The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-24
BALLIET'S TRIBUTE.
What Clark University
Has Done For Edu-
cation.

Thomas NJ. Ballet, superintendent Of
Springfield schools, writing in the Re-
publican of recent date on the deosn-
NAL of Clark university, says
CLARK university was founded on e.
plan closely resembling that OF the
Johns Hopkins, differing from it in that
it entirely devotes itself to graduate
work, and has no undergraduate or
collegiate department. A college de-
gree, or it's equivalent, is required 70
enter. In this respect it has taken q
step in advance of the Johns Hopkins,
and has the unique distinction Of being
the only university in this country
which devetes itself wholly 10 graduate
instruction and to original research.
The number Of students in such an IN
Stitution must necessarily be limited.
as the ordinary classroom instruction
is not possible where each student is
working on a special problem, and
therefore requires chiefly individual
help from his instructor. The signif-
canoe of such an institution obviously
lies not in the number of its students,
| but In the quality of it's work and in
the equipment of the men whom 1t grad
yates. Its chief aim is to carry on or
iginal research, to train experts and to
| fit men for professorships in colleges
and universities. Its students are ma
| ture men, graduates Of colleges u OF
other universities, and its work is Of
too scientific character to appeal
strongly to popular interest.
The influence of Johns Hopkins and
of Clark university on higher education
in this country has been very marked
and very far-reaching. They have set
~
have stimulated, if not virtually COM
PEELED, our older Institutions like Yale,
Harvard and Princeton, to establish ia
cIlities for original research in their
graduate schools and to do genuine uni
versity teaching. The influence OF
Johns Hopkins has been particularly
strong in this respect in the depart
ments of history, of chemistry and for-
merly) of economics; that Of Clark unA-
versity has been strongest in the de-
partments Of psychology and education.
President Hall was the first to intro
duce the methods Of experimental psy-
chology into this country, and when
professor in the Johns Hopkins univsr-
sity, he established the first psychology
cal laboratory in the United States. To-
day many of our larger colleges and
all of our universities worthy of the
name have their psychological laborato-
ries. For the study of psychology, no
university in the country is better
equipped, considering men as we'll as
apparatus, than Clark. The researches
in this department are regularly pub
lished in the American Journal of Psy
ohology, edited by President Hall and
published at the university.
For tho scientific study Of education,
1t may be said without hesitation there
is no other university in this country.
and probably none in any other country
which furnishes equal opportunities to
the student. At. Clark university edu-
cational problems are studied from the
standpoint of evolution, and the sciences
of psychology, biology, physiology,
neurology and anthropology are all
made to contribute to their solution. 1t
is not an extreme statement to say that
Clark university during the 10 years OF
its existence has made a larger number
of original contributions to the solution
of problems of fundamental importance
with which elementary education has
to deal than all other universities in
this country combined. This is not ths
place to discuss details, but it may be-
proper to point out that through the in
fluence of Clark university kindergar-
ten teaching is in process of becoming
radically modified Nature study IL
being placed on new basis, efforts are
being mode to arrange courses Of study
more in accordance with the develop
ment of the spontaneous interests Is
children.
The child study movement which has
spread over the whole country and is
contributing so much to our knowledge
Of the development of children has its
center and chief source OF inspiration
at Clark university. Up to 10 years
ago the study of education by high
school teachers was very rare; they
were interested in the subjects which
they taught, but did not appreciate the
necessity OF knowing anything about
the laws which govern the development
of the thoughts, feelings and character
Of their pupils, Clark University has
raised questions of fundamental inn
portance in reference to the develop
ment of pupils at the age Of the high
school and early college period. and it
has made very important contributions
toward their solution. The significance
Of the period of adolescence not only
for the future intellectual life OF the
pupil, but also for his ethical and re-
ligious development. had never before
been scientifically presented in a way
to show the vast Significance of its ed
ucational bearing. The teachers in our
high schools are waking up to the fact
that they have to deal with pedagogical
questions peculiar to the period Of child
life with which they have to deal. and
there is an interest among them In the
science of education never known be-
fore.