1951 Breaks Academic Records for Freshmen

The Class of 1951 outshone academically all previous freshman classes on College record books, Dean Leighton announced yesterday.

No other group of first year students has produced such a high percentage of Dean's List men, Leighton reported, and the percentage of academic dismissals hit an all-time low.

Leighton's statement was released yesterday as part of an annual report to the Provost. A similar report was issued by Dean Bender at the same time.

Jump From 16 to 30 Percent

The Dean of Freshmen stated that in 1923-24, when present records begin, 16 percent of all freshmen were on the Dean's List, and 13 percent were dismissed. Last year, however, the Dean's List figure was 30.2 percent, and only 2.3 percent were required to leave.

The first mainly non-veteran freshman class since the war, '51 was very diversified, Leighton said. The 1,064 freshmen came from 455 different schools all over the nation. Included in the total were 483 men from 290 public schools.

Bender, reiterating a statement he made to the CRIMSON two weeks ago, reported to Provost Buck, "The academic record made by the students was the best in the modern history of the College."

Dean's List percentages were four percent higher last spring than in the best pre-war year, 1940-41, Bender announced. In 1940-41, Bender added, five percent of the College had "connections severed" for all causes, but last year only two percent were in this category.

"The students of today are an unusually able, purposeful, and mature group of young men," Bender commented.