Syracuse, a decision which brought about the downfall off everything that Athens had attained. Maybe they would have done differently if theyd know a little more about Syracuse. Thats what these exchanges give us, the chance for us to know more about each other. (Coffin, 1966, p. 86)Senator Fulbrights plan was to convert the surplus war equipment into a giant fund for student exchange. U.S. would sell the equipment to a country, which would pay in its own currency, keeping the fund still within their own country in a fund which would then be used to pay the tuition, books and living expenses of American students who will go to that country for higher education. He argued in the senate that any other alternative form of dealing with the war surplus would result in the same failure as some of the old war debts; the U.S. was never able to collect. He proposed to give priority to the GIs who wanted to study in foreign institutions. Both educators and veterans strongly supported his bill, and the State Department seemed to be supportive of the idea. In his Senate speech Fulbright said:My belief in the program is based on the assumption that when foreigners come to our shores what they see will be good. In spite of our occasional strange aberrations, I believe that America is a great country, that its virtues outweigh its faults. If the people of the world can understand us, they will throw their lot with us. (Coffin, 1966, p. 86)The bill easily passed the Senate and the house, and on August 1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed the Fulbright Act authorizing the Fulbright program for the exchange of teachers, students, professors and research scholars between the United States and participating countries. In the same year the Institute of International Education was assigned the duties of administering the graduate student component of the Fulbright Program. IV. Early years of the ProgramOn November 10, 1947, China became the first country ...
