barrassment of riches for any investigator in these ancient fields. And yet there is great need of compact and readable accounts of the higher educational experience of States like Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Most of the published histories of Northern colleges are burdened with an excess of personal and antiquarian details of no permanent interest, except-perhaps to the trustees, faculty, and alumni of individual colleges. The histories of educational institutions, like the histories of towns, are sometimes written for a peculiar constituency. The monographs, prepared under the national auspices of the Bureau of Education, are intended not so much for the benefit of particular institutions as for the average and enlightened citizen, in short for the greatest good of the greatest number. Accordingly, the local history of our older colleges will be rewritten from State and National points of view. An attempt will be made to give the salient features in the higher educational life of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. While holding the larger public interest in mind, the various writers will endeavor to make their reports truly representative, although within modest limits.

Throughout the entire series these main ideas have been emphasized: (1) The higher education, without neglect of primary and secondary interests.

(2) Presentation of the subject in State monographs, at once representing the highest educational aims while conserving local and sectarian interests.

(3) Illustrations of monographs by plates and engravings, showing pictorially the institutions described, with their libraries, laboratories, and educational apparatus, as well as their external architecture.

(4) Bibliographies, indicating to students and future historians of American education the routes already traversed, suggesting the wealth of material still available, and showing to all special enquirers the way to fuller information on subjects that may be briefly sketched.

(5) Description and narrative, rather than mere mathematical statistics, which have their proper place in the Annual Reports of the Bureau of Education, but are not so appropriate for other kinds of publication. (6) State unity, with local varieties in the grouping of higher educational institutions.

(7) The representative principle in the selection of writers and the treatment of institutions.

(8) Co-operation in the composition of State monographs.

(9) Editorial direction and critical supervision of all State returns, so that the treatment of institutions shall be in due proportion and in a strictly historical spirit.

(10) Responsibility to the Bureau of Education and the greatest possible economy in the conduct of the work.

All these principles, to the best of my knowledge and belief, have been faithfully and conscientiously observed. The work was begun

and has been carried forward by the Bureau for three years without any increase in its annual appropriations, and strictly within the letter and spirit of the law under which the Bureau was originally created. This Office was established in the year 1867 "to collect statistics and facts showing the condition and progress of education in the several States and Territories." While the collection of educational statistics is one of the primary duties of the Bureau, the gathering of historical facts which alone can illustrate the educational progress of the country is a duty no less important. Indeed, the modern conception of "statistics," as developed by the present Commissioner of Labor, Col. Carroll D. Wright, is the historical conception. He said, in his Cambridge address to the American Historical and Economic Associations: "The statistician writes history. He writes it in the most concrete form in which history can be written, for he shows on tablets all that makes up the commonwealth."

History of Federal and State Aid to Higher Education.

A more comprehensive research than any of those hitherto described has been prepared by Mr. F. W. Blackmar, of California, upon the subject of "Federal and State Aid to Higher Education in the United States." It is a comparative historical study of the policies pursued by the several States and the Nation at large in regard to the support of advanced learning. It does not assume to be a history of education in the United States, nor even the history of State institutions of a high grade, but rather the history of the relation of the state to higher educa tion. The history of education is a history of ideas, of which the function of the state in advanced learning may be considered as one. The monograph aims to trace this idea in its development, and in its various relations and applications throughout the educational history of our country. To do this successfully requires careful discrimination as to what higher education really is; and as all the facts within the scope of the subject in hand can not be reproduced without enlarging the work to undue proportions, care must be exercised in selecting the material best adapted to clearly present the subject. In order to present the paper in a condensed form statistics have been freely used, which, though they may not give a high coloring to the work, will certainly enhance its usefulness to statesmen and educators.

The first part of the monograph treats of what may be termed national education. It presents in brief, early colonial education in general, the several policies of the States, the attitude of the country at large, and the rise of the national idea in education. It discusses the function of the state in higher education as shown in the sentiments and lives of the foremost statesmen and educators of the nation, and recounts the recent history of national education.

After reviewing the history of the great legislative acts, among which the Ordinance of 1787 and the Act of 1862 are most prominent, the sig

nificance of such institutions as the National Museum, the Congressional Library, the Burean of Education, the Military Academy at West Point, and the Naval Academy at Annapolis is clearly shown by statistics and brief historical sketches.

The second part of the monograph is composed of short papers rep. resenting the attitude of the several States toward education and the methods adopted in their treatment of the subject. Each State is treated in its turn separately, though not without reference to others, and the principal historical facts are given relative to the protection, encouragement and support of higher education since the founding of the colonies to the present time. While the financial and legislative parts of the history receive the greater attention, sufficient collateral history is given of the institutions treated to bring clearly before the mind of the reader the several methods followed in the management of advanced education.

In short, the monograph shows in just what manner and to what extent the various States and the Federal Government have supported higher education by constitutional and legislative enactments and by appropriations and grants. One of the important conclusions reached as the result of this research is that, through a century of struggles, with alternating success and failure, the ideas pertaining to State education have been slowly crystallizing, and there is every appearance that the hopes of the early fathers on this subject will ultimately be realized. The introductory letter transmitting the manuscript to the Secretary of the Interior from this Office is as follows:

WASHINGTON, D. C., February 19, 1889. SIR: I have the honor to transmit the monograph on Federal and State Aid to Higher Education in the United States, prepared by Mr. Frank W. Blackmar, fellow in history and politics in Johns Hopkins University, which represents the progress of the State idea in education from the foundation of the colonies to the present time. It shows the attitude of each colony and of each subsequent State towards colleges and universities, and recounts that part of the legislative and financial history which relates to advanced learning in the several commonwealths. The writer discusses the rise of national education with its relation to local, and brings forward the opinions of statesmen and scholars concerning the duties and functions of the Government in public education. A brief history, accompanied by valuable statistics, is given of the various methods adopted by Congress to encourage and assist institutions of learning. But the main body of the work is devoted to the presentation in a condensed form of the plans pursued by the legislatures of thirty-eight States in the treatment of higher education. The monograph represents a wide range of research extending from the carliest colonial records and charters to the latest revised statutes.

Many inquiries of late coming from statesmen and educators, for information ou this subject, have created a demand for a work on this nature. There is a desire on the part of the scholars of each State to see what has been done in other States, that mistakes may be avoided by experience and the best plans and models followed. There is likewise a general desire for a closer study of school management and school systems, based on wider information and more careful comparison of methods and results. The financial and legislative history of education furnishes a foundation for

such study and comparison. The successful management of the means of education is of prime importance; without this there is danger of complete failure. The control of the budget is the control of the state; this principle applies to institutions as well as to nations. State education has taken a strong hold particularly in the South and West, but the problems pertaining to its management, its function, and its support have not yet been fully solved.

To bring the results sharply and clearly before the reader statistics have been used quite freely, while to bring the monograph in small compass much interesting and instructive material must be passed by which would find its way into a general history of education. Statistics and cold facts, after all, are the most enduring portion of history, and will remain, if collected with care and with a single aim to recount the exact truth whatever be the consequences, when the colored light that men have thrown on truth in the name of history has disappeared. "The statistician," says the Hon. Carroll D. Wright, "chooses a quiet and may be an unlovely setting, but he knows it will endure through all time." This monograph was written with an earnest desire to present facts unbiased by any desire to prove a particular thesis.

History of this sort ought to help us to better understand our educational work as it is; it ought to dispel illusions and fortify truth. As Americans we are accustomed to indulge ourselves in a largeness of sentiment that borders on boasting when we speak of our educational institutions. It is a favorite pastime with many to imagine that their particular local institution is the best in the State, or possibly in the Nation, and that our system of higher education is equal if not superior to any in the Old World. The criticisms of men like James Bryce and the late Matthew Arnold, though unfairly presented, are in the main true, and are exceedingly helpful toward a better understanding of our position. When applied to education they ought to goad us on to a higher culture and to a more elevated standard. It is idle to deceive ourselves, by making ourselves appear greater than we are, while there are so many poorly endowed and half equipped colleges and universities in our country, and so many thousand illiterate citizens in our midst.

To bring the work of the several States into comparison tends towards unity of sentiment and unity of design in education, and these make for patriotism and nationality. The influence of a single university on the founding and organization of others is well illustrated by such an institution as the University of Virginia or as the University of Michigan. A constant and persistent publication of the history of higher education in all of its phases will do more to harmonize our educational systems" than almost any other thing. As a means of levelling local distinctions it is next to a university composed of men from all parts of the United States. Higher education needs to be centralized and harmonized.

One of the strongest inferences that may be drawn from this investigation is, that in nearly every instance the foremost desire of the people has been for colleges and universities rather than for schools of a lower grade. It was the opinion of the colonists and of the later settlers of the West and South that primary and secondary schools were essentially dependent for their existence upon higher institutions. This principle is borne ont by the facts, for then, as now, wherever the best colliges and universities are there will be found the best grade of primary and secondary schools. It is not uncommon to hear persons speak of con.mon schools and the university as if they were entirely disconnected and what concerns one did not the other. Our fathers meant by a "common" or "free" school, one that was open to all persons on equal terms, and not necessarily a school of low grade. The meaning of the terms have changed, but it would be well to return to their primitives gnificat on, and consider all schools, colleges and universities, high schools, secondary and primary, whether State or non-State, as schools of the people; and to consiler further that what affects one class affects all, and that to build up and strengthen learning is the safest plan for insuring the perpetuity of primary and secondary schools.

This monograph was prepared at the request of the Bureau of Education, by the

author, under the supervision of Dr. Herbert B. Adams, of Johns Hopkins University, and is one of the series upon the history of higher education in the United States, and was authorized by you. I respectfully recommend its publication.

Very respectfully yours,

Hon. W. F. VILAS,

N. H. R. DAWSON,

Commissioner.

Secretary of the Interior.

Action of the National Educational Association.

At the meeting of the Department of Superintendence, March, 1889, the following resolutions, approving the recent work of the Bureau, were passed:

Whereas, The Bureau of Education has begun a systematic inquiry into the Higher Education in the United States, and has already published a series of valuable monographs upon the history of colleges and universities in various States of the American Union; and

Whereas, The Bureau has extended its inquiries into the higher educational history of the North-West, and into the historic relation of the Federal and State governments to Higher Education:

Resolved, That the Department of Superintendence cordially approves of this work, so successfully begun, and recommends its continuance throughout the American Union, and its extension to the history of secondary education, as well as the speedy publication of the monographs now on hand.

CONCLUSION.

The manuscript of this Annual Report was completed nearly three months sooner than that of the previous year, and was transmitted to the Secretary of the Interior February 25, 1889. The Report for 1886-87 was sent to the printer on the 16th of May, 1888, but was not printed and delivered to the Office until the 4th of January, 1889. I repeat, that the printing and binding of this Report should be conducted with greater dispatch.

I also call attention to the fact that the edition of this Report is entirely too small to be distributed to the large number of those interested in education, and to whom it has become almost a necessity in the conduct of their work.

In concluding this Report, I again beg to express my obligations to its correspondents, and to the friends of education generally throughout the country, for the ready and cheerful assistance which has been rendered in reply to all demands that the Office has made upon them. Without their assistance and ready co-operation the annual reports of this Office could not be prepared.

In the administration of the high duties of the Office, the catholic rule has been observed of extending its benefits to all sections of the country, without regard to creed, race, or party. In this course I have pursued the policy of this Office under the administration of my predecessors, and the spirit of the legislative enactments of the Govern