ABSTRACT
Most Americans are aware, at least in a general way, that there is a close connection between education and occupational achievements, but, except for the learned professions, this is a comparatively development. The United States was long known as the land of the self-made man, a heroic figure who rose from rags to riches without the benefit of education or family connections. Both Robert E. L. Faris and Peter F. Drucker imply that formal education makes it possible for workers to perform sophisticated occupational roles which are essential for the proper functioning of contemporary society. The increased valuation placed on education is indicated by the virtual disappearance, during the decade 1952-62, of the difference of about two years of school that favored women. The American norm of local control over many aspects of elementary and secondary education makes community variation a certainty.
