The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-29
What Is a University


tate& considerable controversy by his challenging
statsnsnt that there not than eight real
universities in the United States. This charge is
certainly impregnabe from the standpoint of educa-
tional logic and practice But it is not hoeproof
when viewed in the perspective Of the historical
origins OF universities and the term university"
President Butler speaks without much enthusiasm
concerning the establishment of colleges of horse
Shoeng, and holds these up in sharp and contemptu
contrast with the great traditional universities
devoted to the humanities
But it so happens that the atmosphere OF the
blacksmith shop was far closer to the origins Of
universities than the austerity Of Dr. Buffers mag
nificent and impressive academic sanctuary.
There was nothing high-hat about the ternin-
oogy methods or pretensons of the early universities
In the twelfth century Abelard by his "Sc ct Non"
made it impossible henceforth to uphold the Catholic
faith purely by an appeal to those great authorities
whose views Abelard had proved to be so contra
dictory.
These apparent discrepancies had to be reasoned
away by logic. Teachers of logic were demanded,
but they must be trained To train them, schools
were necessary. To have schools, must have
some kind of organization to guarantee fulfllment
of requirements and place the accepted brand the
graduates.
The only well-known secular organization in the
poration Oniversitas). These guilds corporations
had been employed for the organization and dis
cipline of medieval industry and commerce. They
we're founded on doctrines of Roman law. There
fore, when the universities founded they took
over the common guild form Of organization which
pervaded industrial life.
So the atmosphere Of horseshoeing, weaving, spin
ming, shoemaking, metal working and the like ac-
tualy provided the very basis of the genesis of
colleges and universities.
The bachelor of arts was none other than the
youth who had passed through his apprenticeship
in the guild of scholars The degree meant nothing
more 1t pronounced him journeyman scholar.
ready to go ahead and become a master Of logic by
further studies, just a journeyman blacksmith
ultimately might become master blacksmith
The same methods were introduced into the insti-
buttons which gave instruction in law and medicine
At first there distinction between college and
university since collegium and universities had ap
proximately the same legal and conventional
reanng.
In time the university became distinctive. In
England and the United States the term university
has been used chiefly describe the legal organiza
ton and government of collection of colleges-of
liberal arts, medicine, engineering, fine arts swine
husbandry and the like.
In Germany and' many other European countries
the university meant the graduate school, under
graduate work being carried on in the gymnasium,
or lycee More rarely, in the of the So-called
University of the State of New York. the term uni
versity has been restricted to the legal right
to- grant degrees and to license degree granting
institutions.
Dr. Butler was right, then, If he meant that there
are not more than eight institutions in the United
States which conduct themselves as an ideal uni
versity should Indeed, looking at the problem from
this noint of view should saw that DR. Butler WAS
rather expansive and optimistic.
Some have said that there is not one left since
Hall retired from Clark But historically and ira
dtionally, college OF horseshoeing at Muskogee,
Okla, has as much right to call itself university
as Dr. Buffers great Acropolis on Morningside
Heights
quality of instruction rather than differentiation
of mere Is after all, the best guaranty of true
academic distinction and Of recognition of merit.