Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/629

* CHAXrSSARD. 547 CHAUTAUQUA. CHAUSSARD, sh.^'siii'. Pikhke Jeax Bap- ■ri.siE O'*''' '^■-■*l • A Fri-nch author. He was born in Paris, and was ediicateil at the College Saint Jean de Beauvais. In 1702 he was sent as comnii-isiiinor to Uoljiinni to elVect a union between that country and Frame, and upon his return he «as appointed Secretary-General of Public Instruction. His Mi'moinx historiqiies ct polilUiiics siir In rrrvliilioii dr Jiclfiiquc et du jtiiiix de Litqc (170.'!) is an important contribu- tiou to the history of that period. CHAUSSES, shds (Fr., stockings). In the .Middle Ages, defensive armor for the legs. Some were made of padded and quilted cloth, with metal studs; some of cliain mail; some of rivet- ed plates; and some of banded mail. It was not unusual to fasten them by lacing behind the leg. CHAUTAUQUA, shA-tfllvwa. A town in ( li.iutaui|ua Ciiunty. N. Y.. popular as a sum- mer resort, and noted for its educational facili- ties and its picturesque situation 1200 feet above sea-level, on the western .shore of Chautauqua Lake (Map: New York. A .3). Steamboats ply on the lake, which is reached by several rail- roads. The town has a hotel and numerous cottages, and among features connected with the educational work of the Cluiutauqua Assembly are an amphitheatre with a seating capacity of .5000. the 'Hall in the Grove.' a museum, gym- iiasium and athletic field, administration build- ing, and buildings for lectures, recitations, etc. The New York State Summer Institute also is located here. The population was, in 1890, 3259; in 1000. 3.500. CHAUTAUQUA. The name of a lake and a lounty in sdutluvestern New York, which has, during the i)ast quarter of a century, become associated with a system of popular education now generally known, but by many only vague- ly understood. The fundamental principle of this system is that the higher education may and should be extended to all alike, and that edu- cation, best begun in academy, college, and uni- versity, is not confined to youth, but continues through the whole of life. Broadly speaking, the influence of Chautauqua is two-fold — it is exerted, through the summer assembly, directly reading circles and correspondence instruction, upon self-educating readers and students in their iiwn homes. These two plans may lie success- fully combined, for, by .supi)lementing home study during the year with six weeks' residence at Chautau<|ua in the summer, a conscientious and persevering student may do work of a high grade. The function of Chautauqua in the edu- i-ational system of the United States is. there- fore. comi)ensatory and supplementary. While its methods cannot be by any means an adeuate substitute for college tiaining, they may stimu- late personal development among ambitious per- sons denied college opportunities, and among all cla>ses may encourage habits of systematic read- ing and study. The Summer Assembly. The first Chautau- qua -Assembly (known as the 'Sunday-school As- sembly') was in session Augu^t 4-18. 1874, as the result of a plan formed by Lewis Miller, of Akron. Ohio, and Rev. .John H. Vincent, of Xew York. Both men were interested in the im- provement and development of Sunday-schools. To this end they devised a meeting which should tx.' nu)re tlian a mere conference of two or three days, and which should include courses of study in pedagogical i)rinciples. biblical analysis, and practical questions of Sunday-school organiza- tion and management, extending over a period of ten days or two weeks. The plan also recog- nized the importance of recreative exercises, and of certain lectures of a general character not strictly related to the main subject of Sunday- schools. It was decided to hold this 'assembly' in camp, to adopt the unquestionably good fea- tures of the so-called camji-meeting, but to give prominence to the calm, earnest, careful study of imi)ortant principles and methods. Although the plan originated with members of the Metho- dist l^^piscopal Church, there was no thought of making the Assembly denominational. .t the first session all the leading Protestant bodies were represented, and there has never since been any attempt to make distinctions. The attend- ance in 1874 was gratifyingly large. In spite of primitive lodgings and many discomforts, there was a s])irit of enthusiasm which promised well for the success of the experiment. The Sunday - school Normal Department provided moans for daily study under experienced in- structors : prominent speakers gave lectures of a popular character on biblical themes. A large model of Palestine (300 feet long) was laid out near the lake ( which served as the Mediter- ranean), and students were conducted through this miniature land by Oriental travelers. The Assembly plans widened rapidly in suc- cessive years. The system which had succeeded in the ca.se of Bible study was quickly extended to include science, language (the teaching of Hebrew began in 1875), and literature. Music of a better grade was introduced, and a large chorus was drilled daily. This expansion has continued, until now the staff" of lecturers and instructors numbers more than two hundred men and women prominent in all departments of edu- cational life. Every .year, at least one well- known British scholar is induced to cross the Atlantic especially to lecture at Chautauqua. Gradually, progressive courses on some one topic have been substituted for miscellaneous addresses on a great variety of subjects. In 1876 the ses- sion was lengthened to three weeks, and now covers nearly two months. Tlius began the Chautauqua assembly, based on the theory that change of occupation, not idleness, is true rec- reation, and that the summer vacation may be made a means of uavelopment and stimulus to those engaged during the year in the ordinary pursuits of life. Summer Schools. In 1879 a school for teachers in secular subjects, called 'The Teachers' Retreat,' was opened, with a faculty of efl^cient instructors. This department has grown .stead- ily in numbers and im])ortance, and is a leading summer school of methods. It is now the School of Pedagogy. In the same year (1870) the School of Languages (now the College of Lib- eral Arts) liegan. with courses in Germ.an, French, Latin, Creek, Hebrew, and Sanskrit. The development of this school has been marked by important changes, largely due to Dr. Wil- liam R. Harper, president of the University of Chicago, who became instruetflr in Hebrew in 1882, and principal in 1885. In 1888 the School
 * ipon those in attendance; and. by means of