Contributing Editor's Feature

Abstract

A decade ago I was fortunate to discover a forgotten gem. The nearly lost item was a short article, originally published in the 1950s. Somehow a faded copy found its way to my desk. The story it contained was the insightful reflections of a very successful but unknown entrepreneur by the name of John Hendrick.

In a few precious pages, Mr. Hendrick laid out his life and his eventual, he would say “tortuous,” evolution into a practicing entrepreneur. It wasn't an easy development. All kinds of barriers had to be conquered, some financial, but many others social and psychological. But all these obstacles had a connection, one way or other, to Mr. Hendrick's college experience.

Today, in the literature of entrepreneurship, “How I Overcame The Handicap Of A College Education” is a classic.¹ It deserves this stature because the article embodies not just the educational experience of John Hendrick, but that of many entrepreneurs who've had to surmount similar barriers posed by an intellectual history and academy that treats business creation and development with unreserved scorn.

The author of course never meant to imply that a college education was a bad thing … even for entrepreneurs. John Hendrick was far wiser than that. Nor did he mean to suggest that his liberal arts training at Yale was intrinsically wrong for entrepreneurs. Quite the opposite. In the end, it was this same education that allowed him to puzzle through his problems.

But his schooling did have its drawbacks. Now another author, Dennis Ray, shows us how to turn these negative factors into a positive educational experience. Indeed, liberal arts can promote entrepreneurial values and relevant knowledge for future business owners. There is no longer any reason why college should be a handicap.