The Educator (Volume 45) - IAMPETH

20
Importance of Handwriting in Business
By prominent business men controlling employment departments of large concerns.
Quotations from letters from men who are directing
some of America's largest industries and Institutions
collected by Cameron Beck, Director of New York Stock
Exchange Institute for the National Education Association
Convention, Department of Business Education.
In preparing his paper, "The Need of Closer Relation
Between Commercial Schools and Business", to be presented
before the N. E. A., Mr. Beck asked the cooperation
of Personnel Directors and others who are responsible
for employment and training of employees for suggestions
based on their experience in working with the
product of Commercial Schools.
The letters received were extremely interesting and helpful
to those training commercial students. They covered
all phases of commercial subjects and the qualifications
for business positions.
The Educator was especially interested in the importance
laid to good handwriting. Throughout the letters frequent
references were made to penmanship. We take
pleasure in quoting some of the references to handwrit-
ing:
Mr. A. D. Jamieson,
Vice-President,
Union Guardian Trust Company,
Detroit, Michigan.
"We are inclined to feel that good penmanship,
neatness in general and the art of taking pains
are somewhat underestimated."
One Personnel Director of one of the largest of the coun-
try's investment and banking companies says:
"I feel very strongly that one of the best things
commercial schools could do for boys who are
about to start in school is to teach them to write
legibly."
Mr. A. Wellington Taylor, Dean,
New York University,
Graduate School of Business Administration,
New York, N. Y., thinks:
"The Commercial world has a right to demand a
legible handwriting."
Mr. Wiley A. Miller, Manager,
Industrial Relations Department,
The Fisk Rubber Company,
Cudahy, Wisconsin.
"There should always be an adequate foundation
on the fundamentals: reading, writing, and figuring."
Mr. O. Fritz,
Assistant Comptroller,
Bankers Trust Company,
New York, N. Y.
"Our staff agree that boys and girls need PEN-
MANSHIP."
Mr. Frank R. Jenkins, Manager,
Chicago Central Station Institute,
Chicago, Illinois.
STICKING TO FUNDAMENTALS
"I believe that the grade schools and high schools
should give practically all of their time to laying
a thorough foundation in the fundamentals and not
branch out into various other activities, to the
evident neglect of the foundation which a business
house has reason to expect."
Mr. C. B. Magruder,
Personnel Manager,
The Wm. Schluderberg-T. J. Kurdle Co.,
Baltimore, Maryland.
"The majority of commercial students are very
poor penmen and are unable to write a good business
letter."
Mr. W. W. Stewart,
Personnel Director,
Hunter Manufacturing and Commission Co.,
New York, N. Y.
Mr. Stewart thinks of a student accepting his first
position as entering a larger school of business.
He believes in "simplification of studies by teaching
the three 'R's,' which unfortunately some educators
consider old fashioned."
Mr. James A. Irvine,
Employment Manager,
Cheney Brothers,
South Manchester, Conn.
Mr., Irvine believes in "thorough grounding in the
three 'R's':
a. Read understandingly (including grammar and
spelling).
b. Write legibly, especially figures."
Mr. Cecil B. Atwater, Office Manager,
New England District,
Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.,
Boston, Mass.
In an article, "What's Wrong with Commercial
Graduates?" in The Journal of Business Education,
Mr. Atwater criticizes some of the weaknesses
of applicants for positions. He includes: "In
many cases penmanship is poor and in some cases
hardly legible. This is particularly true of the
collegiate graduate."