The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-09-02
SAGES FOUNDED
FIRST COLLEGES
Badger Scholar Explains
the Origin Of States
Smaller Schools.
CAME FROM ANCIENTS
(By DR.. II. 2. Houghton.l

More than fifty years have passed
since the first college was established
in the state Of Wisconsin. Pioneers
who had pushed on from the eastern
and middle Atlantic states to find or
make a home in what was then the
"far west" brought with them the
traditions which, in their earlier abid-
ing places, had made for sturdy char
acter, strong wills and progressive
minds.
The question is often asked, whence
came the college 2" One needs to go
back farther than the first settlement
on our shores in order adequately to
answer this query. Back through Eng
land, to the continent of the middle
age, and on back through old Rome to
ancient Greece must one go on his
journey of pursuit to find the origin
Of the college. Interesting it is to
note that, just as in the New England
colonies, the church and school grew
and were maintained side by side, so,
in ancient Greek lands, the earliest
teachers were identified with some sort
of religious worship. Nor was it I'M
usual to find the teacher, the philoso-
pher, holding his daily Conferences"
in a sacred grove attached to the
shrine Of revered deity. The teach
ing of these early "searchers" was not
Of purely materialistic turn; rather
it was the setting forth Of a religious
tenet Of supreme value to the listener
and required that he use his mental
powers.
Monks Preserved Learning.
The significance of the close alliance
between matters spiritual and intel
lectual cannot be too fully stressed.
Down through Roman and medieval
times the church and school were as
intimately associated as were, in some
realms, the church and state. 1t was
the monks in the cloisters of the early
middle age who preserved for our en-
joyment the priceless manuscripts of
the Greek, Latin and Hebrew writer's.
Thanks to the Roman Catholic monks
of Switzerland and of Ireland, Of Ger
many, France and England, that type
of learning known as classical was
preserved to us. Not only this, but
coincident with the advance of art,
sculpture and architecture which the
middle age Witnessed, there went a
progress in mathematics, sciences and
literature, never before equaled. Had
it not been for the fostering of the
church, the school might not have
lived. Had it not been that the re-
ligious minds Of the day were leaders
also in matters Of art, good taste, high
er learning and human progress, there
is possibility that learning would
have languished, and art had never
been born
To find the beginnings of the educa-
tional advantages which we now enjoy,
we must go back to the great truth
and-light seekers of ancient and medi-
aeval days. One must interpolate here
brief mention of the great Teacher Of
Galilee. 1t was a Christian college
which was established there on the
shores Of that lake. The professor was
the Master himself; the students were
but rude fishermen, but, if a college
has been defined in much later times
as a log with a great teacher at enc
end and pupil at the other, just so
truly and far more so, was the group
Of fishermen listening to the teachings
Of our Lord while upon earth, the
foundation of the Christian college. ;
Pilgrims Brought Colleges.
When our ancestors landed on the
bleak Atlantic coast, they brought
these traditions with them deeply
cherished in their hearts. Hewn out
of the forest, the timbers soon rose to
fashion both church and college, meet
ing house and school-house. The two
were never divorced, nor should they
be. The first duty of the minister was
to teach the young. The pioneers NOV
ing to the wesr. brought these tradi-
tions here. AS soon as school and
church advantages could be secured for
their families, the settlers felt that
civilization would continue and prog
ress would be assured.
The colleges Of Wisconsin were
founded in prayer; their sponsors
vowed Christian principles should be
ever inculcated in the minds and hearts
of the students; the patrons of those
early colleges were God-fearing men
and won en- as those of our day are
and they realized as parents do today,
that without spiritual life the soul
starves, the mind turns to wrong paths
and that purely intellectual acumen
without the guiding rudder of religion
will lead the ship of mind into danger
Gus waters. The enforcement of re-
ligion and education is dangerous.
Colleges Teach Service
From the colleges, founded within
our borders during the past century.