MINUTES OF THE SECTIONS. 



SECTION ON COLLEGE WORK AND ADMINJSTRATION. 



Afternoox Session, Ti'esday. November 1, 1004. 



The section was called to order at 2 ji. in. by the chairniau. W. E. Stone, of 

 Indiana. 



The following paper was i)resented Sy W. O. Thompson, of Ohio: 



How Far Should or INIay Land-Grant Colleges Engage in Teaching Ele- 

 mentary Subjects Not Generally Kecognized as Belonging to the Col- 

 lege Cl'rriculum? 



The discussion of this topic involves an interpretation of the Morrill Act. 

 I shall first give some attention to that phase cf the discussion, and here let me 

 remark : 



I. The word " college '" at the time of the Morrill Act signified an institution 

 uf higher learning for which certain prescribed academic studies were required 

 as a condition of entrance and in which institutions there were certain studies 

 chiefly i)rescribed which were pursued as a condition of a baccalaureate degree. 

 From a practical point of view the word " college " was clear and distinct. 

 We recognize that historical and traditional idea. When we come, however, to 

 make application of this term, we are com])elled to recognize also that a 

 standard for entrance or basis on which the college was built was far from uni- 

 forni. This variation was so great that the degrees of some colleges would 

 require a little more than the entrance reciuirements of to-day. I make mention 

 of this condition in order to make one other I'emark. namely, that the dis- 

 cussions in Congress could not, therefore, be interpreted as signifying an insti- 

 tution of such standard as would be beyond the prevailing conditions cf the 

 college at that time. It is true that this prevailing idea did not imply v<^ry 

 much as to the grade of teaching or as to the method of teaching. It would be 

 safe to assume that neither the method nor the standard would be regarded as 

 satisfactory in the college of to-day. This leads me to say, therefore, that very- 

 little can be drawn from the word " college " as occurring in the statute. 

 So far as the discussion in Congress might be regarded as influencing this 

 decision, I should say that the word '' college '' could be interchanged with the 

 wcrd "school" and do' no great violence to the conception prevalent at the 

 time the Morrill Act was passed. 



II. A further interpretation lies in the modifying phrase, "to teach such 

 branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts." 



It wovdd seem from this statement that Congress made no effort to define the 

 term " college." but rather to indicate in a general way the lines of work that 

 were to l)e pursued and to be given special emphasis. The term "branches of 

 learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts " is a very broad 

 and indefinite statement. It is noticeable that these branches are not even 

 named. It is doubtful whetlier many in Congress could have named the sub- 

 jects, even, or could have recognized thi^m if they had been named. It is ti'ue 

 that the discussions in Congress did emphasize the importance of maintaining 



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 2.3880— No. 15.3—05 m (3 



