Indiana University - Arbutus Yearbook (Bloomington, IN)

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Indiana University MOST of the eighteen hundred students of Indiana University take things for granted. As they walk out Kirkwood Avenue and come within view of the campus, one of the most beautiful in the country, with unmistakable evi- dences on every hand of growth and prosperity, they have little notion of the many years of discouragements and reverses that retarded the advance of Indiana ' s chief ed- ucational institution. And yet, in spite of all obstacles. Indiana University has had a most remarkable growth. It may be said that the history of the State of Indiana is in many respects the his- tory of the University of Indiana; the progress of the former has been no more rapid and remarkable than that of the latter. In 1820, just after Indiana, with a meager pop- ulation of 65,000 inhabitants, was admitted as a State, the General Assembly passed an act establishing a State Seminary, at Bloomington, Monroe County. Eight years later, the Legislature changed the name Seminary to Indiana College for the purpose of providing the youth of the State instruction in the American, learned and foreign lan- guages, the useful arts, sciences and literature. In 1838, by legislative act, Indiana College became Indiana University with full authority to grant additional degrees in law and medicine. However, June 17, IS52. may properly be called the birthday of the University, for it was on this day that an act was passed recognizing the University as the Univer- sity of the State. And just fifty years later, in 1902, the Supreme Court of the State declared that the Indiana University is an integral part of the free school system; and it was the special creation of the constitution ; and that the University as well as its endowment has always been under the supervision of the State. The enactments by the Legislature and favorable decisions by the Courts were not sufficient to make Indiana LTniversity a university in kind and grade of work done ; that was an internal matter that depended upon the educational leaders of the institu- tion. In 1824, as a Seminary, there was one professor, who taught his ten students Latin and Greek, the subjects that were con- sidered sufficient for the scholar in those pioneer days. When the Seminary became Indiana College, three professors were em- ployed, and the course of study was broadened to include two or three sciences., and a short course in literature. Even after

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To Indiana To every Senior now comes home the thought, What can we offer as a fair retiirn For all the college gave to us? We yearn To give in gratitude the pay we ought. The things we found were not the things we sought. We eame to gain what seemed of great concern - Degrees and credits — but, instead, we learn Of better things than those for which we wrought. How can we pay our debt? There will be few Who can repay with money, but we trust That gold is least of all the offering due. Our part is to be sober, upright, just, And quit in part the debt to her we owe By lives that honor her where ' er we go. W. O.

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the Legislature passed an act in 1838 creating Indiana Universit}-, t h e school in many respects remained the same. It is true that the institution increased in attendance and that the course of study v a s somewhat enlarged ; still there was no radical departure from the work done in previous years. The history of Indiana as a 4nod- ern university begins in 1885. This was the year that Dr. David Starr Jordan became president, and during his administration and leadership, In- diana came to be recognized as one of the most progressive educational accomplished by means of a reorganization of form which harmonizes individu- con- Thi: in which it now stand mcl secures an education at once broad and of specitii was carried on ; administration more tuiii the whole by Presidents Coulter and equipment of the University institutions in the country. the curriculum to the form ality with thorough work, tent. The work of Dr. Jordan Swain, and during the latter ' was materially enlarged. In 1902, when Dr. William Lowe Bryan became president, he at once began to change the curriculum so that it would meet the needs of all students. President Bryan believes that the collegiate degree should be given for work leading to any vocation or profession. He contends that Indiana University, the head of the school system of the State, should give courses that will prepare young men and women for any work that has a place in the complex life of the twentieth century. He believes that education by the State should be as broad as the life of the people and should conform to that life. As a result of this conviction, Indiana L ' niversity is giving, in many of the depart- ments, definite work that will prepare students to enter many of the professions. Be- sides the twenty different major subjects, such as Chemistry, French, Psychology, English, and History, any one of which gives sufficient work for graduation, the cur- riculum has been broadened so that a student may graduate in law, in medi- cine, or in the commercial course. Again, the student may divide his work in such a way as to prepare himself for any of the varied scientific professions, for journalism, for architecture ; and even- tually he will be permitted to select any group of subjects that will lead U any of the fine arts. The history of the Cniversit - and the history of the State are inseparable. When the natural resources of the State