The Washington herald., 1907-06-20
HIGHER EDUCATION IN
THE UNITED STATES
By FREDERIC j. HASK[N.
Bv FREDERIC j. HASKIN.

Higher education in the United States
is almost as old as the country itself.
Before the Mayflower had sailed from
England the Virginia colony had levied
tax to support a Latin grammar school
Before the Massachusetts Bay colonsts
had cleared land or built houses enough
for all their people they had provided
for a Latin school. II was TO be sup
ported by rents from certain islands In
the bay. by private donations, and, lastly,
by taxes when the other funds were not
sufficient. New Haven established gram
mar schools in 164i, Hartford in 1912, New
Amsterdam in 1853, and Pennsylvania s
date also from the middle of the seven
teenth century. In 1896 the Maryland as
sembly provided for a grammar school,
to be known as King Williams School.
al Annapolis.
The early colonists had long fight
between the grammar school idea of Eng
land and the extreme democracy taught
by Calvin and Luther. The one was
devoted to the education OF the higher
class alone. the other advocated the edu-
cation OF the masses. out OF these two
conflicting ideas has grown the good
system that obtains to-day, rejecting the
better qualities Of both. In some States
the public high school came early, IN
others late. For example. New York had
no public high school until 1891 except
the College Of the City Of New York for
BOYS. and the Normal College for girls.
She now has nearly 1900 children in her
high schools. AS high schools have
grown from the needs of the people, they
have been bent 10 meet the needs. Where
educational institutions were formerly
highly ecclesiastical in nature, and the
classics Of paramount Importance, they
are now more practical with tecnnical
studies and great stress laid on English.
The earlier high schools first prepared
for the ministry, then for the development
of the citizen. but now the one ideal in
these institutions. where brains consti-
tute the only aristocraCy. is TO prepare
for complete living.
The college Is purely an American idea
that has grown up to meet the require
ments of American life. Other nations
have no like institution. Before the Rev
olution there were eleven colleges in the
colonies led by Harvard. 1886. William
and Mary, 1898. and Yale, lIol. Shortly
before the Revolution interest waned
somewhat in educational things, because
weighty affairs Of state had become ON
nipresent. Yet in the period between
the Battle Of Lexington, and the estab-
Hshment Of the Capital at Washington.
twelve more colleges had been born,
and the proof Of the growth Of the ma
tions lies in the fact that four Of these
Law over the mountains in Tennessee.
From 1900 to 1890 thlrty-three more col
leges were built. the majority Of them
I'm the new West, and since then over
800 have been added to the list
We have borrowed the best from other
nations in our work of education. Just
rs we lately borrowed the idea of man.
ual training from Russia. so Harvard,
Yale and Princeton based their early in
stitutions on Cambridge and oxford. The
sympathy Of France for the American
cause in the Revolution brought many
French ideas into our social system. The
University of the State of New York,
founded IN T4 embodied a provision for
high school and secondary education in
the State and was the first American re-
aization Of the real university as Diderot
conceived it, I'm 1855 the corner stone of a
French academy Of arts and sciences was
laid al Richmond. Va, by Quesnay,
grandson of Louis XY's famous court
physician.
Il was to embody all the highest ideals
Of French educational life, and 10 be
financed chiefly by Frenchmen. but
France had her attention just then direct
ed TO home matters and the scheme fell
through. The FIRST American graduate of
a German university was Edward Ever
EFT. who received his degree in Coffin
gen. in 1871. George Bancroft. who stud
led abroad I'm 1870. was the first TO at
tempt 10 introduce the idea Of post-grad-
uate work into American colleges and
universities. The outgrowth of this idea
IS probably best eXempli1ed in Johns
Hopkins University. Of Baltimore, where
since 1867. graduate work has been Of
fered in many departments Of art and
science. and where the medical depart
ment Is open to women.
Gifts to higher education have been
munifcent. They have proved the ma
ti0nal pride in the mental and physical
training on which the country builds
much Of her hope for supremacy. John
Harvards treasured library Of 2f0 vol
umes. and his entire fortune Of 500 was
deemed enough 10 warrant the naming
of a growing college after him, nearly 800
years ago. Edward Hopkins, dying in
England. in the middle Of the seventeenth
century. turned his thoughts back TO the
days when he was a governor in the colo
nies. and left a sum Of money that found
ed grammar schools in four Connecticut
and Massac chusetts towns. The first do
nation toward Yale was made by Rev
William Hooke, afterward chaplain 70
Cromwell, who gave his home lot as a
perpetual residence for the teacher in
the towns highest educational institu-
tion.
These are meager when compared with
Mrs. Leland Stanfords gift at one time
Of s3l,0ooG00 to her university. the larg-
est recorded donation TO education ever
made. vet the Harvard and Hopkins gifts
were magnificent in proportion TO the op-
portunities and needs of the times. The
Peabody and Slater funds. the Wander
biIt donations, the Rockefeller millions
that made the University Of Chicago a
possibility. the Carnegie millions for the
pension fund, and the Carnegie Institute
all prove the American intention of COM
ing out ahead in educational, as well as
commercial things
State aid to schools has been given In
some fashion ever since the beginning OF
fha States Themselves and even bafOrr