Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/871

* UNIVERSITY. 743 UNIVERSITY. for some of the oldest, ricliest, and most com- pletely equipped of our universities still bear the name of 'colle<;e,' whilo in certain parts of the country institutions inferior in endowment and in scholarly distinction to some of the secondary schools are officially designated as 'universities.' Harvard and Yale, though long since equipped with the amplest facilities for university work, have only very recently put aside the name of 'college,' and the same is true also of Columbia and Princeton. Classified with reference to their pedagogic character, American universities may be roughly grouped under two general heads: (1) Universi- ties that are equipped for the prosecution of original investigation and research in the various departments of study, besides usually having con- nected with them the various professional schools, representing the faculties of law, medicine, the- ology, and natiral science: and (2) universities, so called, that perform chiefly the disciplinary and preparatory work similar to but somewhat more adanced than that of the German Gym- nasium Iq.v. ). Institutions of the second class have a course more or less prescribed ( see Elective Courses and Studies), leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and in some cases to the alter- native degrees of Bachelor of Science, Baclielor of Letters, or Bachelor of Philosophy. With the granting of such degrees the responsibility of the institution usually ends, though some of the universities ofler facilities for advanced lines of study. But in all, the "undergraduate courses' leading to the baccalaureate degree form tiie most important portion of the cur- riculum. Of the former class, to which in the best usage the term university is now restricted, are Har- vard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, Michigan, Johns Hopkins, Clark, Pennsylvania, California, Chi- cago, Cornell, New York, and the Catholic Uni- versity of America at Washington. Tlie last is the only institution of all this class that does not now offer the preparatory ^collegiate work, but confines itself wholly to post-graduate instruc- tion. However, in most of these less stress is laid upon the collegiate work than upon the more original work performed by those who have al- ready received the first degree in arts and science, and who are consequently engaged in the special or professional investigations that are to fit them for their life's work. In the remainder of these, and in many similar institutions bearing the name university, the chief emphasis is upon the undergraduate work, though the advanced and progressive work is also represented and the title of university is appropriate. Such are the State universities of Virginia, California, Michi- gan, Indiana, Minnesota, and several other States, Boston University, and Princeton Uni- versity. So far as the advanced work is carried in these institutions, it is jn no wise inferior to that of institutions laying the chief stress on graduate investigation and instruction. In no case is there an institution comparable to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, made up of constituent colleges doing imdergraduate work; nor, on the other hand, universities in the Ger- man sense of the terra. The one institution that confines itself wholly to graduate work is a denominational institution, and hence does not furnish a parallel, since it draws only from a restricted clientele. The influence of the German universities, how- ever, has been most instrumental in developing advanced instruction in American institutions. The first American to graduate at a German uni- versity was Edward Everett, who received his doc- tor's degree at GOttingen in 1817. During the next few years this example was imitated by four or five others, among them George Bancroft, who received his degree in 1820. Not until after 1840, however, were any great number of American students attracted to the Germ;ui universities. From that time a constantly increasing num- ber pursued such a course and returned to afl'ect immediately the work of American institutions. As early as 1800 Harvard College had accepted resident graduates, and announced their names as students. A varying number, never over twelve, continued each year until 1860, when Harvard first definitely announced in its cata- logue that such students would be accepted and provided for, and three years later announced a series of graduate courses. Meanwhile Yale College had preceded Harvard in the development of graduate work. In 1847 a 'department of philosophy and arts' was or- ganized for 'scientific and graduate study.' This department was expanded until in 1800-61 it was divided into ( 1 ) the Sheffield Scientific School and (2) the special courses in philologj-, history, philosophy, etc., and the announcement was made that the degree of Doctor of Philosophy would be conferred, as was done for the first time at the close of that year. In 1872 the graduate work was organized into a separate department, as the first distinct graduate school. In the same year Harvard announced that it would confer the advanced degree, but it was not until 1890 that a separate graduate school was organized. Other institutions, such as Columbia, Michigan, Cornell, and Princeton, soon followed the example of the older institutions in providing for advanced de- grees and in the case of the Master's degree some even preceded the older institutions. In the case of Cornell University, opened in 1868, the graduate work and graduate degi'ces were planned from the beginning. The Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876, has been the most influential of all factors in developing university work simi- lar to that of the German universities. Here first was found an institution devoted chiefly to the training of advanced students; here first were found the opportunities for research along the line of all the social and natural sciences, liter- ature, and philosophy; here first was the organi- zation of work similar to that of German in- stitutions and the same freedom and opportunity of wide choice given to the student. For many years the men trained at this university exerted the greatest influence toward the introduction of similar work in other institutions where the university work was developing out of the old collegiate work. A second great influence is that exerted by Harvard University during the in- cumbency of President Eliot. Nowhere else has the close and beneficial relationship that may exist between the graduate and undergraduate work been so demonstrated. A similar influence was exerted upon State universities, which for the most part are only colleges with non-graduate professional schools added, and by the graduate