DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 51 



KEPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS AND HISTORY. 



To the President: 



I have the honor of submittiug the following report of the work done 

 in this department during the year 1899-1900: 



The apportionment of studies in the College schedule gave to my 

 charge during the autumn term of this year United States history and 

 general European history. A class of eleven seniors elected the former, 

 while the latter was the required work for a class of twenty-five sopho- 

 more members of the women's course. 



The newness of this latter course to our College curriculum renders 

 some statement of details concerning it not out of place in this report. 

 The course is planned to extend from the reign of Charlemagne to the 

 present time in the study of European history. This plan of taking sj 

 much history at one time is rendered possible by the long length of this 

 term — fourteen weeks of the school year. The attention of the class is 

 given to only the most important lines of development of mankind 

 throughout Europe during the period studied, and especial attention is 

 directed to detecting growth from epoch to epoch and to the mastery 

 of those facts which exemplify growth. The evolution of the world- 

 mastering European society is thus studied and its present characteris- 

 tics noted. Adams' European History- is the text used in this course, 

 Channings' Student History of the United States is used in the senior 

 course. 



By a coincidence of difficulty in handling the classes assigned the 

 English Department and this department in the autumn and spring 

 terms respectively, a grammar class fell to my charge during this term. 

 Dr. Edwards reciprocating by teaching the class in psychology during 

 the spring term. 



In the winter term instruction was given by me to a class of fourteen 

 seniors in political economy, to a class of forty-five juniors in civics, 

 and to a class of nine junior women in early European history. This 

 last course being given for the first time at this College this year, a 

 few words of explanation possibly may be proper r-oncerning it. Its 

 especial purpose is the study of those difficult parts of middle age history 

 out of which modern history comes. While the emphasis of the course 

 is put upon these beginnings of modern history, a short study of Roman 

 history is made to prepare the way to an understanding of the Teutonic 

 migrations and the ''dark ages" which follow, and the problems con- 

 nected therewith. The course ends at the downfall of Charlemagne's 

 empire. Allen's History of the Roman People and Emerton's Introduc- 

 tion to tlu' Middle Ages are the texts used. 



During the spring term one hundred and six students in the freshman 

 class were instructed by me in English history. For class-room pur- 

 poses this number was arranged in four sections, members of both 

 women's and agricultural courses being classified together. It occurs 

 to me, and I hope the change may be found practicable, that in view of 



