GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING FOR CONSTRUCTION OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES REQUIRED IN THE EDUCATION OF WAR VETERANS

MONDAY, MAY 5, 1947

UNITED STATES SENATE,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EDUCATION,

OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE,

Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a. m., in room 357, Senate Office Building, Senator George D. Aiken presiding.

Present: Senators Aiken (presiding), Smith, and Ellender.

Senator AIKEN. Some of the members of the Subcommittee on Education are attending another committee meeting this morning. One or two others were expected, or may be expected here a little later.

In the meantime, the Chair wishes to make a statement in regard to this bill, S. 971, which he introduced on March 21.

(The bill is as follows:)

[S. 971, 80th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To amend title V of the Act entitled "An Act to expedite the provision of housing in connection with the national defense, and for other purposes", approved October 14, 1940, as amended, to authorize the Federal Works Administrator to make grants to institutions of higher learning for the construction of educational facilities required in the education and training of war veterans.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That title V of the Act entitled "An Act to expedite the provision of housing in connection with national defense, and for other purposes", approved October 14, 1940, as amended, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section:

"SEC. 505. (a) Whenever the United States Commissioner of Education finds that there exists or impends at any institution of higher learning an acute shortage of educational facilities required for war veterans engaged in the pursuit of courses of training or education under title II of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended, the Federal Works Administrator (hereinafter referred to as the "Administrator") is authorized to make grants to any such institution to aid in financing the cost of educational facilities necessary to relieve such shortage. (b) In carrying out the provisions of this section, no department, agency, or officer of the United States shall exercise any supervision or control over any institution of higher learning to which a grant may be made hereunder nor shall any condition or requirement be imposed, either in the grant agreement or otherwise, which shall in any way prescribe or affect the administration, personnel, curriculum, instruction, methods of instruction or materials of instruction of such institution.

(c) Funds appropriated to carry out this section shall not be available for obligation for new projects after June 30, 1948, or for any project which in the determination of the Administrator cannot be comemnced prior to December 31, 1948, or the completion of which cannot be expedited and accomplished in sufficient time to make the facilities available for use in the education and training of said veterans.

(d) No grant made hereunder shall exceed 50 per centum of the cost of the educational facilities to the institution, as determined by the Administrator.

(e) Seventy-five per centum of all funds appropriated for the making of grants hereunder shall be apportioned by the Administrator for allotment to institutions of higher learning within the several States in the proportion which the total number of veterans in each of the respective States who are certified by the Veterans' Administration, on or before March 31, 1947, as eligible for education and training under title II of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended, bears to the total number of veterans in all the States thus certified on or before such date. The balance of the funds appropriated for the making of grants shall be apportioned for allotment to such institutions within the several States as the Administrator in his discretion may determine.

(f) To carry out the provisions of this section, and for administrative expenses in connection therewith, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $250,000,000 to remain available until expended.

(g) In carrying out the provisions of this section, the Administrator is authorized to exercise the powers and shall be subject to the limitations contained in sections 203 (a) (4), 305, 309, and 311 of this Act.

(h) The Administrator is authorized to make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

(i) As used in this section, the term "institution of higher learning" means any educational institution, in the category of a university, college, junior college, or normal school, which is (1) a public institution or (2) a private institution no part of the net earnings of which shall inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

(j) As used in this section, the term "State" means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, or any Territory or possession of the United States.

Senator AIKEN. In the House, a companion bill, H. R. 2845, has been introduced by Congressman Rohrbough, of West Virginina.

The bill which we are considering here provides for Federal aid to colleges in the construction of permanent educational facilities where there is an acute shortage of such facilities, required for the training of war veterans.

This objective would be achieved by adding to the Lanham Act, as amended, a new section, section 505, providing that whenever the United States Commissioner of Education finds that there exists or impends at any institution of higher learning an acute shortage of educational facilities required for war veterans, the Federal Works Administrator is authorized to make grants to such institutions to aid in financing the cost of educational facilities to relieve the shortage. The term "war veterans" means those servicemen engaged in the pursuit of courses of training or education under Title II of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended.

The bill authorizes the appropriation of $250,000,000 for carrying out this program and for administrative expenses.

I call particular attention to the features of this bill which provide that there shall be no Federal supervision or control over educational institutions that participate in this program, and that the institutions themselves shall bear at least 50 percent of the costs of construction under this program.

Funds appropriated under this bill shall not be available for obligation for new projects after June 30, 1948, or for any project which in the determination of the Federal Works Administrator cannot be commenced prior to December 21, 1948.

There is an unprecedented enrollment in American colleges. Veterans consitute well over half of this enrollment. It is estimated that the number of veterans enrolling in college will continue to increase at least through 1950-51. Although colleges and universities, and local State and Federal Governments have worked hand-in-hand trying to meet this emergency and trying to carry out the implied

contract between the Federal Government and our educational institutions to provide educational opportunities for veterans who want to take advantage of the GI bill, they have not been able to meet the demand for enrollment. Temporary construction has not been sufficient to do the job. Moreover, these structures cost about fiveeighths as much as permanent buildings and last but a few years.

Many veterans who want to go to college are being turned away because of the shortage of classroom, laboratory, and other educational facilities. I may add that this bill does not include dormitories or other student housing.

This concludes my opening statement. I am sure I express the sentiments of the other members of this subcommittee when I say that we welcome the witnesses who will appear at these hearings and extend to them a courteous reception.

The first witness this morning is Dr. Arthur S. Adams, chairman, National Housing Advisory Committee, Cornell University.

Dr. Adams, will you take the stand and proceed with your testimony on this bill?

STATEMENT OF ARTHUR S. ADAMS, PROVOST, CORNELL UNIVERSITY; CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION; CHAIRMAN, SPECIAL COMMITTEE, ASSOCIATION OF LAND-GRANT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Dr. ADAMS. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I think first perhaps I should explain exactly why it is that I appear here.

I was named chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Housing of the American Council on Education, a committee which derives its authority from the American Council on Education Committee on Relationships of Educational Institutions to the Federal Government.

This committee of which I am chairman, the Housing Advisory Committee, is a national committee in the sense that the whole United States is divided into nine regions and there are nine regional committees. Each one of those committees has in its membership 7 to 10 representatives of the institutions in that region. So this committee, I think, can be fairly said to speak for the educational institutions of the country.

In addition, I have also been named chairman of the Special Housing Committee of the Land-Grant College Association which is made up of some 67 land-grant institutions of the country.

In respect to the legislation under consideration, it seems to me that the case can be stated very simply.

There are six factors pertaining to it. First, the effect of the educational provisions of the GI bill, plus the normal increase in the Nation's population and the normal increase in the proportion of eligible men of college age actually desiring to go to college, has created a situation in which existing college facilities are seriously inadequate.

Second, this is not merely a temporary emergency. The best estimates available indicate that the peak of veterans' enrollment will be reached in 1949 or thereafter; but after that date the demands on the colleges will not appreciably decrease.

Senator ELLENDER. How is that figure of 1949 reached?

that estimate made? As I understand it, on the whole, veterans who have served over a certain period of time are given a full 4 years of college training.

Dr. ADAMS. It depends, Senator, on the amount of service the veteran has. He gets or receives 1 year of training for, I think it is 90 days and then he receives additional entitlement in the proportion to the amount of service he has had.

Senator ELLENDER. How did you figure that 1949 would be the peak of that period?

Dr. ADAMS. That is determined from the entitlements submitted to the Veterans' Administration itself, applications from veterans who are eligible for these benefits and who have requested this sort of training.

Senator ELLENDER. And then how long thereafter is it anticipated that this program will be continued under the present law?

Dr. ADAMS. Under the present law we have, of course, actually certain people already enlisted in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, who are eligible to receive the benefits but who, of course, have not made any applications for them because they are still in the bracket of enlisted personnel.

Their plans have to be estimated on the best evidence we can get from those who have severed their connection from the Service, and it is that continuing load still in the Service who will become eligible. Senator ELLENDER. Have you any idea how much time it will require to complete this program?

Dr. ADAMS. I can only estimate, Senator, and I would judge that it will probably be well into the middle fifties.

Senator ELLENDER. Middle fifties?

Dr. ADAMS. Yes.

Senator ELLENDER. Doctor, you, of course, know that building materials are rather short at the present time.

Dr. ADAMS. Although I understand that the situation is materially improved in recent months

Senator ELLENDER. Improved, but yet it will be some time before we get back to what we may term normalcy, and of course I have always entertained the view that it might be best to provide for housing rather than for expansion of this nature.

Now, in the light of that opinion, Doctor, suppose we do approve $250,000,000; how long a period of time do you think it will require to expend it and build the structures that would come within the purview of this act?

Dr. ADAMS. Yes, I understand, Senator.

I think that is one of the great merits of the bill in that it contemplates action being taken on this all-important problem in sufficient time so that most of that construction could be completed by the fall of 1949.

In the language of the bill itself there is a stipulation that all commitments under it must be established by that date.

Senator ELLENDER. It must be commenced by December 31, 1948. Dr. ADAMS. I am judging on the basis of the work carried on under the original Lanham Act that it took, let us judge, 4 months to get the necessary administrative machinery set up and then it took something over a year to complete the buildings.

Senator ELLENDER. So that under this bill, as it is now worded, under section 505 (c), it says:

Funds appropriated to carry out this section shall not be available for obligation for new projects after June 30, 1948, or for any project which in the determination of the Administrator cannot be commenced prior to December 31, 1948. Dr. ADAMS. Yes, sir.

Senator ELLENDER (reading):

or the completion of which cannot be expedited and accomplished in sufficient time to make the facilities available for use in the education and training of said veterans.

Dr. ADAMS. Yes, sir.

Senator ELLENDER. Now you stated a while ago that all of this program would be completed some time during 1950; did I understand correctly?

Dr. ADAMS. No, sir; the peak of enrollments will occur in 1949 to 1950.

Senator ELLENDER. When will it be completed?

Dr. ADAMS. From the standpoint of construction or enrollments? Senator ELLENDER. I am talking about the education of the GI's. Dr. ADAMS. The educational problems will remain with us until the mid 50's.

Senator AIKEN. Many GI's are yet in high school, are they not, and hundreds of thousands of others I understand, are living under conditions and working in classroom conditions that handicap them very severely in their studies?

Dr. ADAMS. Speaking nationally, Mr. Chairman, some of these conditions are nothing less than deplorable.

Senator ELLENDER. The point I wish to emphasize, Doctor, is simply this: We are being asked to appropriate $250,000,000 now to take care of the situation which in the mid 50's, as you say, will be at an end.

Dr. ADAMS. No, sir.

Senator ELLENDER. I did not understand what you said, then. Dr. ADAMS. I think, Senator, you asked me how long the veterans' problem would continue to be acute.

Now, I answered and I think correctly, that that acuteness would persist until the mid 50's; but we are having along with this veterans' problem the continued normal growth of educational requirements, which in my opinion will very likely nearly catch up with the decrease in veterans' demand by the mid 50's.

If I could draw such a curve, it would go like this [indicating] and have a hump on it. The hump would be the veteran crisis which brings this about now.

Now, as the veteran hump recedes, the normal growth curves come up and intersect at some point less than the peak but not very much less.

Senator ELLENDER. Well, how long do you anticipate that the GI program will be necessary? Let me put it to you this way: Are we going to continue it for 5, 6, 10, 15, or how many years?

Dr ADAMS. That would be presumptuous of me, Senator, to indicate the answer to that because it would depend upon the action of Con

gress.

Senator ELLENDER. You mean future action?

Dr. ADAMS. Yes.