University of Vermont - Ariel Yearbook (Burlington, VT)

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hensive and effectual change that removedthis short-coming. This new system also classified the courses in the University according to a more natural, understandable and satisfying scheme. This new arrangement provided for four Colleges, each distinctive in its nature, and, together, providing for all instruction given in a State University. These four Colleges are:---The College of Arts and Science, the College of Agriculture, the College of Engineering, and the College of Medicine. The College of Arts and Science contains essentially the original and typical college course. The curricula contained in it are seven, viz: Classical, Literary-Scientific, General Science, Chem- istry, Commerce and Economics, Education, and Home Economics. The first two lead to the degrees A..l3. and Ph.B. respectively, the others to the degree of BS. The General Science Course is the only new one established by Doctor Benton, the others formerly comprising the Arts Department, Department of Education, Department of Home Econ- omics, and one from the Science Department. The Science Department, established in 1865, was disintegrated, and the two different lines of study now form the two Colleges of Agriculture and Engineering. The College of Medicine has developed into one of distinction and note. Vfith the opening of the year 1912-13, the entrance requirements were raised to one year -of collegiate work and the college year was made equal in length to that of the Academic colleges. The Medical College of the University of Vermont is now rated as a Class A institution by the American Medical Association. A perusal of the original memoir of Gen. Ira Allen will show that the University of Vermont was founded in answer to a real and tangible need of the State of Vermont, and from the facts given above it is seen that the University has enjoyed a constant growth and de- velopment to keep pace with this same need, growing with the enlarge- ment and development of the State. 23

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structor in Military Science was secured in 1867. This Department has grown with the University, and in 1915, largely as a result of the interest and ability of Captain Ira L. Reeves, the University of Vermont was listed among the ten colleges of the United States in the Dis- tinguished Class. This Distinguished Class is compiledfrom the re- ports of General Inspecting Officers sent over the country by the XVar College at Wlashington. The University of Vermont was again listed in the Distinguished Class in 1916, Captain S. A. Howard being Cap- tain Reeves' successor, and the prospects are bright for the same dis- tinction in 1917. This, then, was the situation in 1910: there existed in the University, five distinct Departments, with one or more courses or sub-departments contained in each. These were: The Arts Department, with Classical, Literary-Scientific, and Commerce and Economics courses, The Depart- ment of Science, with Agriculture, Chemistry and the Engineering courses, The Department of Medicine, The Department of Education, and the Department of Home Economics. It was in this year that occurred the death of Matthew Henry Buckham, who had been connected with the University for more than half a century and its President for forty years. In those four decades under the hand of President Buclzham, the University achieved marked development and growth, not only as to its sphere of influence and educational worth, but more noticeably in its material resources. Over eight hundred thousand dollars were expended during this time for buildings and equipment. For this progress no little credit is due Doc- tor Buckham, who, by his unassuming, per- sistent mastering of the situation and winning ot' his men, marked himself an administrator as well as a scholar. The man selectedlto fill the place so long oc- cupied by President Buckliam was Doctor Guy Potter Benton of Miami University, Oxford, President Mauhew H. Buckham Ohio, a man of great dynamic power and far ' reaching influence. One prominent weakness in the existing system of organization especially was perceived by President Benton. The office of Dean was attached to each of the Departments, but the men filling the -office had no real purpose or power. Doctor Benton put into effect a compre- 22

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