Harvard Graduates.

An article was published not long ago in the Boston Saturday Evening Gazette on Harvard graduates the purpose of which was to show what became of the graduates on leaving college. As soon as the man is graduated and enters upon the duties of the world he finds himself no higher than the rest of mankind. He has a fair knowledge of the languages, is not unacquainted with philosophy and political economy, but for practical affairs of business or professional life he finds himself quite in the same position as the man without college training. If he devotes himself to law or medicine he is buried in his studies for four or five years; if to business he must as a general rule begin at the beginning as office boy; if to journalism he soon finds himself beginning with the bottom round. This "beginning of life" as it may be called is very disheartening to the man who has considered that his knowledge of finance and political economy fits him for no inferior position in business, or that his study of English has prepared him for the editorial staff. His knowledge and study have given him training but its usefulness will appear later. His position after graduation is much different than before; he was once prominent in athletics and college clubs but now his name is only one in ten thousand.

During the latter part of the senior year, circulars are sent out by the secretary requesting answers to twenty-five or more questions, and also a "class life" that the class may have full and reliable information concerning each member. These reports from time to time furnish important information in future years. The statistics which follow furnish information which is quite at variance with the general notion. The following is a table of the religious creeds beginning with the class of '85:

Class of '85 '86 '87 '88 '89

Agnostic. 12 5 2 4 1

Atheist. 0 0 2 0 0

Baptist. 6 8 3 8 8

Catholic. 4 5 4 6 2

Christian. 0 2 4 0 2

Congregationalist. 29 17 27 27 22

Deist. 0 0 0 0 0

Dutch Reformed. 0 0 1 1 1

Episcopalian. 41 47 33 61 37

Jewish. 0 0 0 3 1

Liberal. 2 26 18 1 1

Methodist. 8 3 5 3 5

Presbyterian. 2 6 2 4 5

Quaker. 0 0 1 1 3

Swedenborgian. 0 1 2 2 1

Unitarian. 43 51 48 46 35

Universalist. 1 6 0 0 4

Non Sectarian. 0 4 2 2 0

Undecided. 25 24 24 6 16

Vamous others. 6 6 5 4 2

None. 2 0 25 25 9

Not heard from. 0 16 29 11 58

181 223 289 285 213

The "Religious Greeds" show that there is very little ground for the frequent remark that Harvard education tends towards atheism or agnosticism while the still wider misconception that Harvard is a Unitarian college is also controvert.

The political statistics correct another erroneous belief that Harvard is a school of democracy. In every year except '88 the number of republicans has exceeded the number of democrats and independents together. Following is the table:

Class of 1885 '86 '87 '88 '89

Republican. 82 102 106 95 80

Democrat. 26 28 29 58 40

Independent. 67 72 31 42 30

Mugwump. 0 0 21 9 0

Prohibition. 0 0 2 1 2

Undecided. 6 0 21 16 3

Not heard from. 0 21 0 0 58

About twenty-five per cent or the largest number of a class study law; about twenty-five per cent. business; then comes medicine and teaching with about twelve and eight per cent. respectively. The following is a list of the "intended occupations" of each class since '85:

Class of '85 '86 '87 '88 '89

Business. 44 34 32 45 25

Law. 45 51 60 56 45

Medicine. 13 33 17 22 12

Teaching. 27 16 23 15 26

Ministry. 6 4 8 7 8

Chemistry. 2 5 3 2 2

Journalism. 7 8 8 10 3

Study. 0 13 1 3 2

Architecture. 1 2 1 8 2

Art. 0 1 0 0 0

Farming. 3 0 0 0 0

Physical Science. 0 1 0 0 1

Publishing. 0 1 0 1 0

Acting. 0 1 0 0 0

Music. 0 2 0 0 0

Engineering. 1 1 3 2 5

Mining. 0 0 1 1 0

Banking. 2 11 10 7 6

Brokerage. 0 0 5 0 2

Railroading. 0 0 9 2 2

Various others. 1 9 4 6 2

Undecided. 28 19 27 30 38

Not heard from. 0 11 29 18 32

181 223 239 235 213

These statistics are found in the first report which also contains records of the class in scholarship, the athletic records and club memberships and miscellaneous other statistics. The following reports, which usually appear every third year, give short sketches of the careers of men since graduation, lists of marriages, births and deaths, and two tables of "intended occupations" and present occupations placed side by side. These reports are placed in the college library, but are not for general inspection. The incomes received by Harvard graduates are very hard to estimate. It may be said approximately that when about thirty years of age or ten years after leaving college about twenty-five per cent. receive from $4,000 to $6,000; fifty per cent from $2,500 to $4,000; the remainder from $1,000 to $2,500.