In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Chapter 2 Enrollments The thesi s tha t enrollment s wer e declinin g i s critica l t o th e traditiona l interpretations o f th e antebellu m colleges . Bot h th e intellectual-merit ocratic historian s suc h a s Hofstadte r an d egalitaria n critic s cite d studie s by Henr y Barnar d an d Franci s Waylan d t o sho w tha t th e college s wer e not keepin g pac e wit h populatio n growt h an d tha t man y state s an d col leges withi n the m wer e facin g a decline o f th e absolut e numbe r o f stu dents .1 Althoug h th e estimate s o f enrollment s i n th e earl y an d midnineteenth centur y wer e base d upo n th e experienc e o f Ne w Englan d and althoug h th e critic s o f highe r educatio n complaine d abou t th e growth o f college s i n th e countr y (whic h implie s enrollmen t increases ) Barnard's an d Wayland' s estimate s an d conclusion s wer e accepte d a s accurate and as representative o f th e entire nation.2 With th e acceptanc e o f th e thesi s o f declinin g enrollments , historian s focused upo n tryin g t o explain th e failure o f highe r education. Followin g the logi c o f Franci s Wayland , the y blame d th e suppose d declin e o n th e rigidity o f curricul a an d assume d tha t th e America n societ y an d econo my wer e read y t o generat e larg e number s o f student s i f an d whe n th e colleges turne d t o th e teachin g o f practica l an d professionall y linke d subjects, subject s tha t woul d increas e th e employmen t potentia l o f stu dents i n busines s an d industry. 3 Thu s critic s an d historians , althoug h conceding th e importanc e o f th e increase d number s o f foreign-bor n young me n t o th e declin e o f th e percentag e o f th e populatio n enrolled , focused upo n factor s internal t o the colleges . Wayland's logi c dominate d th e historica l approac h t o th e colleges . Hi s reports coincide d wit h a populistic desir e fo r pur e vocationa l education , and hi s assumption s abou t th e society , th e economy , an d highe r educa tion were accepted b y othe r reformers an d later historians. He assumed a great unfulfille d an d effectiv e deman d fo r highe r education ; he assume d that th e college s coul d easil y thro w of f th e outdate d component s o f th e traditional curricul a an d replac e the m wit h mor e practica l bu t intellectu ally legitimat e courses ; an d h e assume d tha t Ne w England' s situatio n 53 54 AMERICAN COLLEGIAT E POPULATION S was typica l o f th e countr y a s a whole o r tha t it s advance d stag e o f de velopment predicte d th e futur e o f enrollment s i n th e res t o f th e nation . But mor e importan t wa s hi s assumptio n tha t enrollment s i n th e libera l arts colleges had actually declined durin g the antebellum period. 4 A ver y carefu l an d conservative recoun t o f th e numbers of student s i n the mal e o r coeducationa l libera l art s college s yield s a ver y differen t conclusion abou t enrollments . Th e ne w estimates , whic h include d onl y male students in the regular programs that led t o a bachelor's degre e and which exclude d som e thirt y o f th e...

Share