New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-19
OXFORD IN MIDSUMMER.
AN ENGLISH COPY OF THE CHAUTAUoUA
ASSEMBLY

Dean Stanley in describing oxford. spoke Of it
as a mass Of beautiful towers and graceful spirest
In groves Of ancient trees. (which con-
cealed all that was bad and allowed only the
good to appear" The description is appro-
pirate now as when It was first applied to this
historic town. The summer visitor feels that OK
lord could never have been more beautiful than
1t Is now. When he expresses himself to the
natives Of the place. they shake their heads ana
tell him that he should have been here a month
or more ago. during "Commemoration week." or.
earlier STILL during Fights week." when the
town was gay with the bright faces and rival
college coors OF the undergraduates and their
fair visitors who had gathered from every part Of
the Kingdom
The visitor who has missed being here at the
times named may appreciate the interest that
attaches TO them. but he can hardly bring himself
to feel that there is anything lacking in the Ok
ford that now presents itself to his view. The
grand old trees are In full foliage: the grass IN
the Quadrangles Of the colleges and the Ivy on
their time-stained towers were never more beau.
tifully green than for the last few weeks. ana
rowing on the Isis was never more Of a luxury.
Then. too while this is not term time" the
characteristic features Of English student life
are not lost by the summer visitor. large
number Of the students spending part OF the
summer here some OF them In special work. and
a still larger proportion OF the "Dons" are to DO
seen daily in their picturesque gowns The alb
sence Of the main body OF students Is further
compensated for by the presence Of more than .
thousand University Extension" students. who
have been here since July q. attending the
famous oxford Summer meeting" Practically
all OF the facilities OF this great university, at
least all such as be rendered available at
this time are placed at the disposal OF these
seekers after knowledge The majority OF these
students Of course. English: but there are
also many Americans. who have either planned
their summer tour as to enable them to spend
from one to four weeks in attendance upon the
lectures here. have come with this meeting 40
their principal object.
This Is the sixth Of these summer meetings at
oxford They began in 1888 and have continued
here yearly except last year, with increasing
favor and success Many Of the most distn-
guished scholars Of England have given courses
OF lectures, among them being Professor Max
Miller. the r. Hon. A. H. d. Acand, Professor
Henry Morley Professor Edwin Dowden. J. Chur-
ton Collins. J. Arlington Symonds. Walter Pater.
Frederic Harrison and others equally we'll known.
Many people. especially In America, think that
the University Extension" idea is a thing Of very
half-century DID, though OF course. there has been
constant development during that time. and the
system as 1t now exists Is the result Of much
thought and labor on the part OF Its enthusiastic
promoters.
The last edition OF little book on University
Extension Past. Present and Future" by H. J.
Mackinder and NJ. f. Sadler. two OF the present
oxford leaders In the work. contains some facts
which 1t may be interesting to quote. on the
history Of the movement In England. The term
University Extension" first came into general use
In the discussions on University reform at oxford
during the years Immediately preceding 1850. As
early as 1S45 a numerously signed address was
presented to the 'Hebdomadal Board" the select
council at Oxford to which all proposed Cniver-
sty legislation is first referred asking the Board
TO adopt measures for the admission OF a poorer
class to the University. Various plans were dis
cussed for several years, but the real germ OF the
extension idea" was not reached until 1850, when
Mr. Sewell. Fellow and Senior Tutor OF Exeter
College presented HIS suggestions on University
Extension" He sounded the keynote when he
said: Though II may be impossible TO bring the
masses requiring education 10 the Uniyer-
sity. may It not be possible to carry the
University TO them ?" Mr. Sewell sug-
gested the founding, by way Of experiment
Of professorships and lectureshps in several Of
the great manufacturing centres Of the country,
amid the densest population. But the proposal
was a little too far advanced 70 meet with imme-
date favor. and Lord Herveys plan. few years
later, OF supplying the literary scientific and
mechanics Institutes OF Great Britain with lect-
urers from the universities also failed Of imme-
diate adoption. though 1t helped TO prepare the
way for what followed. The next step OF real
.Lo - he -
local examinations" under Sir Thomas Acland
and a Board OF Examiners that included Sir
Stafford Northcoat and Professor Max Miller.
Professor Stuart who is looked upon the real
father Of University Extension in It's present
form. soon accomplished the work of making the
machinery Of the local examinations available
for the purpose OF local lectures This Of course.
is the feature which IS characteristic OF all the
University Extension work OF the present day.
In 1872 the work OF the pioneers received Its
first official recognition at the hands OF the
University authorities and definite programme
was announced. Since then the growth or the
idea has been remarkable. and the dream OF Its
founders OF carrying the university TO the peo-
pie" has been literally realized. Ii has been
found moreover that the establishment Of Ex-
tension teaching has not caused any decline In
the regular attendance at the universities. but.
on the contrary has really Increased the numoer
OF undergraduates there.
The history OF the comparatively recent devel-
opment OF the University Extension idea In the
United States Is familiar 10 the readers OF The
Tribune. The progress Of the system in America
has been much more rapid than in the country
where II had its birth. and the English are glad
70 acknowledge their Indebtedness to America for
one OF the two great features OF the present sys-
tenn here II was the Chautauqua Assembly
that gave the English the first suggestion OF the
annual summer meeting which Is now so import.
ant a part Of the Extension movement In Great
Britain and the meetings that have been held
here since 1883 have been modelled IN great part
upon the American Chautauqua PLAN
The standard OF the work done by the Univer"
sity Extension students, both In this summer
meeting and In the local centres Is Using
steadily wear by year. while at the same time
| larger class Is being reached. The attendance
this summer is far greater than It has ever been
before and. as already noted. II inciudes many
Americans who have been attracted to England
more by the fame OF this meeting than by any
other interest The one great disappointment and