
us who are identified with the JUnior College are always
pleased to see our former students. We have memories of
pleasant associations with them, and we also are proud
of what they have been able to accomplish. About two
years ago a study was made which revealed that more than
one-third of those in professional life in this commun-
ity received their first higher education in the Junior
College. Time does not permit singling out those who
have become prominent in the city, in the state, and even
in the nation; but it may be remarked with certainty that
the cultural level of this community has been very defin-
itely raised by those who, at one time or another, haVe
been identified with the Junior College.

I am sure that all of you are aware of honors a-
chieved; you know something of the records our students
continue to make in senior colleges and universities;-
you know that a group of educators selected by L92§_M§g:_
ggige_listed the Grand Rapids JUnior College as one of
the one hundred best schools in the United States. We
owe the reputation our College has as an educatiOnal

institution largely to the achievements of our students.
192

193
I have remarked many times through the years that our
best friends are the former students and graduates.

Apart from all this, those of us teaching in the
college have most pleasant memories of intimate associ-
ations with students. In many instances we think of
them as friends quite as much as we think of them as
students. If a personal reference may be pardoned, I
must admit that in many instances I have warm vivid
memories of delightful associations with students, and
yet I am often hardpressed to recall the department of
the College in which they were enrolled. We have known
these students as people, and I believe many of us feel
that the richest reward that comes to teachers is the
opportunity to know and work with young people. These
associations are among our happiest memories.

There is not time tonight to tell you of the de-
velopments made in the College within recent years ex-
cept to say that the program has been constantly expand-
ing. In the history of the Junior College Movement in
the United States, the Grand Rapids JUnior College has
often been first in establishing patterns which later
have been adopted by others. As all of you know, the
Grand Rapids Junior College was the first institution.
of its kind established in Michigan, and it was one of
the first in the Middle West. It was the first junior
college in Michigan to set up a Department of Engineer-
ing; it was the first to establish nursing training in

connection with community hospitals; it was the first

194
to establish terminal education in a variety of fields;
it was the first to establish a course in practical
nursing; it was the first in the Middle West to organ-
ize educational conferences which are attended by re-
presentatives of practically all of the colleges and
universities in the state as well as by representatives
from many high schools.

At the same time it should be noted that there
are those who think we have made a mistake by insisting
upon college standards, who believe that junior college
education is secondary education. In this we have not
agreed; and it is interesting that in a follow-up study
in which we are now engaged, the overwhelming testimony
of our former students is that we have been right in
keeping our standards at a high level. In doing this
we have had the commendation and support of most col-
leges and universities.

There are, however, areas where we have not been
first or even second; and it is because of this that
this meeting has been arranged tonight. For some time
I have felt that it was unfortunate that a college with
the history of the Grand Rapids JUnior College, with a
large and prominent listing of alumni, does not have an
alumni association. I must confess that in my thinking
I have undoubtedly been influenced by the fact that such
an organization would give us the opportunity and the
pleasure to have meetings with former students, meetings

which are not possible without an organization of this

199

kind. But more than this, I believe such an association
could strengthen the educational program of the college
and bring its influence to bear more effectively upon
the life of this community.

We cannot be first in this area. Colby Junior
College has had an effective alumni association for more
than a decade, and there are other junior college alumni
associations. Although we cannot be first, I believe we
can be somewhat unique in setting up a program and object-
'ives all related to the education program in this commun-
ity. I do not wish to be unappreciative of any other en-
deavor, but in a cursory observation of some other alumni
programs, it has been apparent that perhaps the first ob-
jective of many of these has been to secure gifts, finan-
cial support, or special emoluments for those identified
with their alma mater. To all this there can hardly be
objection. The Grand Rapids JUnior College is ready and
will continue to be ready to receive benefactions. We
have received some valuable gifts, and we may expect that
as time goes on, there will be more and more who will
take an interest in such projects. Let me hasten to
say, however, you were not asked to come here tonight
that we might invite you to be charter members in making
a financial contribution to the establishment of some.
project for the College. If that had been our purpose,
you would have been so informed.

Just now the thing I think we want first of all

is your help in expanding and strengthening the educa-

196
tional program of the College. Ours is primarily a mun-
icipal institution; the great majority of our students
come from this metropolitan center; most of them continue
to reside here after their formal education is completed.
The Junior College is a part of this community, and the
life of the community is and will continue to be affected
by the program of the College. We want that influence
to be good-~to be as effective as we can make it and we
need to be able to evaluate the program, to know the
areas in which we have functioned most effectively. We
need to know how to enrich our educational offerings, to
make the college mean more in the life of the community
of which it is a part. In attempting this we have faith
that our former students are in a strategic position to
be of greatest help. We have reason to believe they will
be interested and sympathetic in understanding our limits
ations and ambitious for our advancement, since they had.
some first-hand experience within the College. They know
at least in part what we are doing. We believe the Jun-
ior College should maintain a dynamic municipal program,
and we hope our former students will continue to be in-
terested in achieving such an objective.

Let me hasten to say that in speaking of a munic-
ipal program, I am not suggesting that this is a sharp
departure from the traditional objectives of all good
education. It is not what one calls the college but
what it does that really is of importance. Some insti-

tutions formerly known as junior colleges are now call-

1dr
ing themselves community colleges, and some people believe
this is a desirable change. However, the change in nomen-
clature does not necessarily affect the program. The
Grand Rapids Junior College at the present time offers
twenty-seven semi-professional courses, presumably tied

in with business, industrial, and semi-professional life
of metropolitan Grand Rapids. While we will always be
alert to their need for revision and anxious, we shall
never forget that one of the greatest services our Col-
lege performs and will continue to perform for the com-
munity is the offering of professional training for
those who are later to become lawyers, doctors, dentists,
teachers, engineers, business men--the professional peo-
ple in this community. Offering encouragement to take
pro-professional training to those who never would go

to college at all if it were not for the Junior College

is one of the finest types of community service. It is
not too much to say that before too many years those

who obtained their pre-professional education in the
Junior College will constitute nearly one half of those

in the professional life of this city. We must never
forget that this pro-professional training is as much

of a municipal program of education as training at the
semi-professional or terminal level. Lawyers, doctors,
dentists, engineers, and all the rest make a vital con-
tribution to life in the community quite apart from

their fields of specialization. They make this con-

tribution as educated citizens as well as professional

199
leaders. The Grand Rapids Junior College was the first
in the state to emphasize the importance of terminal
education, and we hope to expand such programs. At the
same time we do not agree with those who feel that one
is not likely to be a good citizen without having taken
a so-called practical course or without having had spe-
cific training for citizenship. It is unfortunate that
some think that if one secures professional training, he
loses his interest in his community as a citizen, that
in some way he loses his interest in people, becomes less
practical, and is not alert to the needs of American life.
Pre-professional training in the JUnior College has been
and will continue to be of vital importance to the com-
munity, and we hope that this as well as our semi-profes-
sional training will be constantly revitalized in the
interest of enrichment and effectiveness.

What could an alumni association do in assisting
our program? I do not suggest that I have the imagina-
tion to envisage anything like what might and possibly.
will be accomplished. I suggest some of the areas where
obviously help can be given:

1. The alumni can assist in evaluating our pro-
gram. By this I mean they can suggest important types of
training which should be undertaken. They can tell us
where we are succeeding and where there should be a shift
in emphasis. ~It is not expected that in general they will
be telling faculty members how to teach, but in some in-

stances they can tell us what we should teach. They can

199
hardly appreciate what it means to us to have some of our
former students tell us where training which we have of-
fered has proved of genuine value.

2. The alumni can help in explaining to the com-
munity some of the special programs and projects of the
college. There are many people in this community who do
not know that we have terminal education. Believe it or
not, there are many who do not know that the credits
earned in Junior College are transferable to other col-
leges and universities. There are many who do not know
that we have vocational courses and cooperative programs
with business and probably will soon have some with in-
dustry.

3. The alumni can aid in disseminating information
concerning the JUnior College in the areas outside the
city of Grand Rapids. It is inevitable in the future that
the Grand Rapids Junior College will become a regional
institution. Already over one-third of our students come
from outside the city of Grand Rapids, and this number
is constantly increasing. It is not generally known
that the population in Kent County is growing twice as
fast as the population in Grand Rapids, and many of the
boys and girls in these outlying districts have no ins
formation concerning the educational opportunities of-
fered by the annior College. You, our guests this even-
ing, were selected partly with the idea of securing re-
presentation from these communities. A considerable ;

number of our graduates live in Rockford, Sparta, Bald-

200
ing, Lowell, Wyoming Park, Caledonia, and other places
near by who could help us tremendously in our public
relations program.

A. The alumni can help us in our counseling pro-
gram. No one administrative officer can possibly know
the requirements and opportunities in all the fields in
which our graduates are to engage in life activities.
Those who are specialists can give our students that
special information known only to those who have been
successful as specialists. In this way too our alumni
may become acquainted with ambitious students whom they
may wish to employ later in their own businesses. Many
of our former students are graduates of colleges and uni-
versities in other parts of the country and know more
about those programs than those who at best have only
read about them. The graduates of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, of the Wharton School of Com-
merce, of the Department of ceramic Engineering in Cal-
ifornia, or of the Course in Milling at the University
of Kansas know about these programs from first-hand ex-
perience. We need this help in guiding others who think
they want to engage in similar activities.

5. The alumni can help us secure the addresses
of our former students. As perhaps some of you know, we
have been endeavoring in recent years to do this. While
this requires more help than is available in the Junior
College at present, we have been able to get a reasonably

accurate list of the addresses of our graduates starting

201
with the class of 1940. Miss Alma Seegmiller of the Col-
lege has been allowed a little time to work on this; and
we hope that as time goes by, we may be able to secure
a larger and more accurate list. From time to time we
have been able to send out an alumni news letter to
those whose addresses we have. We have been interested
in telling the story of the College and securing news
about the activities of our former students. We'be-
lieve it is a part of a public relations program to re-
lay some of this news to the community through items in
the local press. In all this, we have made but a feeble
beginning in calling attention to the leadership of the
alumni in this and other communities. In expanding this
program, we need the active participation of our former
students.

6. An alumni association might well promote at
least one activity each year which would be of service
to the community and to the College and which would call
attention to the leadership of the alumni in the commun-
ity. To put it another way, an activity might be pro-
moted giving the alumni an opportunity to demonstrate
community leadership.

7. Finally, the alumni could implement our com-
mencement activities. We have felt for some time that
our commencement program has fallen short of what it
should be, and I know of no group who could more appro-
priately help in enriching it and in making it mean more
in the life of the students and to the community.

202

These are but some possible obJectives. Certain-
ly an alumni program should be developed by the alumni.
I do not intend to dictate.

We have called this meeting tonight because some
of us have felt that the Junior College needs and ought
to have an alumni association. We have asked this
group together because we have felt that you may be
willing to take the initiative in forming such an assoc-
iation. Perhaps this is not-the right approach and no
one suggests it is the only one, but it is at least one
possibility. This has been my thought, and after being
identified with the administration of the Junior College
for thirty-four years, perhaps I might be privileged to
make these suggestions. The responsibility is mine.
While I want to emphasize again that the program of an
alumni association should be the program of the alumni,
I am going further in suggesting how it seems to me a
beginning might be made.

It is my belief that one of the first things to
be done is to arrange a meeting where our former stu-
dents, their husbands and wives, may get together. It
is my hope that such a meeting might be held before this
college year is over. While the nature of the meeting
should be determined by the alumni, I can report that
we have available funds which would make it possible
to serve refreshments and to make some expenditures in
arranging a program. At such a time the alumni might

make some plans for organization; at least officers might“

203
be elected and some suggestions made for the writing of
a constitution.

It would seem that tonight a nominating committee
and a so-called steering committee might be appointed
to arrange for the larger meeting. Discussion concern-
ing this contemplated meeting would be valuable. If
this is the desire of those assembled here, I would suge
gest the appointment of a temporary chairman to imple-
ment such a program. -I am certain that an organization
of this kind will be of help, and your assistance is
greatly needed.

We like to believe that in some way the Grand Rap-
ids Junior College is a unique institution. We like to
believe that it has meant real educational opportunity
and that many lives have been richer and finer becauSe
this institution was at hand when young people have as-
pired to further education, to training that might bring
greater economic opportunity and a finer life for them-
selves and their families. We are glad that this oppor-
tunity has been accessible, and we have endeavored to-
make it a program comparable to that offered by any other
college or university in the country. We have not
achieved all we have wanted to achieve, but we offer no
apology. We want the College always to be accessible to
those of all levels of economic income, and we want a
dynamic point of view that each succeeding generation
of College students may have finer opportunities than.

those who have gone before. With some of us, outside

204

the interests of our immediate families, this has been
the consuming purpose of our lives. We are grateful
to you for what you have given us in the past, and

we hope you will help the College in building a

greater and finer future.

 

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