University of Idaho - Gem of the Mountains Yearbook (Moscow, ID)

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Gem of the Mowmttains 1904 History of the College of Letters and Srieures In the earlier days of our country—generations before “Uni- versities” were heard of—there arose institutions of higher rank called “Colleges,” which aimed to give the general culture that was considered an essential foundation to the learned professions, but which made no attempt to train specialists; and every American University worthy the name (unless it be sprung, Pallas-like, fuil- grown from the head of a modern capitalistic Zeus) has grown up around this parent stock, gradually sending out new departmental shoots with the increasing strength and needs of the years. The University of Idaho is no exception to this, though the eleven yea's of its actual operation have seen an expansion so gratifyingly rapid that we almost forgot the original nucleus. The college of Letters and Sciences as now constituted has come from a coalition of two of the original departments of the University, namely the College of Arts and the College of Letters. An examination of the earliest catalogues shows, however, that they were never felt to be separate, as indeed it would be difficult to imagine them. For both he who would give himself up wholly to the study of belles-letters in his earlier training to the exclusion of any knowledge of the world of science and its application to practical life, and he who in his close attention to a favorite science or art dis- regarded all that literature and history can offer, would be in danger of unduly narrowing his whole life. In the early days no such free rein was given to the student in his choice of studies as now; in the so-called scientific and English courses no electives whatever were allowed, while a student in the classical course reveled in the unrestricted freedom afforded him by five hours of electives in his four-years’ course! One sentence also in the report to the Governor of the year 1893 indicates signifi- cantly the light in which persistent application of studies was regard- ed in those days, when the president of the board proudly states that of 133 students in attendance 65 remained in June to take the finai examination. But while we of later and better days smile at sone of the crudities and insufficiencies of those times, as exhibited in the 20

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AINISTRATION BUILDING ADM

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University publications or lingering in the memory of some “olde resident” (for ten years ago reaches back to a remote period in our western, fast-moving civilization), still we can but wonder that so much was accomplished with the resources at hand. Requirements for entrance to the College of Letters and Sci- ences have gradually been raised, while within this department changes in the degrees offered and the courses leading to them have all tended toward simplification and a higher standard of attainment. At present the college proper offers courses leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music. A student has a very free range of election of studies, though they are grouped to avoid a dissipation of energy among too many unrelated lines of work, and he may choose among the following branches: Greek, Latin, French, German, Spanish, English, Public Spealk- ing, Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Zoology, Mathematics, Economics, Political Science, Jurisprudence, History, Pedagogy, Music, Mili- tary Science, Agriculture and Horticulture, while many courses in the Civil, Mining and Electrical Engineering departments are open to those students of the College qualified to take them. Students of the College of Letters and Sciences alone are taking work this year in 118 subjects, in classes running as high as 31, while a considerably larger total of courses is offered, if account is taken of those given only in alternate years. wT 21 Gem of the Mountains 1904