Sigs We 6 Gua eal| fe ete PIRINCF TON, NEW JERSEYFOREWORD This booklet is the result of a project which has been carried out by the students in the Latin classes of Princeton High School and hes been supported by the American Philological Association, a national organiza- tion of classicists. Letters were sont to prominent men and women in all fields of life, Their opinions were sought concern ing the cultural and practical value of Latin. We acknowledge with deep appreciation the co-operation and courtesy which they have so graciously and generously extended to us. If space had permitted, all the roplies would have been printed in full. The following excerpts from these letters have been selected in the belie? that they present wise opinions. It is with pride and pleasure that we offer them for your thoughtful consideration, The Students of Latin Princeton High School Princeton, New JerseyGOVERNMENT White House, Washington, D.C, Frederic Fox, Special Assistant The President was glad to learn of the work of the students of eeton High School. Their interest in Latin, one of the classic disci- es, is a splendid sign of their determination to develop their @llectual capacities to the full. hard Nixon, Vice-President, Washington, D.C. This is just a note to thank you for your recent letter telling ne wb the project you and your fellow Latin students have undertaken, Iwas especially pleased that you wanted my thoughts on the value of ying Latin, since it wag one of uy favorite subjects when I was in high 3901, and I studied it for four years. In ny opinion those courses were extrenely valuable to me in tho lopment of logical thinking and in giving me a better understanding of sh grammatical construction. I hope you and the future students at Princeton High School derive as Pleasure and benefit from your study of Latin as I did, or Roosevelt, United Nations | __In answer to your letter, I found Latin extremely valuable as a root ge. It made it easier for me to learn other languages such as French, ian, and Spanish. Whore I have not mastered these languages I have tried Jearn to read them, and my Latin has always been a valuable help. iph J. Bunche, Director of Trusteeship, United Nations In response to your question about the value of Latin, I may say only Z have a limited knowledge of it, and T have often wished that I had been er trained in it during my schooling, It is useful to mow. Tt seems to me there has been of late a regrettable trend in American education to force the curriculum those subjects which do not have a readily demonstrable deal contribution to make to our pragmatic way of life. The adolescent 4s hardly in « position to know what field of study is best suited to its dicular texture, and the teacher mist assume the responsibility first of ining the intrinsic value of a cultural subject as over against a more cal one and at the same time of influencing the student to follow an Q)GOVERNMENT academic programe which the teacher fecls to be most consonant with the eventual interest and capabilities of that particular student's mind, H. Alexander Smith, United States Senate To my mind, the study of Latin is valuable because so many of our English words are derived fron Latin, and if you have a good foundation it 4 most helpful to you in understanding’ the meaning of many English words. I b lieve that you will find the study of Latin well worth while, Margaret Chase Smith, United States Senate Although Latin is a dead language that is not used in these modern times, it nevertheless has a most basic and important place in the curricul of our high schools and colleges. There are two principal purposes of Latin. First, it is the basic Language for the Romance lenguages such as Italian, Spenish, French, Portuguese, and Roumanian. Second, it is a basic trainer the development of the art of logic and reasoning. In this way it trains us to be better thinkers and clearer thinkers. Sherman Adams, Assistant to the President, Washington, D.C. ‘The rewards from the study of Latin are the enduring kind, and the that bring the deepest. satisfactions people can haves ‘These are some of the values I see in Latin studies: a mich fuller stenéing of the English language than you could ever gain otherwise, and thi fore a greater skill in the use of our languages @ finer appreciation of R civilization, with all its profound usaning to Western civilization and to appreciation of our problems todays a higher power of concentration, the k to accomplishment in most fields; a head start in the study of the many oth languages witich are rooted in Latin; and an extension of knowledge into the any fields in which Latin still plays an important role, as for instance 1 To sum up, the value you ask about is mainly one of better underst: ‘and the developnent of abilities that will be useful throughout your life. would add one other thought: that Latin is a stern taslaster is no small tribution to you and to our country's future in these times that place suc! importance on well disciplined minds. \.B. Folsom, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Washington, D.C. As you know, the Roman culture became the foundation of Buropean ciy lization, and was carried to Anerica by the English, French, Spanish, Port and others. There are great historical and philosophical truths to be learned (2)