“I don’t see why we are fixated on the single category of income as a measure of success,” James R. Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association, wrote in an email to The Chronicle. “If humanities majors tend to become teachers, social workers, clergy, does that mean they are less successful than money managers or engineers?

“Instead of assuming these humanities majors are less successful, we ought to be thanking them for being willing to make financial sacrifices in their careers to provide our communities with essential resources,” he wrote. —The Chronicle of Higher Education.