Where Education Begins
The studies involve four United States minority groups. All four have suffered discrimination and prejudice. Three of these groups have attained status and, in general, emerged from the former discrimination. These are the American-born Japanese, Chinese, and Jews. With Japanese and Chinese there was also the color barrier.
These three groups gained status and recognition, not by police and military enforcement of laws, not by marches, demonstrations, threats and violence, but by self-improvement and achievement. In the United States, status is attained through the educational and occupational structure.
But the studies show that much, if not most of the foundation for this achievement is a STRONG FAMILY SYSTEM. These three marry in their own ethnic groups, and maintain a tight family relationship. In all three groups there is also family thrift — with the parents willing to make great sacrifices for the education and advancement of their next generation. The very hallmark of Jewish life is the close family relationship. Parents take great pride in every evidence of advancement, superiority and accomplishment by their children.
Compare these three minority groups with the American white majority, where the divorce rate is taking an alarming rise, and families increasingly are falling apart.
The 1960 census showed some significant facts. More than half the children of American-born Japanese and Chinese families, between the ages of 18 and 24, were college educated. A B'nai B'rith study shows more than 70% of children of Jewish families in these ages were in college or university. And while the 1970 census will show higher percentages all around, due to the general increase in college and university enrollments, barely more than 20% of children of the white American majority in the same age group were being college educated!
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H. Clark — Ambassador College
Ambassador College Hall of Administration with Egret Sculpture in foreground.
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But when we consider the fourth minority group, the facts are the more significant. Family cohesion is lowest of all among United States Negroes. A Department of Labor report, titled "The Negro Family — The Case for National Action," issued March, 1965, stated that, roughly, one Negro family in four is fatherless. And, that, despite the rising divorce rate among U.S. whites, was approximately three times the white total! And, in the ghetto areas, and among lower-income blacks, the problem is worsening. More than half of all Negro children 18 and under have lived at least part of their lives in broken homes.
But what are the percentages of Negroes in college or university? In October, 1963, only 5.2% of males and 4.1% of females!
Undoubtedly this is the most serious social problem in America. It is of vital importance in relation to the Missing Dimension in education. In this connection, there are vital factors little understood by American whites.
The real root of this problem, a vital factor in campus riots and racial violence, was the evil effects of American slavery.
A hundred years ago the Negro was given freedom from slavery, but not equality. Most were totally illiterate. Few could read, write, or even sign their names. Many southern whites did not consider them to be human. "They don't have souls," was a common expression. The fact that they were souls was not understood.
After the emancipation, the Negro FAMILY relationship was in an atmosphere markedly different from that of white families. The Department of Labor report puts emphasis on the fact that keeping the Negro "in his place" meant, primarily, keeping the Negro male in his place. The female was not a threat to anyone. This situation prevented the emergence of a strong "father figure" as the head of a family.
After generations of degeneration in utter illiteracy, it is generally assumed to require at least three generations of education to bring intelligence quotients to normal levels. Schools for Negroes, at first, were far from white standards. Little progress was being made toward a middle-class standard of living.
That is the background.
What is the condition today?
Today, individual Negroes, after three or more generations of education, are able to reach the highest peak of achievement. For several decades, now, educational opportunities and standards have been improving. There is now emerging a middle class, but it is far from the majority class.
In the crowded urban ghettos, and among the vast numbers of the unskilled, poorly educated city Negro working class, the FAMILY STRUCTURE 1S crumbling — so says this government report. The "fabric of conventional social relationships has all but disintegrated." This is the unmistakable postwar trend. It is the nation's most dangerous social problem.
This government study points out that a deceptive factor is the gradual emergence of a stable middle class and a more successful group. But this group, happily increasing, is, unhappily, the minority group of U.S. Negroes. This minority, too, is building a firmer FAMILY STRUCTURE.
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H. Clark — Ambassador College
The LOMA D. ARMSTRONG ACADEMIC CENTER
comprising the new Science Hall, the new Fine Arts Hall,
Ambassador Hall, plaza with fountain, and the formal Italian sunken garden.
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But the Department of Labor study points out that the black community in America is, in fact, dividing. This emerging middle-class group is progressing — growing steadily stronger and more successful. But there is the increasingly disorganized and disadvantaged lower class. And it is overwhelmingly the majority group! In this majority group the family structure is deteriorating, not improving.
Unfortunately many of the U.S. Government statistics lump all Negroes together in one statistical measurement. Therefore the conditions in this rising middle-class minority are better than the reports show. On the other hand, conditions among the lower-class majority are worse.
One serious result of the splintering Negro family state, and militant agitation, is the crime situation in the U.S. Crime committed by black juveniles in proportion to population is shockingly higher than crime committed by whites of the same age.
Partial responsibility for this tragic racial situation may be placed on pre Civil War slave owners. But they are no longer among us to help correct the condition and solve the problem. And it must be corrected, if the nation is to survive! The time for emotional name-calling and blame-placing is long since past. The responsibility for correcting the condition is ours today — both white and black.
The further that studies are made in these areas, the greater emphasis they place on the supreme importance of a close-knit and Solid FAMILY RELATIONSHIP. This necessitates intensive in the home education.
Conclusion of Minority Studies
These minority-group studies show two decisive facts:
1) The stronger the family ties, the higher is the rate of education, self-improvement, achievement, and social status.
2) The more broken are the home and family ties, the higher is the crime rate, and the lower the education.
So we repeat: the HOME and FAMILY relationship is the BASIS of a healthy, happy and enduring society. This must be made a special concern of education.
If society is to be saved, education must be carried into the homes. There must be education on the imperative NEED of a right FAMILY relationship — education on the sanctity of marriage; on intelligent and proper teenage dating; on intelligent mating for marriage; on intelligent child rearing; on family relationships; on respect for authority.
There must be instruction sent into the homes, as well as on college campuses, on the meaning and purpose of life; on recognition of the TRUE values; and the LAWS that lead to — are the CAUSE of — peace, happiness, real success, abundant well-being.
These are the very BASICS of education — these are the Missing Dimension!
On-campus education prepares tomorrow's leaders. They will be tomorrow's parents. The vital Missing Dimension must be supplied on campus. At Ambassador it is.
But tomorrow will be too late! The trend of disintegrating family relationship, even among the vast white majority, must be checked and reversed TODAY, if society is to be saved alive!
The concentrated on-campus higher education is not enough! The Missing Dimension in education must reach TODAY'S adults and parents IN THE HOME! The Ambassador worldwide EXTENSION PROGRAM is pioneering in this area of education. Already it is reaching into millions of homes. Already it has made significant changes in thousands of lives. Its impact is increasing at the phenomenal rate of 25% to 30% each year.
An Unheard of FACT
Ambassador College was founded to supply the Missing Dimension in education to coed students at the university level in residence on campus.
The Missing Dimension is not missing at Ambassador. Each year from 50% to 65% of incoming male students and around 40% of females come to Ambassador from other colleges and universities. These hundreds of students from other universities — from all over the world — many with degrees — have entered Ambassador as undergraduates to receive this all-important knowledge tragically missing even at the world's most famous universities.
They come to learn the true values. They come to learn the true meaning and purpose of life. They come to learn not only how to earn a living, but also how to live!
Meanwhile, the supplying of the Missing Dimension in the HOME and FAMILY sphere has continued and expanded. With campus-based radio studios (and now the superb television studio at Pasadena), and campus-published magazines, books, and a correspondence course, Ambassador has continued to disseminate this New Dimension education. Not only on campus, but through the expanding Extension Program, into multiplied millions of HOMES, domestic and worldwide.
From the founding of the college in Pasadena, branch colleges abroad were envisioned. In 1959 property was purchased for the campus in Britain, some five miles from the outskirts of Greater London, in the beautiful Green Belt. Nineteen miles north by northwest from Marble Arch, the English campus, near St. Albans, was opened to students in 1960. The Texas campus opened in September 1964.
As the College Extension Program has been enlarged through the years, the campus printing plants have continued publishing materials useful to teenagers, parents (especially on child rearing), and businessmen.
On campus, students found the practical, workable approach to life. This has resulted not only in financial rewards, but also in wholesome, happy, useful and abundant lives. Nearly all students have desired enthusiastically to continue in this field of education, restoring the Missing Dimension, now worldwide.
Today approximately 150 million homes feel the impact of the Ambassador College Extension Program, worldwide. From Ghana to Tasmania, from Okinawa to Argentina, Hawaii to India, one can find Ambassador College publications.
This is the story of an educational activity whose value and importance is beyond description — something never done before — a huge, major-scale operation, worldwide, seemingly incredible, yet in fast-accelerating operation today.
This is AMBASSADOR COLLEGE!