No reason for the resignation of Dr. Abraham Flexner, American Jewish educator, from his post as director of studies and medical education of the General Education Board, a Rockefeller Foundation, was given by officials of the Board and his letter of resignation was not made public.
W. W. Brierley, secretary of the Board, announced that Dr. Flexner’s resignation would become effective July 1.
It was denied that Dr. Flexner and his associates of the General Education Board had disagreed because in a lecture at Oxford last Saturday, Dr. Flexner condemned the United States and England for spending millions on wars rather than on education.
Bernard Flexner, brother of Dr. Flexner, said he was unaware of his brother’s reasons for withdrawing from the board. He said there had been no clash between the trustees and his brother. Dr. Simon Flexner, another brother, who is director of the laboratories of Rockefeller Institute, referred all inquiries to Bernard Flexner Dr. Flexner is expected to return to this country early in June.
In accepting the resignation, the trustees made public the following statement:
“Dr. Flexner’s withdrawal from the board is accepted with great regret. His services, in behalf of the board, to the cause of education–especially medical education, a field in which his training and experience made him eminent–have been invaluable. During the fifteen years in which he has been an officer of the board first as Secretary, and later as director of studies and medical education, he has devoted himself with keen intelligence and untiring energy to its tasks. His clear insight, his wide and accurate knowledge, his ardent imagination, have been most stimulating and constructive. He takes with him the cordial wishes of every member of this board.”
Dr. Flexner has supervised distribution of the special fund of $50,000,000 which John D. Rockefeller has given to the General Education Board and other important projects of the organization. Last November he was appointed Rhodes Memorial Lecturer at Oxford, succeeding Sir Robert Borden former Prime Minister of Canada. He began a series of lectures May 5 at Oxford under the auspices of the Rhodes Trust.
He was born in 1866, and studied at Johns Hopkins University, receiving an A.M. degree, and also studied at Harvard and the University of Berlin. He served as teacher at the Louisville High School and later became an expert of the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching.
Dr. Flexner’s appointment as Rhodes Memorial Lecturer is for the academic year 1927-28. It is believed that upon expiration of his services in this field Dr. Flexner intends remaining in England indefinitely.
An Associated Press despatch from London states that in a lecture at Oxford University, Dr. Flexner decried “freak degrees” in American universities and told an audience here that it is not the art of a University to turn out “seductive advertisers or plausible bond salesmen.”
An American university gave credits toward degrees for courses in packing house operations, public opinion, parental education and scouting. Another university gives credit for experience as bus boy and key clerk, he said.
“This sort of thing does not deserve to be called education at all, it is an irrelevant and unworthy thing for a modern university to undertake to “short circuit” experience, he declared.
Miss Sadie Nauy of the Jewish Community Center of Atlantic City, representing the New Jersey Federation of Y. M. and Y. W. H. A.’s, was swarded first prize in the Inter-Federation. Oratorical contest held Sunday at the Jewish Community Center. Washington, D. C. under the anspices of the Jewish Welfare Board. Her subject was “Nothing Strans, Humanitarian.” The award was made in bonor of Justice Irving Lehman, president of the Jewish Welfare Board.
Phillip Dimond, president of the Y.M.H.A. of Paterson, N.J. was chairmen of the award committee David Wiener, president of the Middle Atlantic States Federation, presided.
Simeon Strans, pioneer Chicago Lawyer, died Thursday at the age of 72.
Mr. Straus was born in Milwankee. He was a member of the Hamilton Club, the Art Institute and Sinai Congregation. His widow, Josephine Friedman Strans, and five children survie him.
Matching the example set recently by Philadelphia. Zionists of New Jemey presented Dr. Chaim Wairmann with $100,000 when he inangurated the 1928 drive for $110,000 for the United Palestine Appeal. A check for $50,000 was presented to him by Bernard Miller, chairman of the Newark drive. The other half of the $100,000 was made up from contributions from other communities, the Largest sums coming from Jersey City, $10,000 Perth Amboy, $5,200; Paterson, Plainfield and the Oranges, each $5,000; and Hoboken, $3,000.
Speakers at the dinner Isuneching the Newark drive included Falix Fuld, Bernard Miller, chairman of the drive: P. J. Schotland, state chairman of the Appeal; Miss Sarah Knssy. head of Senior Hadassah in North Jersey: M. A. Stavitsky, and M. S. Mints.
It was reported that up to and including the dinner, the sum of $59,165 or more than fifty per cent of the local quota, had been pledped. The largest subscriptions were $5,000 each from Felix Fald and A. Hollender and Sors.
Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach, noted book collector, spent $2,000,000 for rare manuscripts and books during his visit in Europe which will terminate today when he sails for American on the Majostic.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
