New-York tribune., 1903-01-07
STATE UNIVERSITIES.

Tho n,actinr of the National Association oi
State universities at Washington is remlhdet
Of an interesting and important factor III ti''
hirher educational work of the Inlted H'a'eS'
Tho system of State universities and coheees Is
NOT an old one Men now living saw JUS oriSi"
and have watched its development. but IL no .
grown to vast proportions and TO incaicuiapie
henefcence. At the present time there ate iio
fewer than forty four State universities anu COZ
loges i'm the United States engaged in the ac'udi
work of teaching, and thirty-two state schooi'
Of tachnoloyy a total of seyenty-siX insttu-
tions of higher learning. whose students are
numbered by scores of thousands
II might be invidious to attempt TO ciassils
these strictly and TO declare when are lrui3
entitled to be known universities, whlch are
nothing but small colleges and which, II any
arc LITTLE more than high schools or academies
We are told that about dozen lnstltutionS
wore renresented at the meeting. There is no
doubt that fully a dozen of these State instltu
tions are we'll entitled TO rank as universities
some Of them. indeed being among the foremost
,,nivarsities of the land In simple point OF
size they are noteworthy. There was recently
n,,t forth upon the authority of local edu
cator q statement of the enrolment Mt the
seventeen largest universities" of the United
States The list was inaccurate. But using 1t
as A basis of reckoning, it is to be observed that
at least nine State universities which are real
universities exceed in enrolment the lowest on
that list Of seventeen. There is one State uni
versity with more than 1900 students, there are
two others with more than $500 each, there are
two more with more than 1900 each. there are
four more exceeding 1.500 each. and three more
| with 200 or more each. These twelve have a
total enrolment of 26S99, or average of 2,240
apiece and they all SEEM in scope and standard
of scholarship TO be genuine universities,
There is not and there may never be, univer-
sal agreement concerning the propriety of such
State provision of higher education. There are
those who think public schools should be con-
fined TO the three RS" or at any rate TO COM
mon English branches, and that the higher
branches and professional studies should be left
10 private institutions. There are also those
who would put all instruction. from kindergar-
ten TO university. under municipal or State or
national control On each side there is much
10 be said, and at the present moment we are
not engaged in the onerous task of umpiring
between them. What seems indisputable is
that many of the State universities and colleges
! have done great good. especially in the Far
| West and have raised the standard of general
instruction in those communities 10 height
! which il would not quickly have attained
without them. We may add that some of
| them have also reflected credit upon. American
| scholarship at large, and have materially aided
! I'm raising its general standard. For such a con-
! tinuance of prosperity may well be desired.
/ Seeing. moreover the variety that exists in all
| grades of American schools from kindergartens
up-some public some private some denomina-
| tional some secuar-it may perhaps be just as
well that the variety should extend all the
way 10 the top of the system, and that we
should thus have some State universities by the
! side of those erected upon private foundations.