The first class of journalism students ever assembled at a college or university enrolled at Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) in 1869-70. Studying Washington College's efforts shows that much of the promise and the shortcomings of this discipline were clearly evident more than 125 years ago. During the 1700s and 1800s the…

The past and current condition of general education in the two-year college is examined in this four-part monograph. Part 1 reviews the history of general education, tracing its roots in the European tradition of liberal education from Greco-Roman antiquity to the end of the 19th century in America. In addition, the 20th century general education…

Historical and societal conditions that have influenced the college curriculum are considered, along with issues of the 1980s. Up to the 19th century, the bachelor of arts degree was a preprofessional degree; the Ph.D. degree was introduced after the Civil War. Since the doctoral degree emphasized research skills, universities began to employ…