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Story
July 22, 1932
The Midland Journal
Rising Sun, Cecil County, Maryland
What is this article about?
The story of McMinn, a boy overly indulged by his mother and neglected by his busy father, who never studied or faced hardship, resulting in mediocre school performance and hopeless failure in college, serving as a deterrent for parents.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
THE STORY OF McMINN
By Thomas Arkle Clark, Emeritus Dean of Men, University of Illinois.
I'd like to tell briefly the story of McMinn with the hope that it might help some other boy or act as a deterrent of some indulgent parent who is tempted to make life too easy for his child. I've just come from talking to McMinn, and I feel pretty low in spirits for there wasn't really very much that one could say to him. He seems to have played most of his cards and lost.
McMinn has never done anything that he found unpleasant or difficult. His father is rather a preoccupied business man who lives in one of the suburbs of a great city and who goes off in the morning usually before the boy is up, and who comes home at night tired and too much taken up with other things to give the boy much attention. Mother has had the direction of the boy, and she is so fond of him that whatever he shows a desire for she gets him immediately. For there has never been any need of economy in the McMinn family and no tendency toward practicing it.
McMinn has never shown any particular interest in study. He was sent to a boys' private school at first, but he did not do well there, and so was transferred to the public school where he finally made the grade to enter high school. His preparatory school record was rather a hectic one. He had all sorts of experience—local high school, two or three high-grade preparatory schools in New England, and then back in high school again to graduate two years later than the average boy does, and even then with only a mediocre record.
And then McMinn came to college. He had really never studied any; he found no joy or satisfaction in study. He was warned, but he paid no attention to the warning, and, of course, he has failed hopelessly.
What is he to do? he asks me. He has no background, no preparation for college work, no idea of what it is all about. He would make out sadly at manual labor. He would have a hard time to get a job unless he got it through his father's influence, and he has developed habits which it will take him years to break if he ever succeeds in doing so.
(©, 1932, Western Newspaper Union.)
By Thomas Arkle Clark, Emeritus Dean of Men, University of Illinois.
I'd like to tell briefly the story of McMinn with the hope that it might help some other boy or act as a deterrent of some indulgent parent who is tempted to make life too easy for his child. I've just come from talking to McMinn, and I feel pretty low in spirits for there wasn't really very much that one could say to him. He seems to have played most of his cards and lost.
McMinn has never done anything that he found unpleasant or difficult. His father is rather a preoccupied business man who lives in one of the suburbs of a great city and who goes off in the morning usually before the boy is up, and who comes home at night tired and too much taken up with other things to give the boy much attention. Mother has had the direction of the boy, and she is so fond of him that whatever he shows a desire for she gets him immediately. For there has never been any need of economy in the McMinn family and no tendency toward practicing it.
McMinn has never shown any particular interest in study. He was sent to a boys' private school at first, but he did not do well there, and so was transferred to the public school where he finally made the grade to enter high school. His preparatory school record was rather a hectic one. He had all sorts of experience—local high school, two or three high-grade preparatory schools in New England, and then back in high school again to graduate two years later than the average boy does, and even then with only a mediocre record.
And then McMinn came to college. He had really never studied any; he found no joy or satisfaction in study. He was warned, but he paid no attention to the warning, and, of course, he has failed hopelessly.
What is he to do? he asks me. He has no background, no preparation for college work, no idea of what it is all about. He would make out sadly at manual labor. He would have a hard time to get a job unless he got it through his father's influence, and he has developed habits which it will take him years to break if he ever succeeds in doing so.
(©, 1932, Western Newspaper Union.)
What sub-type of article is it?
Biography
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Misfortune
Family
What keywords are associated?
Parental Indulgence
Academic Failure
Cautionary Tale
Spoiled Child
College Dropout
What entities or persons were involved?
Mcminn
Thomas Arkle Clark
Mcminn's Father
Mcminn's Mother
Where did it happen?
Suburbs Of A Great City
Story Details
Key Persons
Mcminn
Thomas Arkle Clark
Mcminn's Father
Mcminn's Mother
Location
Suburbs Of A Great City
Event Date
1932
Story Details
McMinn, spoiled by his indulgent mother and absent father, never developed study habits or faced difficulties, leading to poor academic performance through school and ultimate failure in college, leaving him unprepared for life.