A CALIFORNIAN OXFORD

The current "Time" bears news of the interesting attempt of Pomona College, Claremont, California, to emulate, in its expansion, the Oxford organization. Since its founding in 1888, Pomona has restricted its enrollment to 700, believing the maintenance of its small college character essential to proper touch between instructor and student. However, when there came that urge to expand which is now a burden on every American college, the authorities laid plans to expand, by units, that is, to add to Pomona, as funds should become available, independent undergraduate schools, connected with the original college only through the corporation and reign of general policy. The completed whole will be called the Claremont Colleges.

A gift from Miss Ellen B. Scripps for the institution of a Scripps College for Women is the first realization of the plan. The college will open next fall in a status co-ordinate with the real Pomona.

Thus another English feature is applied as an American innovation. As an educational experiment the fortunes of the Claremont Colleges ought to be of wide interest. The main issue seems to be whether these colleges can obtain a university outlook with a small college organization. The units, obviously, will not have the traditions which bequeath the Oxford colleges their intellectual heritage. The American attempt must find its success in American conditions.

It seems very likely that a more varied and excellent faculty will be employed than single small colleges can afford For as the Claremont accumulation of units grows, the benefit of a necessarily broadening and increasing staff will accrue to each college. It thus remains to be seen whether a faculty of university excellence working with scholars living under small college conditions will evolve a completer education than American institutions of either type have so far succeeded in doing.