Discussion on “a new method of training engineers,” and “the relation of the manufacturing company to the technical graduate.” Atlantic City, N. J., July 2, 1908

B. A. Behrend: Permit me to discuss the paper by Mr. Alexander, suggesting a new method for training engineers by alternating shop work with college work. Let us see how difficult it would be to have such courses at institutions situated far away from manufacturing centers like Cornell, Leland Stanford, University of Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania State College. How could the students in these universities attend the lectures for one week and go into the shops for the next week, or for one month and go into the shop for the next month? There are no shops or manufacturing plants near enough in which the students could pursue practical work, and thus the proposed “Coöperative System” is altogether impossible in a large number of our universities.