COMMITTEE ON VOCATIONS HAD AUSPICIOUS YEAR

The first year's work of the new Committee on the Choice of vocations has been very successful, according to the report of its chairman which has recently been submitted. The results of the years work include the assistance of many undergraduates in definitely forming their life work.

This committee, of which Dean C. N. Greenough '98 of the College is chairman, was the outgrowth of the interest aroused in 1922-23 by the series of six lectures under the auspices of the Union designed to help students in their choice of careers. Mr. A. M. White '92, of New York, undertook to raise the money necessary for financing the work and a committee with headquarters in the dean's office was formed. Other members of the committee included four undergraduates, two assistant deans and several other faculty representatives. Several alumni also served on the committee, including T. N. Perkins '91, of Boston who recently resigned from the Harvard Corporation to undertake work with the reparations committee in Europe, P. S. Straus '97, of New York, a member of the firm of R. H. Macy and Company, J. W. Hallowell '01, of Boston, former overseer, and the Reverend Palfrey Perkins '05, of Weston.

In December 1923 all candidates for a degree in the College in 1924 were sent questionnaires inquiring into their first and second choices of occupations. Uncertainty was indicated in many cases and a desire for some personal advice expressed. In May a supplementary questionnaire was sent to all students who had earlier indicated that they had as yet made no definite vocational choice.

Ninety per cent of the questionnaires sent out to students regarding their plans for life work were returned, over 100 conferences were held by undergraduates with interested alumni in various occupations as well as more than 96 with prospective employers. At the four talks on prominent vocations by leaders in various fields which were held at the Union in March over 1050 men attended.

Many Personal Conferences

Personal conferences had seemed the most effective approach to the student because of variations within a given profession and the widely differing problems of the individuals. In following this plan 60 students have had special conferences with the secretary of the committee, over 100 conferences have been held with alumni, of whom the committee has a large list in various occupations who are willing to confer with the students. In addition the committee has been instrumental in arranging about 100 conferences of students with prospective employers. This willingness of graduates and others to talk over personal problems of this sort has been marked, and encourages the committee in the continuation of its work.

Held Four Lectures in 1923-24

The four speakers at the Union last year were President A. L. Lowell '77, on the choosing of a career; the Honorable C. W. Wickersham '06, of New York, attorney general of the United States under President Taft; Gerald Swope, of New York, president of the General Electric Company; and Bishop William Lawrence '71, of Boston. The talks over the two years have discussed as careers, public life and the law, business, the ministry, engineering, teaching, government, and the opportunities in medicine, surgery and public health.

Books on vocational subjects were reserved in Widener by the committee for the use of students seeking to make a decision on their life work, and in the CRIMSON six articles on the various professions were published. These articles considered choosing a location, the necessary technical training, remuneration, desirable attitudes for beginners, essential personal qualifications, methods of approach to employers, and other topics necessary to a complete understanding of the subject being discussed.

Six Crimson Vocational Articles

The list of articles was as follows: "Publishing", by F. L. Allen of Harper and Brothers; "Teaching in Secondary Schools", by W. L. W. Field, headmaster of Milton Academy; "Engineering", by Dean Hughes of the Engineering School; "Business", by Howard Coonley, President of the Walworth Manufacturing Company and of the Boston Chamber of Commerce; "Journalism", by F. R. Martin, general manager of the Associated Press; and "Teaching in Colleges", by R. P. Angier, Dean of Freshmen at Yale.

The plans of the committee for the current year are now being completed and will be announced within a short time.