University of Virginia Library

Darden Berates Philosophy
Of Technology In Education

By JOHN EPPS

Former University President
and former Virginia Governor,
Colgate W Darden Jr. said
Saturday the emphasis on
technology and science in
education during the late
1950's and the 1960's "was a
mistake of the first order"

Speaking at a Charter Day
celebration at the College of
William and Mary, Mr. Darden
said the Soviet Union's
launching of the first space
satellite in 1956 "frightened
our government almost to the
point to panic"

He said the result on the
held of education was to try
and mold our educational
system to resemble that of the
Soviet Union. Education
with the emphasis on
technology, Mr. Darden said
"is not able to nourish and
sustain the relatively free
political institutions which
constitute the framework of
our society."

"By diminishing the
vigorous support of general
education," he added, "...we
gravely impair the structure of
our government"

Praises Higher Education

Mr. Darden, who served as
the third University President
from 1947 to 1959, directly
preceding the present
President Edgar F Shannon
Jr. however, generally praised
America's higher education and
told the gathering "the colleges
and universities of this country
constitute the powerful
defenses that guard our
civilization."

"The lack of an informed
and intellectually disciplined
citizenry," he said, has resulted
in the fall of many
governments.

Need To Participate

"If we fail to achieve a
reasonable level of competence
among our people and to instill
n them an understanding of
the necessity of participating in

government there is no reason
to believe that we shall fare
any better" than nations that
have fallen.

Mr. Darden said that years
ago the United States was
called the "Arsenal of
Democracy". He said that label
still applies to this country but
in a broader sense, involving
"liberal education".

Mr. Darden's speech was
part of program to celebrate