Who Owns a College?

This article focuses on Roosevelt College of Chicago. The story of Roosevelt College concerns all persons interested in education, for it raises the pertinent question that who really owns a college. For the beginning of that story, the author talks about the year 1936, when Edward J. Sparling, president of Central Y.M.C.A. College in Chicago, found that African American students were required to pay an annual physical-education fee but were not allowed to use the swimming pool, gymnasium, or other athletic facilities. In setting up Roosevelt College, Sparling decided that he would try to have a board that would never want to dictate an undemocratic policy to the faculty. The board of Roosevelt College is drawn from labor, management, capital, cooperatives, government, the professions, social scientists, the press and educators.