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Chapter 1 The Institutions In 1923, Donald G . Tewksbury publishe d wha t ha s become a classic in the histor y o f America n highe r educatio n an d the majo r source fo r thos e interested i n th e rationalit y an d stabilit y o f antebellu m America n col leges . The Founding of American Colleges and Universities in the United States wa s completed a t Teacher s College , Columbi a University , a n institutio n de voted t o th e applicatio n o f scienc e t o ever y leve l an d aspec t o f educa tion .1 Teachers College wa s committe d t o the modernization o f educatio n through th e use o f th e tool s o f researc h and rational plannin g an d it wa s a leade r i n th e establishmen t o f efficiency , centralizatio n an d a value free scientifi c curricul a a s goal s fo r America' s schools . It s professors , n o matter what particula r version o f Progressivis m the y advocated , searche d for a science-base d metacultur e tha t woul d provid e th e countr y wit h professional educator s wh o coul d remov e th e educationa l syste m fro m the troublesom e realm s o f loca l an d cultura l politics . T o investigator s with suc h view s an d goals , th e decentralized , denominational , ethnicall y divided antebellu m colleg e syste m seeme d t o b e th e antithesi s o f soun d educational policy. 2 Although Tewksbury' s wor k wa s writte n i n a highly objectiv e tone , it reflected th e Teachers Colleg e perspective . Rejectin g previou s estimate s by Cubberley , West , an d Dexte r o f th e numbe r o f college s tha t wer e founded, h e wen t t o sessio n law s o f variou s state s t o identif y bot h foundings an d failures . The resul t of hi s stud y wa s a story o f education al chaos, chaos caused by a n excess of democrac y o n th e frontier an d th e irrationality o f denominationa l competition . Instea d o f discoverin g som e two hundre d founding s befor e th e Civil War , as estimated b y Cubberle y and Dexter , h e foun d fiv e hundre d sixtee n i n jus t sixtee n states , an d hinted tha t simila r foundin g rate s occurre d throughou t th e remainde r o f the country . H e neve r specifie d th e tota l numbe r o f founding s befor e the Civi l War , but i f hi s averag e fo r th e sixtee n (mostl y Southern ) state s are projecte d t o th e remainin g non-Ne w Englan d states , th e resul t i s over nin e hundre d colleges , o r on e fo r ever y on e thousan d whit e male s age fiftee n t o twent y i n th e Unite d State s i n 1850. 3 Tewksbury conclud 11 12 AMERICA N COLLEGIAT E POPULATION S ed tha t 8 1 percent o r ove r seve n hundre d o f thes e college s failed , an d h e explained th e failure s a s th e outcom e o f legislatures , withou t an y thought t o th e need s fo r stability , allowin g poorl y funded , unattractive , and low-qualit y institution s t o obtai n charters . Th e result s o f politica l control o f highe r educatio n wer e a n overabundanc e o f pretentiou s an d unstable school s whic h prevente d th e ris e o f efficient , large-scal e insti tutions . (Tabl e 1.1 ) Only i n Ne w England , Tewksbur y stated , wa s suc h chao s an d irratio nality avoided . H e di d no t mentio n th e problem s o f elitis m an d religiou s...

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