Ava Milam Clark Oral History Interview, July 12, 1956

LILLIAN VAN LOAN: Tell us about the beginnings of Oregon State College.

AVA MILAM CLARK: I arrived in Corvallis, October 4, 1911. It was raining. I came from Iowa State College, where I had gone only 6 weeks before, to serve as a staff member in the school of home economics there. I was greatly impressed with that college I thought that I would ever care to change my professional job. After a month's time on that campus, I received a telegram from my own alma mater, the University of Chicago. There I received my bachelors degree in 1910, and my masters degree in 1911. They asked "Would you be willing to consider being released from Iowa State College and accepting an appointment at Oregon State College? If so, wire me and wire Dr. Kerr." I did neither, because I had no desire to leave Iowa State. Telegrams and correspondence began to come to me through Chicago and Oregon. Before I knew it, I was on my way to Corvallis. But, I declined to accept appointment until my successor was on the ground at Iowa State College.

I came in about noon, October 4, 1911. It was raining in Corvallis. There was a little bus at the station and it brought me to Waldo. Waldo Hall, I found in the catalog was where home economics, where most of home economics, was housed. There were a few classrooms in the school of agriculture. I had lunch at the faculty women's table, because all the faculty women, and all the women students (except the ones that lived in town), lived in Waldo Hall. The classes in home economics were there. I found that there had been a complete turnover of staff, which numbered five at that time in the field of home economics. They were all new. There we had no records except for what was in the catalog. I found that the new dean who had been appointed, Henrietta W. Calvin, had an obligation with Purdue University and could not come until a year later. Ms. Helen Brooks, later Mrs. Johnson, and I were responsible for home economics courses and the year's work in that field. I had the time of 1 1/2 teachers. I knew that on October fourth, some of the students hadn't registered and that some of the classes hadn't met. I had a meeting with my teacher, and the teacher who was on half time duty at one o'clock. At two o'clock, I met a class. At three o'clock I met another class, which hadn't been met.

At four o'clock I went to see Dr. Kerr, to meet him. Mr. W.A. Jensen was the executive secretary. I was introduced to him and then he introduced me to Dr. Horner, who was in his office. Mr. Jensen said "This is Miss Milam, who has come out to help us with our home economics program." "Oh yes," said Dr. Horner "I saw your picture in the paper and we all decided that you were too young for your job." I was feeling a bit insecure and inadequate at the time, and that didn't give me any help, even though I'm sure Dr. Horner didn't mean it other than a compliment. You see, I was 26 years of age. I had been an instructor at Iowa State and I didn't feel adequate in assuming much responsibility as this job brought to me. I was ushered into President Kerr's office, and we had a very good talk. As I started to leave, he arose, took my hand, looked into my eyes with a twinkle in his eyes he said, "I realize Miss Milam, that you have a difficult job." But he quickly added, "We have great confidence in you. Make your decisions as you think best and never doubt that you have the heartiest support of this office." I went out of that office with that feeling of inadequacy partially erased. I went out with the feeling I have come in touch with a great administrator. He has faith in me, I must make good. He believes I can do it, I must do it. I'll not take his time when I don't need to. I will make decisions with my staff as we think best and I'll never doubt that he'll back me. For twenty five years, I had that wonderful experience of working with a big man, a great leader who inspired me to go beyond what I thought I could do. He taught me a great lesson in administration. I tried to bring staff, as our school grew, staff members that I could believe in, that I could turn over to them what Dr. Kerr turned over to me. Support them, make them know I believed in them. Back them, completely.

Our home economics classes that I had charge of were in the basement of Waldo Hall. They were largely classes at that time in nutrition, sewing, millinery, cookery, weaving, basketry and such courses. There was nothing in the way of household management or child development So, great changes came about in the school later on. The woman who worked as dean preceding my arrival had married in June, her staff had left with her. There was a complete turnover that first year. With the lack of records, it was difficult to find what had preceded in those courses. This made a great impression on me. There should be records kept. I may have gone very far in Keeping more records than were needed, but I assure you that my successor had records to follow back on,- not only in reference to courses but also in the history of the school.

I was so pleased that Dr. Margaret Snell, who started home economics, was still in Corvallis when I arrived. She was a great soul and meant a great deal to me during those early years when I had the responsibility which I had. I could look at her lovely, calm face with beautiful skin, rosy cheeks, snow white hair and a twinkle in her eyes and feel "If I get into a place where I need counsel I can readily go to her."

I want to tell you a little about the woman who started home economics at Oregon State College, because she was one of our great pioneers in the United States. While studying diseases to which man falls prey, listening to lectures and learning the attempts to relieve human suffering through medical aide, this young woman, Margaret Snell, who studied medicine at Boston University in the late 80s, had some long thoughts about life. Her conviction was that her life should be invested in the prevention as well as cure of disease. As a result, she came to a decision that was destined to make an imprint on the people of Oregon, their homes, and others beyond the borders of Oregon. This young woman, Margaret Comstock Snell, with a broad education, ambition and wisdom, was convinced that she should complete her medical training, but never practice as a physician. As she expressed to me early after my arrival in 1911 that "I made up my mind that I would not so much try to cure diseased livers, as to teach people how to avoid getting them." This conviction led her to seek the best avenue for such teaching. After careful study, she concluded that "When you educate a man you educate an individual. But when you educate a woman, the welfare of a family is secure." So the ambition of Margaret Snell to educate the homemaker, to understand how to keep her family physically well, led her into the field of education for homemaking, then known as domestic science and art. The leading institution at that time was Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn, New York. After receiving her diploma at Boston University, Dr. Snell began her study at Pratt Institute.

The land grant colleges in the United States, known as the people's colleges, began teaching domestic science and art shortly after they were established by the Morrill Act in 1862. Parents desired education adapted to the needs of their daughters as homemakers even as education in agriculture and mechanical arts was meeting the needs of their sons. When Margaret Snell was studying at Pratt Institute, some of the land grant colleges were preparing to open departments of homemaking education for young women. Some mothers had already started this teaching. In 1889, Dr. Margaret Snell arrived in Corvallis to initiate a new department called household economy and hygiene. This department, in 1908, was re-christened as the school of home economics by William Jasper Kerr. Oregon State College was the fourth land grant college to introduce a school of home economics. Preceding were Iowa State College, Kansas State College, and the University of Illinois. Since that time, the establishment of this field of education has followed in rapid succession in all land grant colleges. When she first started the department of home economics, Dr. Snell was the sole teacher of home economics or domestic economy and hygiene. Also, she was in charge of the dormitory and of the buying and planning of meals.

She often related her early experiences to me at a quiet luncheon at her home with just the two of us present. She, so experienced and wise and I so inexperienced and young, but eager to learn from her and vision of the future. In a laboratory equipped with a small wood burning stove, a few saucepans and a sewing machine, Margaret Snell taught her girls the fundamentals of good food selection, cookery, clothing and hygiene. She also passed on to them the appreciation of good literature, art and good human relations. Some of her graduates have told me, as they put their little saucepans on the stove for cooking, pick up their sewing, she'd read good literature to them, and discuss these problems. Her classes were small. She was a Mark Hopkins to her girls. She inspired them to sense the significance of the home, the influence of the wife and mother on the success and character of the entire family. Through the years, since she taught her first class here, her students have borne testimony in many ways to the imprint she left on their lives.

The growth of the school she founded bears eloquent testimony of her wisdom and forcefulness as a pioneer leader of home economics and its place in human relations. During these years, over four thousand degrees in this field of art at Oregon State College. Thousands more have studied one or more years, and have captured in some measure the meaning of its ideals and objectives and learned to live them. The school still holds to its original objective: education for homemaking. All this implies, as conceived by this school this provides a student a broad, basic, general education, to which is added specific homemaking training dealing with the problems of feeding, clothing, housing of the family as these necessities contribute to the mental as well as the physical health of the family members. The place of the homemaker in the community as her duty to society, to obtain such an objective a study of the management of time, money and their Influence on the community and family welfare is a part of each new program. In conformity, with the best ideas relating to the stability of an individual in his social environment, the study of child development and family relationships is emphasized. In this field, the opportunity for observation in our nursery schools and of the residents of our home management houses serve as a vital agency. Here many of the topics studied in the formal courses take on clear cut reality and point up the goal of the individual and improved family living.

Most students' course of study is completely and rigidly prescribed. Free electives are offered, these furnish opportunities to satisfy individual interests or to qualify for the vocations of teaching, management, dietetics of tearooms and dormitories, extension work, home economics in radio, journalism, home service work with utility companies, food, clothing and equipment concerns, nursery school teaching and home economics in social welfare also. They also provide for the individual to round out her own life and secure the satisfactions that come when a well-rounded individual makes a significant contribution to better and happier living. As vocational opportunities increased, home economics schools throughout the nation tended to focus the main attention of the students on training for these rapidly developing earning fields. Tending to lose thereby general and homemaking education provided, they overlooked the fact that women tended to remain in these professional fields a relatively short time, and then become homemakers. In either capacity, they exert a profound influence on the development of society and social outlook throughout their lives.

The primary responsibility of the school, therefore, is to the individual and the home and living, and to the widest concept of that term. Its responsibility to the professional field exists in and is met by supplying teachers, investigators, and other workers to perpetuate its important obligations. Never once in these years since home economics has started at Oregon State College, has this college wavered from its fundamental objectives, despite the many pressures from within and without. It has kept uppermost in mind education of the home, family life and the far reaching influence these have in the development of a nation and its outlook. This consistent policy has made Oregon State school distinctive in providing its students with a broad education as well as a means of meeting their responsibilities as vital members of any community of which they become a part. Five out of six Oregon State graduates of home economics are homemakers. Most of the others are working in the professional fields of home economics. Because marriage brings about a steady depletion of personnel in home economics vocations, the supply of trained home economists is never greater than the demand. Many of our graduates marry immediately after graduation and many before.

Another distinctive feature of this school is the international program. When I was a student at the University of Chicago, one of my teachers, Sophonisba P. Breckinridge, a woman trained in law, made a great impression on me. Not only for courses dealing with the legal and economic position of women, the child and the state, but also for her social work at Hull House and with other immigrant groups. After I had decided to come to Oregon, she said to me "What worries me, Ava, about your teaching in Oregon, is how are you going to teach your students in that favored section of the United States how the other half lives." This concern of my teacher became mine too. As I came to see the need for broader horizons, I was also convinced that education for homemaking is a basic need in all countries.

I have made four trips to the Orient and one to the Middle East for the sole purpose of helping in the establishment or advancement in this field of education in those countries. The first was in 1922. I accepted an invitation from Yancheng University, Peking, China, one of the leading educational institutions of that country. I took eighteen months leave from Oregon State College. At that time there were no sabbatical leaves, so I went off on a missionary's salary. I took with me a graduate of Oregon State College who remained to carry the work on after my return to the United States. When we first arrived in China, she began studying the Chinese language, preparatory to years of service there. Meanwhile, I spent nine months traveling all over China, visiting homes, schools, trying to get a background so we could adapt home economics to the needs of the Chinese Homes. We also endeavored to interpret to teachers and students and groups of citizens of China, the field of education for homemaking, its objectives and content. In order to make the work indigenous, the need for trained national leaders became apparent.

Through the aid of our home economics club, church and women's organizations, government grants as well as individual contributions, foreign women have come to study at Oregon State since 1924. Upon their return to their native country, they have served as pioneer leaders in this field of education adapted to their home lands. At the time of the 60th anniversary in 1949, 15 foreign graduate students were at Oregon State College studying home economics to serve as pioneers in this field in their native countries. Those students were from Finland, South Africa, Siam, India, the Philippines and China. Others from New Zealand, South America, Japan, Sweden, and Germany have also studied here and they continue to come. The horizons of many of our American students and staff have been broadened by these contacts. Great friendships have been born between our American students and these students. Having these foreign students has helped to break down racial prejudices and to engender in our students a broader spirit of social consciousness, in a world so in need of international friendship and freedom from racial prejudices. These foreign women, along with our American graduates can be found in many sections of the world. It is my hope and belief that they're contributing to a better world through better homes.

In 1911, when I reached Oregon State College I found this college was on a two year high school entrance basis. But very rapidly, we went to a three year entrance basis and then to a four year entrance basis. Dr. Kerr was careful not to let this college go on a four year high school entrance basis until the high schools of the state had four years and the students wouldn't be handicapped thereby. It was very shortly after my arrival. that we went on a four year high school entrance basis.

You wanted to know about the size of the campus when I came. There were no more students than could be seated in the building which is now used for dramatic art, for plays, what was often called the old women's gym. In addition to the students present, there was the platform which took care of the entire faculty and the band. Usually, we had the faculty and the band on the platform and the students attended regularly and there was no requirement to attend. There was a great effort to have speakers that would challenge and stimulate students. It was always a very thrilling thing to attend a convocation there. In addition to this building to where we had our convocations and where the girls had their gymnasium, there was the armory for the boys to train for the military during the time it was raining. It rained a great deal at that time. I recall I went into Mr. Jensen's office one day after I'd been here about a month, I asked "Is the rainy season almost over?" He laughed heartily and said, "No, it won't be over until April..." This was a great surprise to me. There was that little building, Benton Hall, that housed the library and the music department. There was the Agricultural building that had just been constructed. The dairy building, which is now used for social science, was just about ready to be built. There was practically nothing west of the Agricultural building, it was a field. There were a few little dotted agricultural buildings for animals out a ways. I will take that back, there was Coffin Hall, which is now called Kidder Hall and that's where the boys had a dormitory. Incidentally, that's where my husband lived when he was in college here. There was Waldo Hall, named for Mrs. Waldo who was a great woman leader on the Board. A woman who spoke often to women students and inspired them, who was a great source of inspiration to me as a young teacher. There was Mrs. Helen Brooks, who came about six weeks ahead of me. She was in charge of the clothing and all of the courses in the field of millinery crafts, weaving and so forth. There was another building here when I arrived, called Apperson Hall for the engineers. The building, now known as Education Hall was used for chemistry when I came. The very tiny building south of Benton Hall, now used for paleontology, I believe, was on the campus.

All of the other buildings I have seen go up. It's been a very interesting thing to watch them go up. But, buildings, after all, are not the most important part of the college. Far more important are the staff members, not only what they know in their respective fields but what they are as individuals and their genuine interest in youth. As I look back on my college days, I know that it was the part of the teachers themselves that stayed with me. Much of the subject matter I learned from them was forgotten or became obsolete. Their interest in me as a student, their interest in humanity, their kindness, their patience, their understanding, all of that made a deep impression on me and when I came to Oregon State College. I meant to see that students came into my home and came to know me as a person and not as a teacher who had power only.

The first unit of our school of home economics came in 1913. At that time, when we built that first unit it was off to the west and toward the barns and in the country. Our second unit was built in 1922 and the third shortly after my retirement in 1951-1952. The building was constructed in 1951-1952 and my retirement was in July of 1950. This building, in its completeness, is in the heart of, and I think rightly so, of the campus directly across from the Memorial Union One day I was asked "What would you think if you were asked to turn over your first two units of the home economics building to agriculture, and your moving out to the women's dormitories and so forth, farther out into the country?" I said "No, I wouldn't like to see that. We're in the heart of campus now and when we started, we were out on the outskirts. I'd like to have us stay in the heart of the campus, so there we are!" In addition to this large building which now houses most of the home economics work, there are two home management houses, where our students have a chance to test out some of their learning in more difficult family life situations than they have in the classroom. Our nurses school is also two. One was constructed by us, and the other was adapted from a residence to the study of children of preschool age.

The school of home economics now has facilities that are very different to the facilities that I found in 1911. But, again I would say, far more significant are the staff members who lived with and worked with each other and the students through these years. I wish time permitted me to tell you about these staff members. I can only mention a few. Many of them are still living. Some have retired. Some have gone. There was Helen Lee Davis, head of clothing, who came to us from Nebraska. She came from Vassar College in the field of physics. She was doing work in astronomy at Columbia University and on the side took clothing courses. She became so deeply interested in it that she changed her profession to home economics. She served four years at Nebraska University. Then she came to Oregon State College. I believe it was the first year I was dean.

Before Mrs. Calvin, the deanship was preceded by Miss Greer. Then there were three years with Dean Calvin. Dr. Kerr invited me to become dean of home economics, I declined. I thought it was not best for either the campus or for me, to assume responsibility until I felt a little more adequate. We carried on as a committee for a year. At the end of that year, Dr. Kerr again asked me if I would serve as dean. I accepted, provided that he would let me travel for three months visiting schools of home economics, learning how to administer and how not to administer. So, in 1917, I took on the responsibility as dean of the school. According to the records, I was the youngest dean to ever be appointed on this campus. It has been my privilege to serve in that capacity for thirty-three years.

In 1922, when I went out first to China to help establish a home economics program at Yancheng University, Helen Lee Davis, then head of clothing and textiles and related arts, served as acting dean. She did an excellent piece of work. When I returned, she was made assistant dean of home economics. Shortly after that, she went on sabbatical and traveled around the world. She came back to us. Her life was cut short by a serious illness, so she retired or resigned from the school. Miss Alma Fritchoff, her next in rank, became acting department head. She served as head of clothing and related arts until she reached retirement age. She is now in Omaha, living with her brother. She has quite recently helped with the development of home economics in the Middle East at Beirut Women's College and in the American Women's college in Cairo.

Alma Grace Johnson, was head of household management. She was in charge of our home management houses and in the various courses in home management and child development. She too served as acting dean of the school in 1931 and 1932, when I was following up my earlier foreign work in the Far East. A year or two after I returned, she passed away through a stroke. She was on her sabbatical leave. Mrs. Jessamine Williams, who resides in Corvallis, served a number of years as head of our foods and nutrition and has made a fine contribution in that field. Miss Gertrude Strickland, who also resides in Corvallis, was head of clothing and related areas following Miss Fritchoff. She is happily living and continuing her professional work through her textbook which has just been published by MacMillan and Co. Another staff member who has recently retired is Mrs. Sara Prentiss. Mrs. Prentiss is a graduate of Oregon State College. For many years she has served as an instructor, then professor, and then as department head of the field of household management and child development. Still another is Mrs. Vera Brandon, who was acting dean of home economics for four years following my retirement, until the appointment of Dr. Miriam Scholl, the present dean.

I should like to mention all staff members who have served this school, because their own contribution, but time won't permit me to do so. Again, I want to emphasize the fact that no school is built by an individual, or two or three, but is built by all working together for a common cause. Our salaries all through those years were comparatively small as contrasted with the salaries of today. Somehow, we didn't feel underpaid, I believe.

One of the significant advances which occurred during the early years I spent at Oregon State College, was in 1915 when the college was asked to conduct a tearoom at the World’s Fair in San Francisco. The Oregon Commission was in charge of the building after they got the plans all made and the building pretty well constructed, they thought "Well, we better have someplace to eat." There was one little room where they could serve 36 and a place that could be made into the kitchen with a storeroom down below and another place where they could serve probably about 16 in a private dining room. The Oregon Commission approached Dr. Kerr and Asked that we conduct a tearoom at San Francisco. Dean Henrietta W. Calvin was in charge at that time. This was in 1915, and she agreed that our school would conduct this tearoom. We worked out plans. The understanding was that the Commission would underwrite us under a certain time and then if we didn't make good, we'd come home. They'd provide transportation for our students, 7 of them for a period of six weeks to go down to San Francisco with one staff member in charge. One of our young women directed the kitchen, the other directed the serving. Our students and our students would not receive expenses for this, and would receive six college credits for work in institutional management. That was a very interesting experience, introducing institutional management into a school of home economics. About two or three months after this opened, Dean Calvin accepted a position in the bureau of education in Washington D.C.. We were without a dean, since this was in the field of foods, it became my responsibility to assume the leadership of this project. We early decided that we would make this possible for our students according to the type of girl and the quality of work she did. It was considered a great honor to be allowed to go and the students considered it so. It was a great experience for them. Since we had no salary for a teacher, we divided up and each teacher would go for a month at a time. But, being in charge, I had three months at it. I went in August when they were all on vacation, April when I became responsible for it and in November when I had to close up the tea room.

We early sensed that we should make this project one that would be"…a respecter of new persons, first come, first served. Very early, the lineup was so great that of our 72, 36 served at twelve and 36 at one, were in line by 11 o'clock. The tea room opened at twelve and at one to take those 72. We had lots of interesting people. The two Mr. Olds, of Olds and King, came often and stood in line to get into that tea room. They said goodbye to me. They also said, "If we were going to be here longer we would continue to stay in line to get in here." A great many clubs tried to buy up the tea room, but we decided that wasn't fair to the public. Incidentally, we charged 7₵ for lunch and the other two meals, breakfast and dinner, were only opened to the women students who prepared the food and to the main guides from Oregon State and the University of Oregon, to the commissioners and faculty in charge. To make our expenses we had to make it on that 75₵ luncheon to feed 72 people. Expenses were high there. A five hundred dollar concession and so on, plus transportation for the girls, laundry and so forth. Well, to make a long story short, we weren't sent home because we couldn't make a go of it. There was great demand for those three course lunches. We'd came through at the end of the time with not just expenses paid for staff and students and all the costs of running the tearoom. But it was a great experience for staff and students. With $2000 clear, one thousand went to the commission and one thousand we gave to the student loan fund. We also had the beginnings of a department of institutional management.

Another significant event that occurred at Oregon State College during my administration was the meeting of the American Home Economics Association on our campus. That was in 1922. In August, we invited the association to come here at the time when school was not in session. We used Waldo and Snell Halls and the sorority houses for entertaining. Then, the Benton Hotel and Corvallis Hotel were not in existence. There was no possible way of taking care of these people except on our campus. Our buildings were available for meetings. We had the full responsibility of planning the program, of housing the people, making arrangements for rates with the railroads for entertainment with Portland and Corvallis. I attended the Boston convention of the American Home Economics Association in 1921. There were 450 delegates. We'd thought we'd do well if we thought we had an equal number. We got rates on the railroads. We arranged for Portland to have free trips up the Columbia River Highway and a free luncheon put on by Henry Thiele up the Highway near Eagle Creek, then dinner by the School Board that night, really a banquet. We sent out little folders. The interest for that was so great that we had 750 in attendance. It was a banner year for the Association. We had not only the program to plan for and all of this entertainment, but we also had to write up the reports. We had to do the press work. We had an organization that was very stimulating and fascinating. We had some very interesting times. You will perhaps be interested to know that we charged $2.50 per day for two to a room or $3.00 a day in the dormitory for a private room. Our graduates came back and served as guides, and also pressed the dresses for prominent speakers and etc. Many who attended the American Home Economics Association convention in Corvallis could never get to a convention in New York City or Boston or Chicago. Now this Association is so very large, 3000 to 3500 that Portland couldn't very well care for them without some additional hotels. That was a great experience and one that we recall and many of those 750 who came here recall with great interest and appreciation. Incidentally, it helped greatly to acquaint the home economists of the country with this college and with our school of home economics.

I cherish for this college and in particular for the school of home economics which I have served for 39 years that they should never lose sight of the fact that every student comes here with a background that is brought from his family or her family and from the community of his or her origin. Habits may have been formed which should be changed. Ideals may not be what they cherish. Every individual is significant and no matter who that student is that as long as that material is human, there is no such thing as finality. That students need patient understanding, inspiring teachers. Teachers who will help them strengthen their values as well as train their minds. That subject matter which teachers may give may grow obsolete in time, but the memory the student has of kindness and understanding and interest of a teacher will never be lost. I cherish for this college and for the school of home economics that they may never lose sight of the fact they must change according to the change of society and home. But, they must hold to true values in that change. Bear it in mind that human values go way beyond any other values.

One of the great lessons Dr. Kerr taught me was through his succinct statements in faculty meetings. I heard him say "Poise is power." I have also heard him say to staff members "You can never get ahead by pushing someone else down." I would be untrue to my best self not to pay tribute to the administrator who had such an influence over my administration and my life. For 25 years he was at the head of our college.

After I had reached 65, a letter came to me. It was an informal type of note, informing me that I had reached retirement age, that I would be expected to retire July 1, 1950. I never felt physically and mentally more adequate to go on. I never felt more eager to serve the youth of Oregon. I had had many opportunities, like all teachers, to go elsewhere. But I had no desire to go elsewhere, except on sabbatical leaves or on leaves to do the kind of work that I reported. The roots had gone deep. Oregon was a big part of me. It came as a great shock to me. I wanted to continue to serve Oregon youth. But of course, I retired. Through the years, that biblical quotation "I hold before thee an open door, and no man can close it." I have found that true in my own life.

It was a short time after I retired. The most challenging, difficult and most absorbing job I ever had came through a request through the United Nations, from the Food and agriculture division. I was to go to the Middle East, first to serve as the home economics advisor to the Syrian government with headquarters in Damascus, to help advance a program in home economics. Then, I was to go to Iraq, as an advisor to the Iraqi government with headquarters in Baghdad. There I had the privilege of working 19 months, helping that group of educators to sense the significance of education for the home adapted to the needs of their people.

After I came back in 1952, and finished my reports, another door opened, one of the greatest doors. J.C. Clark, an old time friend, a graduate of Oregon State of 1904, who served in China for the YMCA for 17 years and then conducted world tours for college and high school students, came. We were married. Now for a period of 4 years, we had been traveling, reading and living together. Now I have been practicing the things I've been preaching through the years. I want to close with a quotation, a Chinese proverb which J.C. and I love, "If you would plant for a year, plant grain. If you would plant for a decade, plant trees. If you would plant for a century, plant men."