The great awakening

The Johns Hopkins University president Milton S. Eisenhower introduces this program about the Fund for Adult Education, an independent philanthropic organization sponsored by the Ford Foundation to extend liberal education to adults. He explains that as a society becomes more complex, its need for good leaders increases. Charles H. Percy, president of the Bell and Howell Co. and chairman of the board for the Fund, describes leadership in the United States and public responsibility of its citizens. He points out that particularly because we now have the power to destroy ourselves, the future of society depends on the effectiveness of key people in organizations' leadership roles. The president of the Fund, C. Scott Fletcher, says that leadership comes from a multiple, fluid society, offering a constant supply of fresh people with new ideas. A short film shows how uneducated leaders in a village are unable to meet the challenge of change and take a long-range view. Harry A. Bullis, director of the Fund, explains that leadership training is available to Armed Forces staff and at most private organizations, but top government employees only receive on the job training via trial and error, often at the public's expense. The Fund intends to prepare such individuals for public responsibilities. President of Vassar College and vice-chair of the Fund's board Sarah Gibson Blanding describes leadership in Thomas Jefferson's days and how it developed as society became more complex. While there are opportunities for many types of training, adult leadership training is lacking. She reiterates that continuing liberal adult education is necessary. Leaders must be educated to be dedicated, courageous, and imaginative. Mr. Percy concludes that the threat of Soviet Russia and its success with communism will exist for a long time, so we must educate our leaders as efficiently as they do theirs. He suggests non-commercial educational television as a possible education vehicle. In closing, Lynn Poole offers a free copy of the Fund's booklet "The Great Awakening" to the viewing audience.