June 29, 1950 - Herbert W Armstrong - Letter to Potential Women AC Students

 

June 29,1950

TO PROSPECTIVE GIRL STUDENTS:

I would like a personal word with girl students interested in attending AMBASSADOR COLLEGE.

Please excuse the delay in answering your inquiry. The printing of the enclosed Bulletin has been unavoidably held up.

I'm sure the Bulletin will answer most of your questions. But I want to tell you in this more personal way what I, as founder and acting president, am planning for our girl students.

But first let me emphasize you will probably find life here at AMBASSADOR quite different from that at other colleges. But all our students feel very thankful they came. Nevertheless, since it is so different, every prospective student should understand what these differences are.

The entire atmosphere is different here. The Bulletin is designed to fully reflect these differences, and I urge you to read it thoroughly. But perhaps I can amplify it somewhat in a more personal manner. First of all, we are not a typical large mass- education institution, but probably the smallest liberal arts college in America. Our goal is quality, not quantity. We're like one family here---and a happy family! We are blest with beautiful and quality surroundings of tone and character. We are privileged to enjoy a highly cultural setting. The three buildings on the campus are superbly built, and gradually being restored to original newness and beauty. The campus grounds are not vast, but our four acres of magnificently-landscaped grounds are ample for the college of our size, and they are so perfectly adapted to our specific needs that they provide advantages not found elsewhere. Personally I have visited campuses in all parts of the United States---Pacific Coast, Mountain States, Middle-West, New England, East, and South, including a good portion of the most famous colleges and universities in America, and some abroad. And while some of these are superbly beautiful, nearly all larger than ours, yet it is my candid personal opinion that none is as truly beautiful.

Our purpose here is a very serious one. Our students all take it seriously, and no student should enroll who does not. But life on this campus is full of stimulating interest; it is happy, and there is time for laughter, play, enjoyment of life to the fullest. Recreation and social life is an important part of education here. We believe that when a girl leaves college she ought to be something more than just a "bookworm." It is part of our serious, and Christian purpose, that students receive a complete, well-rounded education. And that requires so much more than text-book knowledge, or development of the intellect alone. It means development of personality, ability to express one's self, instilling of character, training in true culture. This cannot be achieved by class-room work alone.

As traditionally developed, the system of higher education in America has come to measure the worth, importance, and education of the individual by a definite yard-stick,---college degrees. Personally I feel this has become a much abused, and inadequate system. College degrees are conferred according to the number of hours the student sits in the class-room armchair. They do not measure such qualities as the acquirement of ambition, vision, imagination, judgment, initiative. Nor do these class-room methods, book-learning or laboratory work by themselves develop these qualities, or impart understanding of life and its purpose and its laws.

We cannot overlook the fact we live in a world of established systems, and therefore AMBASSADOR must, of course, conform to the system of credits leading toward a degree, based on class-room hours. But, at AMBASSADOR students say they feel that they definitely learn more and acquire more that will help them in a practical way in life, in the AMBASSADOR campus life, outside classes, than they learn in class here, or would elsewhere. Surely it is the purpose of AMBASSADOR to recapture the "true values", including development of personality, bringing out the best in one's self, and acquirement of true culture---not the veneer of sophistication, but that which is real and true and sincere, and springs from the heart in a spirit of love.

As the background for some of the things I am planning especially for girl students, may I, first, express some of our deep-seated convictions which form our philosophical approach.

At AMBASSADOR we seek to teach and train young women for every phase of life. If, during the past fifty years, the young women of the world had not been instructed and trained as we plan to train our girls, this world would not be in the chaotic plight we see today. No nation can be better than its wives and mothers; no community better than its women; no home happier than the wife and mother in that home makes possible; and no girl can become a happy, successful woman unless she has learned the mystery of life ---its real purpose, and the laws that inexorably govern it and lead either to a most satisfying accomplishment, happiness and joy, or if violated to embittered despair, frustration, self- condemnation, loss of happiness and everything one desires in life.

While the general calling, purpose, and natural function of the woman is to be a happy, inspiring, intelligent and successful wife, mother and homemaker, yet the exigencies of today's world make it desirable or necessary for many, prior to marriage or even after, to find some desirable employment. There- fore our purpose at AMBASSADOR in developing courses for girl students is threefold: 1) a general and cultural liberal arts education, including in a most practical manner education and training in a true knowledge of life---its real purpose---the spiritual laws that regulate all relationships---a realization of the true values and how to achieve them; 2) a most practical and thorough training in every necessary phase of home economics for intelligent and successful entrance upon responsibilities of wife- hood, home-making, motherhood; and 3) such specialized courses as we find ourselves in position to excel in women's vocation and professional training.

Specifically, I hope to have available for girls entering this coming fall a special Secretarial course of highest standards, preparing girls to become top-flight secretaries to important executives---a full four year course which will offer a special degree in this major. Preliminary plans are laid. This course and the year of its inauguration is contingent on sufficient enrollment, but inquiries and applications now arriving indicate that girls enrolling this fall may start this course, getting foundational liberal arts subjects preparatory to technical training the freshman year, then entering intensified technical training in the major beginning the second year.

But career or business life regardless, every girl should have the thorough, practical domestic science course which is my personal and special purpose to create here. I know of no college which offers the type of course I have in mind. In this, again, we are pioneering---blazing new trails. It seems to me that being a really intelligent, successful and happy wife, home-maker and mother is becoming a lost art.

It's difficult now, while this course is still in the "idea" stage, to describe it so as to capture the fancy and arouse the enthusiasm of the prospective student. An illustration or two might help to convey what I mean. Today I heard a woman remark to another about a third: "Mrs. X doesn't seem to be a healthy woman. Strange, isn't it---she's a splendid person, and so well educated, too."

But what's strange about it? What is there in popular education today that teaches one how to be and remain healthy? Such courses as are taught along lines of hygiene, physiology, and what is called "physical education," scarcely touch on the real laws of health. Even the overwhelming majority of physicians know almost nothing about it. As a physician and surgeon remarked to me, "We doctors have been kept so busy giving medicine to people already sick we haven't had time to make a study of health". They have studied sickness and disease, not health---drugs, medicines, and surgery, not foods, sunshine and exercise. But a small number of prominent doctors have made specialized study along this line, and they agree that about 90% of ill health comes from improper diet. Ignorance of this one thing can, and usually does, cause irritability, a bad disposition, laziness, fear and worry, and many social handicaps in addition to most of the modern diseases and sicknesses of this day. Is education which leaves the college graduate ignorant of this basic need for a happy and successful life a well-rounded, practical, and complete education?

The AMBASSADOR domestic science course will educate all girls in natural foods and diet and their relation to sickness and disease---not merely how to make dainty pastries. Without going to the extreme of becoming "health-food fanatics," they will learn scientifically how to plan and prepare appetizing, delicious well- balanced health-producing meals of natural foods---and in a delightfully dainty manner with eye-appeal as well. And make no mistake---very few women today know how to do this!

One general step in that direction is added for the 1950-51 school year, Dr. Ralph E. Merrill, a prominent Glendale physician and surgeon, and one of Ambassador College's staunch friends, will deliver a series of lectures on this subject, which you can't afford to miss. The domestic science course will be placed under the direction of a thoroughly qualified woman of unusual capabilities, enthusiastically accepting the responsibility of building here the most practical, intelligent, common-sense course of its kind. I know we shall succeed in this goal, for God will guide and direct and open the way.

I wish to say personally that I feel we offer superior advantages in music here, under Mrs. Martin and Mr. Ettinger. This department will grow, and any supplementary work desired is available here, Los Angeles, or Hollywood.

Mr. Walker is especially desirous of enrolling girl students with good speaking voices and dramatic talent for the radio and television classes---and especially those who desire to give expression to this talent in God's service rather than in the entertainment world.

I wish, too, to assure mothers that girl students will be in the best of hands here, with Mrs. Annie M. Mann hostess in charge of Mayfair, student residence on the campus. Mrs. Mann is a fine, capable, efficient Christian woman of culture, loved and respected by all students, fully trusted by all parents who know her.

While AMBASSADOR is a qualified institution of high standards in a cultural setting, it is working toward a fixed ideal. It desires only students who whole-heartedly share and enter upon that ideal, and it is possible for any such student to come. Every student at present is working his or her way thru. We are glad to lend every assistance to help students find employment who must do so. Those who wish this guidance should state full particulars. Be sure to send us your photograph---any good snap- shot will do---what part of your tuition, room and board, etc., you are able to defray and what part you must earn---your qualifications, experience, kind of employment desired, etc.

Most sincerely,

Herbert W. Armstrong