Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-08-16
A SOCIAL UNIVERSITY.
NEW IDEA BORN IN PHILA-
DELPHIA.

DELHHIA.
A NeIghborhood Mutual College Where
Those who Can Not Attend Other In
situations May Be Taught-Its Outline
and Character.
Morrison B. Swift has set forth in a
monograph his plan for social univer-
sity. His text is very valuable work
now being carried on in Philadelphia,
in which he is earnestly engaged. This
work is among the working people, and
is of similar character to that under
taken by the Peoples palace in London,
and the neighborhood guilds and the
social settlements of New York The
Philadelphia work was in fact started
as neighborhood guild. A house was
hired in a convenient locality, it was
made attractive, and canvass of the
neighborhood was made for members of
the guild A small fee was charged,
which gave the members the right to all
the privileges of the house, including
lectures and classes, social entertain
ments, library, and reading room. The
first years classes were held in practical
branches carbohydrates making, cook
ing the trades, and the like; but gradu-
ally the plan broadened. This neighbor
hood guild became the beginning of
social university. Moderate in its
ambitions at first, it sought to give the
opportunity for systematic course of
study to those who were shut out from
the ordinary schools and colleges. Four
evenings in the week were set apart for
classes, one evening is given up to social
Uses and one to business and discussion.
Sunday afternoon is used for lecture.
The teachers are in some instances Bryn
Mawr students, and students and pro-
fessors at the other colleges in or near
Philadelphia.
The people for whom this guild exists
appreciate and use its opportunities. In
Philadelphia, as everywhere where
these institutions have been established,
there is found a constituency large
enough to justify their existence There
are many who are anxious to use every
opportunity which these schools offer,
and many more who improve their OPP
portunities moderately. At all events
the success of this Philadelphia expert
ment has inspired its projectors with a
desire and purpose to largely extend its
scope. Their plan is to make this guild
university, modelled ON the London
university, and to follow what is known
as the university extension system. 1t
is proposed to extend the work of the
colleges and schools near Philadelphia
to include those who must have these
opportunities for education brought to
tn
The university or guild will outline the
courses of study. 1t will plan the lect-
ures and oversee the examinations, fix
standards of admission, and classify or
arrange in groups all applicants 1t will
issue it's own certificates of scholarship,
and, if it seems best, will confer degrees.
The plan includes faculty to be formed
from the professors of near by colleges.
The assistants are to be from the men,
bers of the guild, the advanced students
to assist in teaching those who are be-
low them. 1t is hoped to have lecture
hall in every ward of the city. In order
to secure as wide cooperation of the
people themselves in this plan, neigh
borhood organizations-that is, guilds
like the central guild-are to be formed,
each with its home. This is to be not
only the school house. but the social
center of the locality. These neighbor-
ing guilds are to be the distributing CEN
tiers also for the libraries, which this
university hopes some time to own;
meantime such guilds will have a well
stocked reading room.
None of these privileges are to be free,
neither rooms nor education. The uni
versity is to be no more charity organ
ization than Harvard or Yale. 1t will
bring to poor but ambitious youths
chance to train themselves in trades or
professions, or to acquire such scholar
ship as their abilities permit, but every
one who enjoys these opportunities must
pay for them. This university will, it is
hoped, train pupils for the older col
leges. If there be any who can save
money for year or two or more at Bryn
Mawr or the University of Pennsy lvania,
they will be prepared for naturalization.
Or if any fit themselves for degree
from any of these established colleges,
it is proposed that such degree shall be
granted them.
Such is the ambitious scope of these
projectors of Pennsylvania's social uni
verify. Mr.. Swift Celebrates the idea
in detail, and finds in it the possibilities
of social reorganization which means
the millennium. Such enthusiasm will
be of practical value in shaping such
work and its projectors will achieve
more success because of their high
hopes. But, this elaboration aside, there
is nothing impracticable in the plan. 1t
is the Peoples palace and Toynbee hall,
with their functions somewhat extended;
it is the university extension system APP
piled to an American city. There can
be no doubt of the immense benefits to
follow such an experiment; and, with
the right people at its head and money
enough behind it, it ought to succeed
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