This is the subject of an article by George L. Moore in the September number of The Open Road.
It is a discussion of the effect the honors a man acquires in College will have on his success in after life. Will a man’s success in the world be proportionate to the honors which have come his way in College?
We find opinion differing in regard to this question. Some claim that a man who is big in College never amounts to anything until 10 years after graduation if at all.
The other view is that the man who makes a notable record in College by becoming a football star, baseball, basketball, or whatnot shining light, has business men flocking to him, and clamoring for his services when he graduates. They say that he doesn’t have to even give his service but simply let them have his name and he receives a great amount of money.
The editors of The Open Road, wishing to get at something definite in regard to this question, sent out questionnaires to a responsible authority in the college. His instructions were to hunt out the men who 10 or 15 years ago were running the College in athletics, publications, and high honor students, and note down the facts of their careers since leaving College.
The statistics deal with College men in general as with those holding offices, and show that College men are above the average in money-earning capacity as well as in prominence in public and social life.
These statistics show that 77 out of every 100 in “Who’s Who in America” attended College.
Also, the figures show that while the majority of incomes listed in tax returns fall below $4,000 a year, the returns received from College men averaged well above that figure.
But the questionnaires sent out by The Open Road were especially to class president, athletic managers, editors, captains of teams, honor men in studies and treasurers and secretaries.
The statistics included men who had been out of College between 10 and 15 years.
Class presidents headed the list with an average income of $5,800. Athletic managers ranked second, treasurers and secretaries third, honor men fourth, captains of teams fifth, and editors last with an average of slightly over $3,600. The striking thing in these figures is the fact that honor men make more money than athletic captains. However, The Open Road goes on to explain that the percentage of successes is about the same, and comes to the conclusion that it is the man and not the office he holds which counts.
The Open Road presents both sides, and leaves it to the reader to form his own judgment as to the value of outside activities.
It is hard to place any definite value of activities other than studies, or to clearly define their work. Emphasis has certainly increased on extra curriculum work, and man is not judged entirely by his scholastic record by prospective employers.
A man’s success cannot be measured by his bank account or his prominence. These are the outward signs by which men are judged. But by these standards the College men are at least above the average.
Experience in outside activities may not aid directly in after life, the mixing with others, however, will be of value.
The records show that there are less failures among those who do enter into the campus life.
Every student should support the campus activities, but he should keep in mind also that they should not be entered into at the expense of the College curriculum.
From the editorial page of the Maroon and Gold, the Elon College student newspaper, Wednesday, October 8, 1924. Accoording to Wikipedia, "The Open Road was a 20th-century American monthly magazine for teen boys. It focused on outdoor life, sports, and other subjects of interest to teen males. It was published from November 1919 to 1954."
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2015236757/1924-10-08/ed-1/seq-2/#words=OCTOBER+8%2C+1924
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