The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-21

which may be achieved by THIS system OF
instruction. 1t has not. however. gone as
far yet as the University of Cambridge in
England which has agreed that wherever
the communities would organize series OF
lectures extending over period OF three
years in a sequence recommended Dy the
university those persons who take the
course shall be entitled to the name or as
sociate student of the university.
1T is interesting to note that some places
have considered this university extension
work TO be of such great value 70 the com
munity that public-spirited citizens have
raised sufficient sum or money 10 serve
as an edowment to secure the regular de-
livery of such lectures year after year: In
some places these lecture courses nave DSen
organized into what Is called University
Extension College. thus giving more Sys
tematic and consequently greater aduca-
tional value TO the work than would be
otherwise possible. The city OF Peoria IN
Illinois appropriated through its School
Board the SUN of 81 200 year for the sup
port of these courses, This support was
extended in the form of guarantee fund
which has. however. only been drawn upon
TO n very slight extent, If at all. Every
town OF five hundred inhabitants in the
United States ought to be able 10 organize
this work in a permanent way SO that lhe
young people of the town who have not
had the opportunities of college ana univer-
sity instruction might have the chances TOT
this higher work brought 10 them at their
very doors. And so that the older people VINO
have not been TO college may have an op.
portunity to get interested in the class OF
subjects and ideas for which these institu-
lions exist And so that the few wpo nave
been to college may renew their active In
terest I'm literature. science and art The
leading educators in the United States:
such as the president OF the University oil
Chicago. of the University Of Pennsyivanla
of Columbia University. OF princeton ana
of Yale and Of Michigan, have expressed
themselves as believing thoroughly In the
desirability of the establishment and ex-
tension of this work.
AS A SOCIAL SOLVENT.
1.-The university extension movement has
the great advantage of appealing to all
classes of the community. men and women.
rich and poor alike. 1t may be counted upon
to act as a social solvent. All educational
associations, all religious or social and
even business associations may cooperate
in this work: and their support. indeed,
ought to be gained for il by systematic
effort to have all such organizations repre-
scented upon the managing board OF the eX-
tension movement In some places the
committee is made up of three or four OF
the leading public officials. as many clergy
men of different denominations. represent
atives of the schools, academies or sem
inaries. representatives, of the labor and
trade organizations, of the board or trade
commerce. also of the woman ;
clubs. The fundamental idea of university
extension Involves the corporation or all
classes in the community for the purpose
of interesting everyone in the subject OF
higher education. and of making 1t possible
1T Is "A great mistake to suppose that
university extension is primarily Tor the
working man.. and that If 1t does not reach
him it is "a failure. 1t is for all classes
for everyone. rich or poor, man or woman
who feels, or ought to feel, an interest In
cafed classes stand often most of all in
need of the very things which university
extension can offer. The rich woman In
or patroniZes art and music. or her nus
band. who runs railroad or an insurance
company. is often as encased In a smell OF
as hard 10 break as the downright ignor-
| ance of an ignorant day laborer. We can
not, indeed. expect 10 make muS zen lnlpr res
| less and until the classes above them. from
| the point of view of income. are themselves
| better educated. The womanS club, which
| has done such excellent work in many
ways is, as conducted at present. often
| doing a positive harm, since IL fills Its
| members with the idea that they are really
| studying and acquiring culture when, as
| a matter of fact, they are only marking
| time going through the motions. Asking
| women to prepare and read essays on sub
| jects they know nothing about to fellow
| members who are still more Ignorant Is a
| long way from serious Work, however val
| liable il may be TO the writer's as an exer-
| else in composition. or TO the members In
| the art OF listening courteously TO each
| others platitudes or superfcialities. Can
not some method be put into this madness
clubs Can they not join in some common
| lines of study and DIV cooperating WITH the
| local university extension committee Sc
| cure systematic courses OF lectures by SCI
| entific experts In addition to the work now
| done by club members in the way or es-
| saws? An uplifting of our so-called higher
| classes Is absolutely necessary TO prepare
the way for the uplifting OF the so-called
| lower order. University extension can con-
| tribute 10 this end.
| THE INDIANAPOLIS UNIVERSITY.
You have lately organized here In In
| dianapolis a university. 1t is a step in
the right direction. The metropolis OF n
great State like Indiana should have a
| great university, but when II comes it will
| fail TO do all its duty unless it fosters the
| work of university extension. Work with
| out it's walls belongs as much to the func-
ton of a modern university as work with
in its walls.
| University extension means the extern
sion of the university in two ways, lat
orally. over the surface of the country.
attempting to bring to the people of as
many communities possible the facil-
| tiles OF the universities. Secondly, longi-
| tudinally. so to speak, that Is TO say
| throughout the entire life of the individ-
| ual citizen. 1t is effort to persuade in
| divdual men and women to give regular
| lv some little portion of their time. no mat
| ter how small, TO the purpose of securing
| for themselves the specific benefits of high
er education, to give attention and time
|
| lectual and aesthetic faculties regularly
! and persistently as they do TO the devel-
| opment and cultivation of their religious
or political or business capacities. II is
| In brief ar attempt To make education a
! serious business of life and to put it by the
side of politics, business and religion as a
/ permanent interest of human society.
| Every public-spirited citizen, every phil
! anthropist, every clergyman. every teach
er. in short, all persons interested in the
| social progress of the community. and that
| should include every man and woman in
| our society. ought to be interested in this
| work, not merely In a negative but also In
| a positive way, not merely taking part In
| it themselves. but urging others to take
| it up also since the value of it depends
largely on the spirit Of cooperation In
| study which ii aims to excite. Where is
| the pious benefactor who will endow uni
| versity extension in Indianapolis?'
The conference closed with an interpre-
tative recital by Mr.. S. II. Clark. head OF
the department of public speaking of the
| University OF Chicago. 1t was a recita
| of Marc Antonys funeral Grafton from
Shakspeares Julius Caesar" and was a
| study in oratory.
TO-Day's Programme.
The following is the programme for to-