The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-08
UNIVERSITY EXTENSION.
4 SUBJECT OF GREAT hIhhhsI'
Its Rapid Growth In this Country from
Mere Germ Into fuil'-De'e'opeo
Piant-WhGt Virginia Should Do.
For Tho Timesl

within the past SIX months given II al leasttWo
articles II has a central Office IN one Of our
largest cities. II has q regular organ TO fur
Their It's interest and to promulgate its doc
trines. In short. it has sprung within two
wears from mere germ into 4 well-deyeloped
plant. with branches for the intellectual!
healing OF the nations.
WHAT Is UNIVERSITY IxTENsIoS'
What is university extension; What are
its aims and purposes What us aOAl1
What have the people Of Virginia TO do win
this the youngest literary daughter OF the
nineteenth century, To answer these ques-
/ tons j. the object or the present article
The Society for the Extension OF nyerslN
Teaching IS organized TO carry education -
the people 1t IS the svOwed trend OF adu.t
! education IL wishes 70 draw leaTnin out OF
the study and the iecture-room and 10 set u
on o bill where 1t may enlEhten many. IL
would gather into clubs those earnest men
and women IN our cities VINO are longing ior
Redistribution Of gifted andwell-tralned intel
lects and bring inspiring teachers 70 GUIDE
/ them systematically into the higher domains
/ Of knowledge. Such is its noble object
As to its utility that depends upon the stu
| dent II lie wants 10 know how 10 lay up
riches and accumulate property TINS society
! will hardly help him il he wishes 20 learn
the latest political tricks 70 get hum into
public Office he bad better g elsewhere. bul
! If amid the drujgery OF tho countng-rOOm
and Of the Office lie yearns tor taste ~
higher intellectual Joys II III the roar oi
trade and in the clash and conflict ut daily
! life be LONGS for the contact OK mind WIN
| mind, then this society has Tor Inn mes
sage Of good tidings.
WHAT VIRGINIA SHOULD 10.
50 to what part Virginia should take 10
/ this movement there seems 10 this writer but
! one opinion possible. She would stand az
| the very front She should turn her eyes
back % the past and read the secrets Of her
ancient glory. She shall find that in the
/ temple of her fame the most mighty column
! is the culture OF her distinguished sons. Tier
/ Colonial statesmen were men Of high
! literary instincts. Her Revolutionary lead
eTs were gentlemen OK broad cul-
/ ture. Until very recently culture
and polish were almost indispensable in
! Virginia public man. Tier Henry read
/ Horace for recreation. Her Madison alter
| receiving Princeton training Immersed HIM
| self IN history f Greece and Rome and went
! 10 Philadelphia with his mind filled with an
| Gent preceieuts No more cultivated body
| Of gentlemen ever sat IN America than the
! famous conventions OF 1916 and ll1s men
many Of whom had started with an excellent
collegiate training. and had spent then days
aud nights With the ancient and modern
! classics.
These men were not scholars They were
/ not what is called men Of learning. But they
! lad what scholars and men OF learning often
/ lack-a wide knowledge OF men and manners.
d broad sympathy with humanity IN its strug-
giles for constitutional freedom. a general
acquaintance with the best and tho worst
/ governments Of the ancient and the modern
worlds. With these attachments many Of
them united gifts OF elOduence such as no
modern race has ever equaed and ] know
not where 10 look for a body 10 compare with
them, save IN the Senate at Athens IN the
zenith Of her glory.
TRANSMITTED CULTURE.
Transmitted culture is still Virginia. glory.
In her lowest humiliation and IN her deepest
SORROW Virginia has never lost her love for
letters. No more touching sight Is ever seen
by one Of the younger generation than that
of an old man. who, though almost homeless.
dressed in q suit Of black more polished than
his manners. hardly knowing who would pay
his last expense on earth, yet rolling Jest OF
Juvenal as % sweet mOrsel IN his mouth, read
ing Shakespeare as regularly as he does his
Bible and talking about The Club as IA
miliarly as If he bad attended a meeting II IL
the night before.
Transmitted culture, repeat is the secret
of ireinia's glory Why else are her sons
foremost in every State. Wherever ono goes
he find Nirglnians occupying the most pr0mi-
nent position at the bar IN the lecture-room
and III the pulpit. But some new intellectual
movement IS needed at this moment. The old
country gentleman of literary leisure being
thing % the past Virginia may gladly wei
come society That brings higher education
within reach OF her people that crowd
her cities. No one can fOreteu the
latent genius that might be awakened
by inspiring causes under this extension
movement
ORIGIN or THE SOCIETY.
As TO the origin of this society: The idea Of
CARRYING education o. the people Is not new.
The educational system of Athens rested on
this basis. Wherever mutltudes gathered %
hear tho great epcs reclted or - see the
great dramas enacted there was extensive
teaching in its earliest form. Socrates. IN
the AgOra, Is the ideal popular educator
Coming 10 the middle ages We find the
Church great public teacher. Her miracle
PLAYS and mysteries famillauzed tie people
with the chief facts in rarest history.
Since the foundation of the modern system
OF education by centralized Institutions.
learning has been e. "a large extent locked up
IN cloisters and lecture halls. No money.
no learning has been the result Tho
trlhiug son OF wealth squanders IN one year
at college enough money 70 take five
worthy poor boys through an inspiring
sessions study. i % remedy this Is one Oh oct
OF university extension. Tut the lecturer where
his voice can reach some Of that vast number
that cannot pay college fees and college
DO ard bills
BESEFIT5 PROMISED.
Nor Will the advantage IN these courses be
entirely with the pupils. The lecturer him
self Will be stimulated and inspired What
eager hearers he Will have. What earnest
faces Will look up into bis For years. per-
Laps lie has been teaching many immature
and thought.ess youths. Much Ot his Efforts.
has been wasted Are there not hundreds of
adults IN Virginia to-day who would make
great sacrifices of time and Of ease 90 bear
some Of the lectures which are being de.
iyered IN these higher institutions AIe
there not hundreds OF eX-cOleg.als who
would give any price ( they could bring %
their own town OF city some part of those
fountains Of learning which they refused %
drink of IN their period Of thOugLtlessness
and immaturity,
Fxtens.on-teachng. then. has simply been
born ag0iu, Old men remember BENJAMIN
Sl.lman. OF Yale. one Il the modern apostles
of popular education. how lie went from
town 10 town and from city 70 city interpre-
ting the mysteries and the beauties Of nature
TO eager mu.ttudes. la more recent decades
the English universities have taken I'D the
work. Professor james Stuart. OF Cambridge.
lectured 20 large audiences OF labOrng men |
and teachers IN the northern shires OF Eng
land. Then oxford took II up. The success
OF the universities lei London 70 give It's sup
port. The result was the London Society for
the Extension Of University Teaching The |
movement has spread 10 Scotland Wales