The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-13
AS
LYCEUN BUREAU
SPLENDID TRIBUTE PAID TO
WORK CT EXTENSION DIVISION
OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DA-
koTA-THIS STATE AND WIS
coNslN COOPERATING.

The Independent, in a recent editor
ial entitled, The State University as a
Lyceum Bureau, pays a splendid trib-
ute to the work of the extension divi-
sion of the University Of North Dako-
ia. After commenting at length Upon
the Lyceum work as developed by the
University Of Wisconsin, The indie
pendent says: North Dakota and
Minnesota are now cooperating with
Wisconsin In the establishment of cir
cults. Besides exchanging the servic-
es Of those members Of their faculties
who are best fitted to give popular
lectures. they will bring fnto districts
otherwise unable to support them such
attractions as sixteen members of the
Chicago Symphony orchestra; a SINH
lar group from the Minneapolis Sym
phony; the Chicago Male Quartette;
/ Lincoln Writ, Arctic explorer and ter
~ritorial superintendent of instruction
in Alaska; Benjamin Chopin, Lincoln
impersoator; and numerous noted ed
ucatorS."
THE value of this phase Of ~univer-
sity extension is obvious; it gives the
best sort Of entertainment at cost
price; it supplies lectures and con-
certs Of educational and cultural
value; it brings the resources of the
states greatest educational institution
directly to the people of the most dis
tant village"
J.. j. P%ettijohn, director of the extern
sion division in the University Of
North Dakota. formerly head Of the
extension lecture and lyceumr depart
ment in the University of Wisconsin,
when asked the question raised by the
editorial in The Independent, namely,
why have the universities of the
middle west entered the field hitherto
occupied by the Lyceum ~bureaus?" he
replied:
The Lyceum as originally founded
by Josiah Holbrook and as endorsed
by Emerson, was an educational in
stitutlOn, but because it was left with
out public support or private endOw-
ment, it fell into the field of private
enterprise.
THE Lyceum bureaus as they exist
and operate today are strictly bust
ness institutions and, therefore man
aged by principles of business e~ficien-
cy and not by principles of education
al efficiency. In other words, the
cash-box and not social welfare d.
reefs the work, hence cheap art. cheap
music, cheap literature, and melO-dra-
matte lectures have replaced the moro
SlIliCh anu HIOI6 SuuCdIlOIldl.
THE university will use the Lyce-
UNI platform as an avenue through
which to bring valuable information,
culture, and inspiration to the people
of the state. They believe it to be, Of
sufficient educational, ~recreational and
spiritual value and to be worthy Of
public support.
The best in art, in music, in liter
allure, may be presented on the plat
FORM; much in history, in ethics, in
sociology, in economies, in the natural
and applied sciences, in fact, much
from the whole realm Of human ex-
periences may be given through this
agency. When education and social
welfare is the guiding motive instead
of dividends, the Lyceum and chau-
tauqua platforms will step into the at
moSpflere of libraries, art galleries,
and museums. They Will become a
part of our great expanding public ed
ucational and ~Tecreattonal systems,
for the age of public parks, public
Fairgrounds, public libraries, public
museums, and public lyceums is upon
us.
During the coming winter over
fifty communities in different parts Of
North Dakota will have university eX-
tension lectures and entertainments.
About 80 ner cent of the programmes
are lectures and are mostly given by
members of the university faculty. 1t
is estimated that over 10000 people
will attend these courses.
THE cost Of the university extern
sion work is only about one-half of
that of the Lyceum bureau. The Ly-
ceum bureau takes $4,000 annually
out of North Dakota. With this
amount of money the university ex-
tension division could not only great
ly improve the work, but could also
carry it into 200 additional communi-
ties and thereby benefit three times
as many people. o..