College

Colleges


In colonial America, there were nine colleges from which to choose, but the number of students attending them was relatively small. Most colleges had less than 100 students and a very small faculty. Instruction was provided through the lens of a particular religious theology. Daily religious services were a part of the culture. Before the Revolutionary War, the classics were studied. After the United States fought its way to freedom, law, sciences, and modern languages were added. Funding typically came from the students, churches, and donations. With the desire for self governance after 1776, came the appreciation for intellectuals. By the time the first college for women opened in 1837 there were 120 colleges for men in the United States.

As the number of colleges grew, conflicts about management and curriculum became apparent. Dartmouth College, located in Rhode Island, was chartered at the request of the Puritan Church. A disagreement between two groups arose over the name of the school and whether, since the community paid some of the costs, the college should be considered a public school or private school. Daniel Webster represented the original group in the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1819, the Court determined that the school should remain private, even though some of its funds were from the public. The legal precedent was set; colleges were free to operate without government intervention, even if taxes helped pay for them.

In 1828, Yale University presented opinions about the value of a classical curriculum. They believed that the classics offered opportunities for the development of critical thinking that could be used in all areas. Opponents of the findings believed that college should have a pragmatic side, one linked to employment opportunities. Source: (Early American Colleges by Aaron Sandock retrieved from: [|http://www.nd.edu/~barger/www7/eacolleg.html])


 * ~  ||~ Colleges in America (pre-1776) ||~   ||
 * = **Date Founded** ||= **School** ||= **Founded By** ||
 * = 1636 ||= Harvard University ||= Puritans ||
 * = 1693 ||= College of William and Mary ||= Church of England ||
 * = 1701 ||= Yale University ||= Puritans ||
 * = 1740 ||= University of Pennsylvania ||= Church of England ||
 * = 1746 ||= Princeton University ||= Presbyterians ||
 * = 1754 ||= Columbia University ||= Church of England ||
 * = 1764 ||= Brown University ||= Baptists ||
 * = 1766 ||= Rutgers University ||= Dutch Reformed Church ||
 * = 1769 ||= Dartmouth ||= Puritans ||


 * Benjamin Franklin and the University of Pennsylvania


 * Thomas Jefferson and the University of Virginia


 * Access to the book, University Education. Written in 1851, it describes the ideal purpose and structure of a university, focusing heavily on its curriculum. Henry Tappan was the president of the University of Michigan and was instrumental in developing the concept of a research university.