Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on March 8, 1951.
Instructions On Business Are Praised
Local Teachers Find Plant Tour Is Educational
Valparaiso’s public and elementary grade teachers had high praise today for “instructions” in business and industry they received Wednesday afternoon from representatives of various factory and business establishments in the community.
And businessmen said they are looking forward to the time when they will sit in on academic proceedings at the local schools.
The whole program was initiated by the educational committee of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce, with the cooperation of the Valparaiso city, St. Paul’s Catholic and Immanuel Lutheran school administrators. It is planned to hold similar meetings, either at business houses or in the schools, in each of the next two years.
Some 80 teachers of the community toured, in small units, five industrial plants, Continental Diamond Fibre company, McGill Manufacturing company, Indiana Steel Products company. The Robert L. Miller Laboratory and Urschel Laboratories; three stores, J. Lowenstine and Sons, Stambaugh Farm Equipment company and J.C. Penney company; two financial institutions, Farmers’ State and First State banks; Hotel Lembke; and The Vidette-Messenger, Indiana Associated Telephone company and Northern Indiana Public Service company plants.
Spends Entire Afternoon
The teachers reported at their assigned tour place at one o’clock and spent the entire afternoon inspecting the facilities and learning of some of the problems of conducting the particular business that they were visiting.
Climax of the day came when 120 teachers and businessmen attended a banquet at Hotel Lembke sponsored by the C of C. Lester Milne, chairman of the education committee, served as master of ceremonies.
Representatives of the 14 firms who acted as hosts during the afternoon were introduced, as were members of the city school board, committee members who arranged details for the day and James Patricn[sic], C of C secretary-manager.
Featured speaker of the evening was Dr. Virgil M. Rogers, superintendent of schools, Battle Creek, Mich. He was introduced by G. Warren Phillips, superintendent of the local city schools.
Stake In Schools
In his address, Rogers reminded the businessmen that they have a stake in the public schools, which he labeled as the nation’s greatest enterprise today. He said all people in a community have a direct or indirect part in the school, and he warned that if America permits public education to die, democracy will die with it.
He pointed out that the growth of education has aided America to build more cars, more homes, more radios and similar advantages than exists in any other nation.
Rogers advised that the schools should furnish their pupils with a more dramatic meaning of American citizenship, that they must appeal to community leaders to help keep the academic standards on a high level.
As a closing warning the speaker asserted that if totalitarianism ever strangles the American way of life it will because education has lost its objective.
TWO OF THE PLANTS toured Wednesday afternoon by local teacher groups during the Business-Industry-Education event sponsored by the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce were that of The Vidette-Messenger and the Continental Diamond Fibre company. In the upper photo teachers are viewing the teletype and morgue operations in the editorial department. In this group were the following teachers: Emma R. Food, Mary Miller, Mary Stoner, Mary Phillips, Francis May and Verna Randert. Shown in the mica press room Burton Conklin, Glen Gierke, Milton Marten, Sister Miriam Loretto and Sister M. Juliette. George Nelson and D.K. Appleby were in charge of the tour there.
