The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-23
WHAT MAS BEEN DONE.
Prof. HobgoOd Sums Up
Educational Progress.
A Glance at The Colleges in 1866 Cons'rastec
With the Improvements and Success
Of the Present

To one who entered college the year
after the Civil War, and since graduation
has spent thirty years in the school room,
the progress of education in North Caro-
lima seems almost marvellous; and it may
be profitable at the beginning of the new
century to take an inventory, so to speak,
of our educational assets, together with
review of the educational interests at
the beginning of this period of thirty
years. The disasters of the Civil War
seriously affected these interests of the
State. The endowments of our colleges, in
most cases invested in Southern securi-
ties, were swept away; and these COL
leges had left but little more than their
buildings with very inferior equipments.
This was the case with Wake Forest,
Trinity and Davidson, though / am of the
impression that the last named did not
suffer quite so much as the other two. Our
State University was Frustrated, and for
some years afterwards was the football
of politicians.
The only schools for the education of
girls were ST. Mary's at Raleigh: War
renton Female College (Methodist, Char
lotte Female College (Presbyterian),
I. Salem Academy, Chowan Female Institute
paptfstT, and the Oxford Female College
(Baptist). There was not graded school
in the State: and the public school fund
had been lost.
During the last thirty years Wake For
est has erected three additional buildings
and her fourth is now nearing compile
tion. Her endowment has been increased
from $1,000 to more than $4,000. Her
equipment has been greatly improved.
Her number of students has risen from
90 to 300. Trinity has an educational
plant worth $3.50, 900, with an interest
IsH 'OOOOes$ ueq1 sIom OF OOO'eI$ moIy
number of students has risen from 70
to more than $50. Our State University
has an enrolment considerably larger
than in any year before the war, and the
value of her equipment has been more
than trebled. Davidson has kept pace
both in improvements and in patronage
with her sister institutions.
Quakers have built Guiford College and
Disciples have built Elon College, in each
of which there are not less than $50
boys and girls.
For the education of girls Presbyterians
have built Peace Institute, Red Springs
Seminary, and have reorganized Char
lotte Female College; and now have more
than $50 students, not including local pat
ronage, attending these institutions, as
against so at the beginning of our period
. of review. Methodists have built Little
ton Female College, have re-opened
LoGisburg Female College. have rebuilt
Greensboro Female College, have built
Asheville Female College, and have board
ing in these institutions more than 800
students. as against rs thirty years ago
in college.
Lutherans have built in Charlotte Eliza
beth College for girls.
The State has built and equipped
Normal College, which has an enrolment
of more than 400 girls. score of towns
have established graded schools, and the
State Treasury is paying out annually
nearly a million dollars for the support
of the public school system. A large
number of secondary schools have been
Observation-Disclosures School (Asheville),
Oak Ridge. Whitsett Institute. Buie's
Creek Academy Bonneville Academy,
Bethel Hill Institute, Lumberton Acad-
envy, etc., in which are gathered more
than a thousand students.
During this period l have witnessed
not only the increase of our number of
institutions of learning and the enlarge
ment of those in existence at the close of
the Civil War, but very many improve
ments in the methods of teaching. Teach
ing has been raised to an honorable pro-
fession that satisfies the ambition of our
brightest minds Men and women by
long courses of training are fitting them
selves for it; and give up high political
20 -
leges.
The old curriculum, the tread mill of
education, has given place to flexible
elective system, modified. Not all stu
dents are required, regardless of their
mental condition, to pursue the same
course of study. The catalogues of our
colleges contain several courses leading
to the degrees of Master of Arts and
Bachelor of Arts, and thus offer wide
choice. We have come to see that &
trained mind. which Is the aim of educa-
ton, is successfully accomplished by Sc
lecting that course which is adapted to
the mind of the pupil. / am not, however
entering a plea for unlimited choice of
subjects on the part of students. / am
quite sure that in many of our institu-
lions of learning this choice is permitted
to students at too early an age, at an
age when they are not capable of choos-
ing wisely.
have seen the method of teaching the
classic languages greatly changed | re-
wrong and excessive. and while it's pro-
member studying the grammar year
before l read a line of Latin. The pres
ent inductive system of teaching them
enables one to accomplish as much in two
years as was formerly accomplished in
three.
Scientific study has been greatly en-
larged in it's scope, and made more thor
ough by the laboratory system. This adj
vancement in the study of science has
largely aided the material development
OF the country, and is itself the result,
in part, of this development.
At the beginning of this period there
was not professorship of English in any
of the colleges of North Carolina, Now
the study of English is insisted upon, and
extended courses have been provided. We
have passed away from a mere study
of the lives of great authors to a wide
and critical reading of their works
1t has been settled, quite satisfacto-
rly, think, that girls are as richly en-
.HI -. IL - IL