HOLD FOR RELEASE ~~ • INTER TiONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPfv1ENT 1818 H STREET. N.W., WASHINGTON 251 D. C. TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE 3-6360 Public Disclosure Authorized For Release SUBJECT: Appointment of October 17, 1962 Dr. Harvie Branscomb Mr. Eugene R. Black, President of the world Bank, today announced that nr. Harvie Branscomb, Chancellor of Vanderbilt University, has become Con~ sultant to the Bank on educational policy and will devote f'ull time to this Public Disclosure Authorized assignment when he retires as Chancellor in February 1963. In making the announcement, Mr. Black said: "Nothing is more vital to the economic progress of underdeveloped countries than the development of human resources through widespread education. In the belief that the Bank might make a useful contribution in this field, we plan to study the possi­ • bility of making grants, from the Bank's accrued earnings, to assist technical, vocational, or other educational projects of a sort closely related to the Public Disclosure Authorized objectives of the lending activities of the Bank and its affiliate, the Inter­ national Development Association. I think we are fortunate that Dr. Branscomb, a. distinguished American educator, is available to advise us on the formulation of such an educational program. 11 nr. Branscomb has been Chancellor of Vanderbilt University since 1946. During his career he has been a member of many commissions and committees study­ ing educational problems in the United states and elsewhere. He has served as Public Disclosure Authorized Chairman of the United states Commission on Educational Exchange and as Chair­ man of the Commission on Education and International Affairs of the American • Council on Education. He is a member of the National Commission on UNESCO, and a. trustee or director of a number of educational or philanthropic organizations. .r;')··· ' - 2 - Dr. Branscomb was born in Huntsville, Alabama, in 1894. He was graduated •• from Birmingham southern College in 1914 and for the following three years was a Rhodes Scholar at OXford University where he received the degrees of B .A. and M.A. He received his Ph~D· from Columbia University in 1924. Dr. Branscomb be­ gan his academic career at Southern Methodist University in 1919 where he re­ mained until 1925 as Professor of Philosophy. From 1925 to 1946 he was at Duke University serving on the faculty and as Director of Libraries and as Chairman of the Dj_vision of Ancient Languages and Literature. nr. Branscomb has received honorary degrees from Birmingham Southern College, Southwestern University, Hebrew Union College, Columbia University, Southern Methodist University, Brandeis University and Northwestern University • • • .