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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXX. No. 774 



and opponent of the system of physics 

 teaching under discussion. Professor 

 Woodhull, of Teachers College, Columbia 

 University, as the spokesman, no doubt, of 

 a considerable proportion of the physics 

 teachers in middle state schools, took a 

 similar position. More conspicuously still, 

 Professor Mann, of the University of Chi- 

 cago, proclaiming in no uncertain tones the 

 need of a "new movement among physics 

 teachers," undertook to organize against 

 the prevalent system the discontent of 

 physics teachers throughout the country 

 and to formulate proposals for a change. 

 Many committees were accordingly ap- 

 pointed, many questionnaire circulars were 

 issued, much cogitation of replies was gone 

 through— with what result may appear 

 later in this history. 



Indeed, so active has been the fire of 

 criticism and of condemnation directed 

 during the last six or eight years against 

 the influence of colleges on the school teach- 

 ing of physics that, in representing the 

 large share held by Harvard in this influ- 

 ence, I am making something in the nature 

 of a confession. Nevertheless, there are 

 several reasons for believing that the influ- 

 ence in question has not been altogether 

 bad and that the present condition of phys- 

 ics in the schools does not need to be re- 

 formed altogether. Some of these reasons 

 I will give. 



1. The college requirement of laboratory 

 work by school pupils has done much to 

 make the school teaching of physics in this 

 country a respected profession instead of a 

 mere incidental occupation, as it used to 

 be, for some teacher whose main work lay 

 in another field. There are now in this 

 country several large and vigorous associa- 

 tions of physics teachers. To one of the 

 largest and best of these, the Eastern Asso- 

 ciation of Physics Teachers, I have the 

 honor of belonging, as an associate member. 



I attend its meetings regularly and believe 

 I am right in saying that, on the whole, it 

 is fairly well satisfied with the college re- 

 quirement in physics as maintained and 

 administered by Harvard. That is, where 

 the Harvard plan has been longest on trial 

 and has had the most direct and powerful 

 influence, it is better liked than in other 

 parts of the country. 



2. European countries are gradually es- 

 tablishing in their secondary schools courses 

 of laboratory work closely resembling those 

 given in the schools of this country, and 

 complimentary references to American 

 practise in this respect are frequent in the 

 writings of European teachers, some of 

 whom freely declare their indebtedness to 

 American precedents. 



3. The "new movement among physics 

 teachers," mentioned above, has had re- 

 markably little revolutionary effect, less, 

 indeed, than I think it should have. To 

 .justify this statement I will give a brief 

 account of the recent movement for the re- 

 vision of the physics requirement of the 

 College Entrance Examination Board. 



Early in 1908 a committee was appointed 

 to make this revision. Its membership 

 was: Henry S. Carhart, University of 

 Michigan; A. D. Cole, Vassar College; 

 A. W. Goodspeed, University of Pennsyl- 

 vania; John W. Hutehins, High School, 

 Walden, Mass.; Flavel S. Luther, Trinity 

 College, Hartford; C. R. Mann, University 

 of Chicago ; C. A. Perkins, University of 

 Tennessee ; Frank Rollins, Stuyvesant High 

 School, New York City ; Wallace C. Sabine, 

 Harvard University (chairman) ; H. L. 

 Terry, inspector of schools, Madison, Wis. 



Late in the year this committee made a 

 majority report to the general board of 

 revision of the College Entrance Board, 

 and two members, Professor Mann and 

 Mr. Terry, made a minority report. The 

 following quotations from the minority re- 



