eluding the establishment of branches in various geographic locations
throughout the State.

2. The development of a system of state colleges by continuing the
program at Morgan and the conversion of institutions hitherto pri-
marily engaged in the training of teachers in full-fledged colleges of
the arts and sciences.

3. The advancement of the system of community colleges, with
local initiative and support supplemented by assistance from the state
government.

The University of Maryland, in College Park, Baltimore and the
branches to be built, is a sort of nucleus, or pivot, in a system that is
to be somewhat decentralized. This entails a sizeable expansion of
the program at College Park and in the professional schools situated
in Baltimore, as well as the establishment of the University's branches
which I have mentioned.

We are experiencing now an unprecedented increase in college
enrollments, and there is every indication that enrollment demands
will continue to push upward in the foreseeable future. Moreover,
it is the unvarying opinion of those who are knowledgeable in the
field that public institutions of higher learning will be called upon
to bear the brunt of these increasing requirements. Although the
state colleges and community colleges will play important parts in
overall program, it is obvious that a substantial enlargement of the
University itself will be needed if we are to meet our obligations to
provide educational opportunities for the people.

First steps already have been taken for the conversion of the teach-
ers colleges into liberal arts colleges. The General Assembly this
year, you will recall, enacted legislation changing the names of the
five colleges, placing them under a single board of trustees and in
general setting up the machinery for broadening their spheres in
compliance with the Curlett Commission recommendations. Although
quite obviously these colleges have not as yet attained full status in
liberal arts education, they are well under way on that course and
we may expect that these objectives will be reached within the next
few years.

Regarding the community, or junior colleges, I would remind you
that in 1955 another Commission studying higher education (The
Pullen Commission) recommended strongly that these colleges be
made an integral part of the State's overall educational program.
Dr. James B. Conant, the world renowned authority on. education
and a member of the Commission, wrote at the time:

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