The Educator (Volume 45) - IAMPETH

30
The Educator
Importance of Handwriting in Business
By prominent business men controlling employment departments of large concerns.
Quotations from li-ttcis 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 aie respon-
sible for employment and training of employees for suggestions
based on their experience in working with the
product of Commeicial 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. E. Pasalli, Jr.,
Personnel Department,
Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.,
Eastern Division, Newark, N. J.
"It has been our experience that Stenographers
and Typists who have had no other business training
outside of that included in their High School
Course, are as a class deficient in English, Spelling,
Penmanship and Arithmetic."
Mr. F. J. Steinebrey,
Junior Vice-President of a large
Pacific Coast Insurance Company.
The three "R's" should be the foundation throughout
the entire high school period, and that the
three "R's"' are absolutely essential if they are to
rise above the average.
Mr. William J. Radcliff,
Employment Manager and Paymaster,
Henry Disston & Sons, Inc.,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Mr. Radclifl sums up the situation by stating: "In
our opinion, the Commercial Schools can better
prepare their students for the business world as
follows:
1. By giving due consideration to penmanship
since we notice a decline in this old fundamental
of business education.
2.. By actual practice in teaching the use of mod
em Office Equipment.
.3. By not specializing too much but generalizing
as much as time will permit."
Mr. S. C. Haver, Jr.,
Supervisor of Employment,
Southern California Edison Company, Ltd.,
Los Angeles, Calif., writes:
"I still feel that we should emphasize the fact thatj
high school graduates should be well grounded in
the '.3 R's." The tendency in late years has been
to devote too much time and attention to frills and
specialization and not enough to fundamentals."
Mr. H. T. Hamilton,
Assistant to the President,
The New York Trust Company,
New York, N. Y.
He believes "Good handwriting should be stressed j
in all commercial high schools. It seems to me |
that great confusion has been caused by adopting j
a number of different systems for teaching handwriting,
few of which are effective with the average
student.
"Handwriting is still fundamental for the young
man in the business world: it may be the deciding
factor in securing his first position; it is almost
indispensable in the early years of his work; and
is a good sound asset at all times."
Specimen for supplementary practice written by F. B. Courtney of Detroit, Michigan.
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