The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1897-06-07
RfeseninontIy among TIC potent
causes was the fact that MoFgantamn

4 JIAitfTSlty
e.enincntIy among the poten
causes was the fact that Morgantowl
had been a conspicuous educationa
1center almost ever since 1914.
came to be known as such far an,
wide IN Pennsy lvarda, Maryland an,
Virginia. II was this edueationa
atmosphere and spirit which indpcet
the citizens Of the town to secure Til
establishing Of the West Virginia 4 4
rlcultural College in their midst ii
1867, by which they planned NOR,
wisely and more far reaching thar
even they knew at the time.
The financial consideration to in
duee the locating of this college VA
no small consideration III those days
being some fifty one thousand dollar,
ID grounds, building and endowment
Itswas a material consideration not tt
be despised By 4 state only four year,
old and having practically 30 system
Iof free schools and no state college
even for higher education
III 1868 the Legislature very wisely
enlarged the Conception and broadened
the scope of this college by making it
the educational germinal head of the
state system ofeducation The pow
|ers and fnnctious of the college were
Sd enlarged that the name,of necessity
was changed to the West Virginia
University. The West Virginia Uni
versity having its location, 1T was a
natural law of selection to associate
the Agricultural Experiments Station
with the Agricultural College idea in
the University, and thus this |adjllnct
of educational influence was added in
1883.
nc Is alb interesting fact, whateSeF
:be the cause, that Of the forty-sevcn
Agricultural Colleges created ID CON
sequence Of the Congressional enact
ment Of July End, 1862, fortytof them
are situated raphically In the sew
eral states and territories, either to
one side or in an extreme. corner of
these several states and territories,
Only six congressional land grant
institutions Of learning are anything
like centrally located as to each states
territory. Whether this was fortui-
tous in other states we are unable to
say; but for West Virginia, If it was
not proyidential, it will certainly in
the end prove most fortunate for the
.iistitution itself and hence for the
state as well Z
The great institutions of learning
of European nations are located in the
midst of the great centralized popula-
tions. England and Holland being
the only conspicuous exceptions and
these are SO for. good and sufficient
reasons, The great European uniyer-
stiles, excepting the two countries re-
ferred to, arefn Dublin, Belfast, Glas-
gov, Edinburg, Berlin, Vienna, Zll-
rich, Geneva and Paris. The many
German Universities are conspicuous
and prominent as educational 5institu-
tionsii in proportion to the centers Of
population in the midst Of which they
are located. The same is already fast
becoming true in the United States.
Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Chicago
University and the mnltitudinous
educational Institutions at Nashville
are in the midst Of great populous
centers, and each becoming more s..
The Others most conspicuous FOL
nl,adhars are asIly accessible by i Ile5
loads
Isl I'M islts tltn ssiiuus d learn
ing Of the future IN the United States,
will Be those ID the midstof, or mos
easily accessible to, the teeming nopu
Ilation adjacent. The old idea that ;
great institution Of learning shoule
HE rural In surrounding and character
Unjust give place to thedenands of tn
advancing civilization lnassing itsel
lin great centers. The educational in
Istitutions, whether Of individuals
churches, states or nation must plan
themselves in the midst of IL;
centralized population. The gus
pei Of education must be carried i,
the massed population, and not vast
Itime and energy in trying to bring th
great n asses of the population int
Isolation IN order to educate them
Il This principle is already recognizes
4 and acted upon in our own stat
4 schools. The graded and high school
II are located in the midst of the dens
1 population, where they are easily &C
Il cessibly to the greatest numbers. III
educational facilities are carried i
Il the people and the people are not pn
II under the necessity of having To eli
d pend time, money and energy in orde
4 to reach the educational Institution
!, of these cities. The ideal uniyersit
extension will be realized when ID
universities are where they can be an
are accessible 70 the teeming million
connected in the great centers Of POI