million. We therefore envision the total need for new funds for the University of Buffalo for construction of the type for which loans are now made to aggre gate $9 million before the end of fiscal 1965. This is in addition to the $5,300,000 which the program has already made available to the institution. Justification for this construction program is based upon sound statistics. There are already in our primary and secondary schools such large enrollments that the capacity of the university must by 1970 be at least double its capacity of 1958-59 if educational opportunities are to be made available for all qualified young persons. The University of Buffalo has moved rapidly to keep pace with the needs for new laboratory and classroom buildings, although this has strained its resources to the utmost. Without the loans of the magnitude permitted by Housing and Home Finance Agency it would have been impossible to provide residence halls and related facilities now completed or under construction. Without such loans it would likewise be impossible to proceed with the further construction so urgently needed by fiscal 1965. Without the construction many hundreds of students must be turned away. Making funds available in the amounts indicated above is only half the story. To be of real assistance the favorable terms under which the loans have been made in the past must be continued. The modest interest rates coupled with a 40-year amortization period have made it possible for the facilities so financed to be carried on a self-liquidating basis. The limited resources of the university can then be used where they are of paramount importance, improving the quality as well as the capacity of our institution. We consider that our situation is typical of many other universities throughout the Nation. The fact that this financing is accomplished by loans is especially significant. The principal and interest will be returned to the Federal Government. There have been, I am reliably informed, no defaults of principal or interest on these loans in the entire United States. None is expected. The colleges will make good on them because the terms make it possible to build self-liquidating projects. There are in existence no other loan programs which hold out hope for the financing of residence halls and related facilities in the volume needed in the next several years. To discontinue the present college housing loan program which has worked so well in the interests of the Nation would indeed be a tragic turn of events for a great many thousands of students now in primary and secondary schools who would then be turned away because of a shortage of residence halls. The proposal that the limits of the amounts made available to any State be raised from 10 to 121⁄2 percent seems to be very wise. The program is one of loans which will be repaid. The loans are based on need. They should go where the demonstrated needs exist. In the Buffalo area we should not lose sight of the fact that the $3 million residence hall contract now under construction has helped to alleviate unemployment and to stimulate business. The Buffalo area has been listed by appropriate government agencies as a depressed area in recent months. All citizens have received benefit from the ever-widening circles of income stimulation resulting not only from this Federal loan but also from some $4 million of other construction of laboratory, classroom, and research facilities proceeding at the same time on the University of Buffalo campus. For the reasons stated above the University of Buffalo heartily endorses legislation which will make it possible to continue the most necessary and constructive program of college and university housing. We would like to call particular attention to bills S. 2911 and S. 2912 sponsored by Senator Javits as being particularly desirable. We feel that they are very much in the public interest. Senator JAVITS. Another statement is from Chancellor William P. Tolley of Syracuse University, to the same effect, and the third is from President Grayson Kirk, of Columbia University. These are world-famous institutions located in my State. Senator SPARKMAN. You offer those for the record? (The statements referred to follow :) Hon. JACOB K. JAVITS, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, Syracuse, N.Y., May 11, 1960. DEAR SENATOR JAVITS: Inasmuch as I am unable to make a personal appearance to testify in behalf of the two bills you have introduced, S. 2911 and S. 2912, I should like to urge their support through this letter. The College Housing Act has been a tremendous boon to higher education. As you know, in New York State there have been to date 101 projects providing facilities for 21,300 students and dining facilities for 23,325. In addition, 410 apartments and 76 units for supervisory staff have been constructed. Student union facilities caring for 42,000 students have also been provided. Nevertheless, in region I, in which Syracuse is included, there are applications pending which total approximately $24 million. Among these is one of ours for $2,982,000. It is not exaggeration to say that the failure of your bills to be passed would cripple the carefully thought out and interrelated housing plans of the several institutions of higher education in New York State. Confronted as we are with the rapid increase in the number of young people seeking admission to college, it is essential that funds be provided to carry forward the existing programs. The colleges and universities are in agreement that the college housing dormitory program should remain under the jurisdiction of the Housing and Home Finance Agency in order to maintain the splendid administrative experience they have developed in this area. If the college housing program is expanded to include academic facilities such as classrooms, auditoriums, administration buildings, etc., under the general administration of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, it seems to us that the field and inspection work might be assigned to the Community Facilities Administration. This would prevent duplication of effort and the complication of having two different agencies operating on the several campuses of New York State and elsewhere at the same time. We believe that this would constitute an administrative economy. A familiar logic of “distributive justice” fully supports your bill, S. 2912, calling for an increase from 10 to 12% percent in the maximum amount of college housing loans permitted to be made in any one State. As you yourself have pointed out, New York State educates approximately 121⁄2 percent of all the college undergraduate and graduate students in the United States. In view of the tremendous amount of financial assistance required by higher education in America to meet the needs of the Nation by 1970, an amount for plant expansion estimated by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to be 13.7 billion, the continuation of this extremely vital college housing loan program seems modest. We genuinely appreciate your introduction of these important bills. WILLIAM P. TOLLEY, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, Senator JACOB K. JAVITS, U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR JAVITS: I have been trying to make arrangements which would permit me to be in Washington so as to testify before the Senate Subcommittee on Housing during the week of May 9. Alas, these pre-commencement weeks are so filled with fixed obligations, annual meetings, etc. that I simply cannot clear my calendar so as to make a trip to Washington possible. I think you know how much, on personal grounds, I regret this because I do want to be of any possible service to you, particularly in such a good cause. I approve heartily of both S. 2911 and S. 2912. The opportunity to borrow long-term, low-interest money is indispensable for certain types of university construction and it must be continued. At Columbia we have recently received two such loans which made possible the construction of a dormitory housing 600 undergraduate men and an apartment house containing small furnished apartments for married graduate students. Both of these facilities have been crowded and both have waiting lists; we hope to be able to build other such facilities in the future. The ability to do so will depend entirely upon the availability of Federal funds and favorable terms. This country cannot permit a situation in which institutions are unable to find the funds necessary for the construction of minimum physical facilities to enable them to cope with the flood of applicants from the young people who now seek admission. This is a matter of national importance and the colleges and universities of the country are contributing a national service of immeasurable significance. A Federal housing program, enlarged as you propose, is indispensable if the institutions are to discharge this national obligation. Sincerely, GRAYSON KIRK, President. Senator JAVITS. Now, Mr. Chairman, there are a number of distinguished educators here from my State, and I would value the privilege of introducing them to the committee. First is Dr. Thomas H. Hamilton, who is the president of the State University of New York. Dr. Hamilton is here and will testify in due course before the committee. Dr. Hamilton is one of our most distinguished educators. We have a very distinguished commissioner of education, Dr. Allen, but I think that Dr. Hamilton will fully reflect for all practical purposes the official position of higher education in our State. Also here to testify before the committee, Mr. Chairman, is Mr. Ewald Nyquist, of the department of education, the deputy commissioner of education of New York State. His chief is Dr. Allen. Also here is a representative of one of the world-famous institutions in education in the State of New York, Dr. John Summerskill, vice president of Cornell University. I would like to offer for the record brief biographies of Dr. Hamilton, Dr. Nyquist, and Dr. Summerskill, all of whom have a long history in education. Senator SPARKMAN. Those will be received and printed in the record. (The material referred to follows:) Ewald B. Nyquist, Deputy Commissioner of Education of the State of New York, appearing for James E. Allen, Jr., commissioner of education. Born, Rockford, Ill., November 1, 1914. Navy service from 1941 to 1945, discharged as lieutenant commander. Assistant director of University admissions, Columbia University, 1945-48. Director of university admissions, Columbia University, 1948–51. New York State assistant commissioner for higher education, 1951-55; associate commissioner for higher education, 1955-57; deputy commissioner of education, 1957-. Also, secretary of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Learning of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, 1948-53; chairman of this committee, 1953 to the present. Honorary doctorates from Hatwick College, Canisius College, St. Francis College, Juanita College, St. John's University, and Fordham University. Dr. Thomas Hale Hamilton, president of the State University of New York. Born in Marion, Ind., 1914; B.A. DePauw University, M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago. Navy service, 1943-46. Served on faculties of University of Chicago, Lawrence College, Chatham College, Michigan State University. Assistant dean of University College, University of Chicago, 1946-48. Vice president and professor of political science, Chatham College, 1948–53. Assistant dean, basic college, Michigan State University, 1953-54; dean, basic college, Michigan State University, 1954–56. Vice president for academic affairs, Michigan State University, 1956-59. Among his honors are that he is chairman of the Commission on Instruction and Evaluation of the American Council on Education. The State University consists of 11 colleges of education, 2 medical centers, a maritime college, 2 liberal arts colleges (Long Island and Harpur), 6 agricultural and technical institutes, a college of forestry, and 5 "contract colleges" at Alfred and Cornell Universities. It also supervises 18 community colleges. Student enrollment, fall 1958, was 38,642 full-time students, 17,399 part time, 3,191 faculty. The State Dormitory Authority, of which both Hamilton and Education Commissioner Allen are members, has built 9,316 student accommodations at these schools at a cost of $53,670,000 and has in planning 2,971 more at a cost of $16 million, a total of 10,287 accommodations costing $69,670,000. Dr. John Summerskill, vice president of Cornell University. Born, Montreal, Canada, March 28, 1925, naturalized U.S. citizen, 1957. Associate professor of medical psychology, Cornell, 1950-57; vice president, Cornell, 1958 Lieutenant, Canadian Infantry, 1943-45. Senator JAVITS. Finally, as representing the attitude of junior colleges, we have Dr. Bethel, who is the president of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and extraordinary institution, which I think the chairman is familiar with and which teaches the more advanced aspects of design and operation in the needle trades. It is a most extraordinary and very highly thought of institution. I have a rather personal connection with it, as my wife was appointed one of the trustees by Governor Rockefeller. These are our witnesses, Mr. Chairman. I know that the Chair will grant them every courtesy, and I value greatly the privilege of having introduced them to the committee. Senator SPARKMAN. Thank you, Senator Javits. We are very glad to have all of these gentlemen. I wonder if it would be agreeable for all of you gentlemen to form a panel at the table. Senator JAVITS. If I may be recognized, Mr. Chairman, I would suggest that that probably is sound, except as to Dr. Bethel, because I think he has a rather different presentation for junior colleges. Senator SPARKMAN. I should think the problems would be practically about the same. Senator JAVITs. Dr. Bethel, the Chair asks whether or not you would like to make a panel of the testimony insofar as New York is concerned. Perhaps that would not fit with you because you are representing the junior colleges nationally. Dr. BETHEL. Yes. I am not speaking only for New York but for the American Association of Junior Colleges. Senator SPARK MAN. If you gentlemen speaking for the New York colleges would come forward, we might want to toss some questions back and forth among you. We will be glad to have your presentations individually. Dr. Hamilton, you appear first on the list. We have your prepared statement. May I suggest to all of you gentlemen that it is perfectly agreeable for you to treat your statement as you wish. Whether you read it, summarize it, or discuss it, it will be printed in its entirety in the record. So you proceed as you see fit, Dr. Hamilton. STATEMENT OF THOMAS H. HAMILTON, PRESIDENT, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK Dr. HAMILTON. Thank you. Mr. Chairman and memmbers of the committee, my name is Thomas H. Hamilton, and I am president of State University of New York. It is my privilege to testify this morning at the invitation of Senator Javits and on behalf of the university with which I am associated. I shall confine my remarks really to the implications of this pending legislation for the State University of New York. I think the members of the committee are probably aware that the State University is a new institution as such public institutions go, being only 12 years old. The university came into being because of the great increase in the demand for higher education, and thus we have gone through a very rapid growth from roughly 24,000 full-time students in 1948 to 42,000 students plus in the present year. We estimate that by 1965 we shall be called upon to accommodate over 70,000 students in the constituent units of the university. Of course, one of the major problems which we have had in trying to expand to meet this capacity is the provision of adequate housing for these students. We have now engaged in an extensive building program, and we must continue this for at least another decade if quality higher education at reasonable cost is to be provided for young people. To date, through the good offices of the New York State Dormitory Authority, the university has provided new dormitory and feeding facilities for nearly 10,000 students. At this very moment facilities of this kind are being constructed to accommodate an additional 3,000 students. It has been estimated that this latter phase of our building program will cost $15 million, of which the State of New York will provide one-third as a subsidy toward which the student makes no contribution, and the remaining $10 million must, of course, be borrowed, to be repaid from student rentals over a period of 30 years. I need not emphasize how important it is to our students and their families that this money be acquired at the most favorable interest rate. We are extremely interested in keeping cost to students just as low as we possibly can. To this end, the New York State Dormitory Authority has applied, as it has in the past, to the Housing and Home Finance Agency for a loan of $10 million at 3% percent interest. As you quite well know, the Agency has been unable to honor this application. Due to a lack of sufficient Federal appropriations and the limitation on the funds that New York State institutions may receive, $7 of the requested $10 million bond issue will have to be sold in the private market, at an interest rate of 434 percent. While, to be honest, failure to pass the legislation will not result in the curtailment of this necessary construction, as private buyers have been found, yet, in the absence of Federal support, the university will be forced to pass on the burden of higher interest to those who can least afford to assume it. In the form of increased rates, the students occupying these new facilities will have to provide an additional annual rental income of $80,000. |