The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1921-12-07

Bulletin, 1918. No. 81, published
by the U. 8. Bureau of Education. IL
entitled INSTRUCTION IN JOUR-
NALIsM IN INSTITUTIONS OF
HIGHER EDUCATION 1t was
written by Professor James Melvin
Lee. Director of the Department of
journalism of New York University.
and is an authoritative history OF
the origin and development of Jour
nalism as a learned profession.
The world has been so dazzled- by
the military career Of General Rob-
ert e. lee, that few, even In the
South, are aware of his genius and
wisdom as a great educator.
In an age when college education
consisted mainly of classical and
philosophical studies, his first step at
Washington College was to establish
a practical school Of civil and high
way engineering to rebuild the de-
vastated South. With even greater
originality and foresight, he became
in 1869, a generation ahead of his
tines, the founder, in America, of
journalism as learned profession.
The story of this first American
School of Journalism is thus given
in the opening paragraphs of the u.
S. Bulletin above referred to.
The reconstruction period of AM
erican history saw the first attempt
on the part of an institution of
higher education to add technical
instruction in journalism to the cur
riculum. Strangely enough, the at
tempt was made in the South, at
what was then known as Washing
ton College, but what is today Wash
ington and Lee University. Gen.
Robert E. Lee had been made presi-
dent of this college, and was seek
ing to train the youth of the South,
not in the ways of war hut in those
of peace. Convinced that the press
could aid greatly in the solution of
the problems then confronting the
South, he sent to the board of
trustees of Washington College the
following recommendation on March
80, 1869:
l beg leave to submit sfor your
consideration several propositions
from the faculty which would not
have been presented until your regu-
lar meeting in June but for the fact
that, should they receive your APP
probation, the necessary changes in
the catalogue of the present session,
now preparing for publication, will
be made.
The proposition recommending
the institution of SO scholarship for
young men proposing to make print
ing or journalism their profession.
| will only add that all the fore
going subjects have been maturely
considered by the faculty and have
received their unanimous assent.
Respectfully submitted,
(Signed) R. E. LEE,
President w. c.
The board of trustees, upon the
receipt of President Lees letter,
adopted the following resolutions,
already passed by the faculty of
Washington College,
Resolved, That the board of trus-
tees be requested to authorize the
faculty to appoint to scholarships. to
be called scholarships, not
exceeding so in number, young men
to make practical print
ing and journalism their business in
life, such scholarships to be free
from tuition and college fees on con-
dition that, when required by the
faculty, they shall perform such dis
cipliary duties as may be assigned
them in printing Office or in other
positions in the line of their profess
sion for time equal to one hour in
each working day.
Resolved, That the board of trus-
tees be requested in order to carry
the foregoing provision into effect,
to make such arrangements for or
with a printing Office as may afford
practical instruction and. so far as
compensated employ
ment in their business to such young
men.
At the June meeting of the
board the faculty reported, on press
scholarships, that Limited number
of boys can receive instruction in
the printing Office of Messrs. Lafferty
& Co., in this town, for the present,
charge or cost to the col