Life — July 24, 1931 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Higher Education For Elevator Men" This satirical piece mocks a failed civil service examination candidate who aspired to become an elevator operator. The letter from Civil Service Commissioner Jack Cluett humorously suggests the applicant study grammar, Latin, and arithmetic to improve for his next attempt—treating a menial job as if it required scholarly credentials. The cartoon illustrates the absurdity: an elevator operator struggling with complex mathematical calculations and academic materials while managing the mechanical equipment. The joke critiques both the bureaucratic rigidity of civil service testing and the pretension of requiring "higher education" for unskilled labor. The applicant's poor spelling, math errors, and general incompetence are presented as obstacles comically overblown by the examination system itself.