University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

Page 33 text:

The College of Social Sciences was organized in the year 1893. It was the successor of the Literary Course, organized in 1873-74. and the course in Letters and Political Science, which began its work of instruction in the academic year 1882-83. and its student enrollment, inherited from the two older organizations, was from the beginning, and has since remained, the largest in the University. The wide choice of studies probably accounts for this, as it follows the more modern lines of a liberal culture, including language, literature, history and political science. That the College of Social Sciences has come to stay is now beyond the possibility of a doubt. It has attracted to the L ' niversity a class of students who in former times did not seek a college education, but with this com- paratively simple pathway to a degree thus opened, a great many now attend college who a few years ago went directly into business life from the high school. Though this college offers fewer difficulties to the student than any of the other departments, there is still abundant opportunity for scholarly work; in fact, many who carry off the highest honors are registered in the College of Social Sciences. The students are beginning to realize that a college educa- tion does not consist solely in obtaining a sheet of parchment with the L ' ni- versity seal, regardless of how that document is acquired, but by throwing themselves into their work with a zeal that betokens ambition and purpose, they come forth with an asset that backs them up throughout life something which is not attained by those who follo w the line of least resistance.

Page 32 text:

By the organic Act or Charter of the University granted in 1873, provision was made for the organization of the University into Colleges, each with its appropriate studies and Faculty. Among these was the College of Letters, or Classical Course. In 1869 the College of California was absorbed by the University, and the College of Letters, which had been in existence as a college of the older institution, was retained without notable change. This college was the first to inaugurate the full four-year course of instruction, and so may be said to be the oldest college in the University. The curriculum is essentially the so-called classical course of the leading- American colleges and leads to the degree of Bachelor of Arts. It is distin- guished by prescribed Latin and Greek among the fundamental studies of the lower division, accompanied by a greater freedom of choice in the upper division. It is designed to furnish a liberal education and to afford preparation for professional studies to such persons as do not desire to make their college course a training for their prospective occupations, but prefer to lay a broad foundation for the study of their professions by acquiring a liberal classical education. The College of L etters, being the oldest college in the University, is unique in the fact that it has undergone fewer changes than any other depart- ment. As the demands for more liberal or more practical work have come up, new colleges were formed, such as the Colleges of Social Sciences and Com- merce, leaving the original practically unchanged. 28

Page 34 text:

MfiTt SCEMC The curriculum of the College of Natural Sciences embraces the broad field of general science, together with the languages and arts necessary to the student and investigator. The special feature in the curriculum of this Col- lege is the prominence given to the natural sciences as elements of culture and the preparation afforded for a professional career in science. In the attainment of general culture the College of Natural Sciences offers a more technical course than any other college of the academic group. The .students have the privilege of combining their preparatory studies according to individual needs, in ways more varied and flexible than in the compara- tively rigid Engineering College, making the College of Natural Sciences most suitable for the pre-medical student and those whose inquiring minds lead them to undertake research work among the endless phenomena of Nature. THE HARVEY CLUB The Harvey Club is composed of students especially interested in biolog- ical research and its members are principally from the Colleges of Natural Sciences and Medicine. The club has two regular meetings every month, one of which is usually taken up with the discussion of a paper by some member, the other a lecture by some prominent scientist, more often a member of the Faculty, but occasionally an outside lecturer. During the year an especial istudy was made of bubonic plague and plague conditions in San Francisco. OFFICERS FCR THE YEAR President HERBERT LONG, ' 09 Vice- President ERNEST W. CLEARY, ' 09 Secretary GEORGIA PERRY, ' 08 Treasurer MARJORIE JOHNSON, ' 10