Professional Documents
Culture Documents
5th Century BC
Represented the first full-time paid teachers in the ancient world. These individual
traveled around the Greek Colonies espousing knowledge and wisdom to anyone who
could pay. Sophists taught oratory skills, rhetoric, and debating skills and encouraged
men to create their own reality. as quoted from example provided by Dr. Don Stumpf
425
1088
University of Bologna
The first European college is formed.
1775
1776
1779
Transformation
A reorganization of the institution from college to university. Also called Jeffersonian
Reorganization. When the American Revolutionary War ends, Thomas Jefferson will
leaded the effort to rebuild higher education in America.
1785
Charter War
The famous battle over which institution held the first state charter the University of
Georgia or the University of North Carolina. Both institutions argue they hold the title.
UGA was chartered in 1785 and admitted its first students in 1801. UNC was chartered
in 1789 and admitted its first students in 1795.
1792
Women in Education
Although there was no female instruction in colonial American, the new country saw a
boom in growth of institutions that would educate women. During this time period, 14
institutions were created. More expansion was in the Midwest, which claimed 12
institutions between Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan.
1802
1817
1819
1846
Smithsonian Formed
Devoted to research, the Congress formed the Smithsonian Institute.
1850
1860
1861
1862
1876
1880s Coeducation
Colleges finally permitted the coeducation of men and women in higher education
although the education was still segregated in course offerings and majors. Women went
on to form their own extracurricular activities at their school and the alum went on to
help create new womens colleges. During this time, more women went into advanced
study of law, medicine and Ph.D. programs.
Late 1800s
Philanthropy
At the end of the era, major donations were given to institutions as well as given to
entities to form new institutions. Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius
Vanderbilt, Ezra Cornell, Leland Stanford, Marshall Field, Paul Tulane, William Marsh
Rice and the Armour Family were all large donors to the advancement of higher
education.
The creation of Advancement Officers on campus came during this time. Responsible for
fundraising and going after the donations from aforementioned wealthy Americans.
William Rainey Harper defined then new type of president during this time. He was
the first president of University of Chicago and accelerated at public relations and
community relations.
Late 1800s
According to our textbook author, John R. Thelin, there were several characteristics of
the Great Modern American University during this time:
1. Philanthropy on a large scale
Hatch Act
Funding passed by Congress for the Department of Agriculture to form the first
agricultural experiment stations at the land-grant colleges.
1890
Women Scholars
Women continue to make progress but are segregated from the men. In 1881, the
Association of Collegiate Alumnae (now the Association of American University
Women) was created. Women continued to move on despite hurdles by men. They
formed their protge chains to mentor younger students. During this time, women
moved into scientific research and made great strides.
1890 -1920
Thanks to photojournalism, magazines did spreads about college life that showed
Americans what it was like to be on a college campus from its buildings to its
classrooms to its extra curricular activities.
During this same time frame, colleges began to adopt colors and mascots that created
loyalty to institutions, especially when sports were introduced.
1914
World War I
Once the United States entered the war, enrollment at east coast colleges dropped while
the west coast had a lesser decline. The war lasted from 1914 1918.
1917
Athletics expand
College football becomes a national pastime. Colleges fill stadiums on the weekends for
football games. Large stadiums were built by alumni and were packed with fans at each
game.
1920s 1940s
Imaging
Whereas the image of the college was gentile in the past, the new age between World
Wars portrayed campus life as sinful. Activities with alcohol made the magazines and
during the 20s, flappers and speakeasies were featured. America was still obsessed with
campus images, however.
1920s 1940s
Between WWI and WWII, the number of female undergraduates doubled from 300,000
to 600,000. Sororities began to grow on coeducational campuses. Unfortunately, despite
their numbers, women were denied access to professional schools and advanced degrees
at a higher rate than in the past.
African Americans were still segregated across the nation. They were not allowed to live
on campus if they were admitted to an institution and were socially excluded from
activities. African Americans started their own sororities and fraternities.
1929
1939
World War II
The United States is a major partner in the World War II efforts. The war would last
from 1939 to 1945. Pearl Harbor is bombed in Dec. 1941
1940
1944
Enrollment boom
After World War II, American colleges saw enrollments that severely decreased during
the war balloon during 1945 1950. During the decade, 2.7 million students enrolled,
which was an 80 percent increase in one decade.
1947
1950
1950 56
McCarthyism
Colleges and Universities that took funds from the federal government were under
increased scrutiny during the Congressional hearings chaired by Senator Joseph
McCarthy. Academic freedom was shaped during this time not only by federal politics
but state and local politics as well during the time. Campus autonomy came into question
during this time of anti-Communism oaths. By the late 1950s, the relationship between
the federal government and institutions healed and sponsored research returned.
1950 60
Higher Education began to receive more and more levels of federal support during this
time. In some cases, federal funds made up the majority of funds to operate some
institutions. The National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the
Department of Agriculture and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration were
the sources of almost all-federal research funding.
1954
1960 61
During this time period, a renewed focus on graduate and Ph.D programs occurred. In
1949-50 there were only 6,420 doctorates conferred. In 1960-61 the figure almost
doubled to 11,622. By 1969-70, the number was just under 30,000.
1960s State Funding
States like California, New York and Massachusetts created state systems of higher
education. California and New York invested a high number of state funds to public
higher education. The systems are large both physically and structurally. The
Massachusetts model is more compact and localized to the Boston area. These states are
examples of no-tuition and tuition models.
Selective Admissions
The College Entrance Examination Board used the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) to
help admissions offices screen students for college admittance. Although the SAT would
be frequently used, in the Midwest the American College Testing service would be
formed and offered the alternative ACT.
1960s Desegregation Efforts in higher education
Even though some voluntary integration had happened before the SCOTUS Brown v. the
Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, by the late 1960s, racial integration was forced
upon colleges through litigation. Efforts to allow African Americans to attend traditional
institutions were weak by administrators. Students at HBCUs led the effort to gain
access to professional and doctorial programs at non-HBCU institutions.
1970s Trends
States like California During the 1970s, one of the points that Thelin touched upon was
the usage of data. In the early 1970s, the creation of HEGIS and IPEDS laid the
groundwork for data input and usage in todays higher education society. Another major
issue in the 1970s was dealing with the energy crisis. Resources that were inexpensive in
the 1960s sky-rocked in the 1970s causing administrations to crunch budgets and defer
maintenance in order to afford power. In addition to these topics, the evolution of