The Founding Fathers and Liberal Education - Part I
In
recent years the public debate over the value of a liberal arts education has
included arguments citing high returns on investment due to a greater
likelihood of achieving positions of leadership, higher financial earnings, and
even statistics confirming greater job satisfaction and increased happiness.
Meanwhile, against tremendous positive data, there remains a steady stream of
arguments about the relevance of a broad-based liberal education in a society
evermore obsessed with entry-level skills, impatience, and quick, but shallow
rewards.
Naysayers
could do themselves a favor and take one of those history courses they
undervalue to appreciate how the founding of our nation and the creation of
American liberal education are inextricably linked. The Founding Fathers were
progressive intellectuals whose collective experiment was one of the great
byproducts of the Enlightenment.
William
Smith was named Provost of the College of Philadelphia (forebear of the
University of Pennsylvania) in 1755. He introduced the first systematic course
of study and degree program in the colonies. It is fitting that he would serve
as the inaugural President of the first college founded in the new United
States. It is even more fitting that this institution, Washington College,
would be established under the aegis of its namesake. George Washington was a
member of the board during the College’s early years, stepping down when he
accepted the U.S. presidency.
George
Washington’s belief in the critical role education would play in our national
development continued throughout his career of public service. The draft of his
first inaugural address embraces the foundation of liberal education:
Whenever the opportunity shall be furnished to
you as public or as private men, I trust you will not fail to use your best
endeavors to improve the education and manners of a people; to accelerate the
progress of arts & sciences; to patronize works of genius; to confer
rewards for invention of utility; and to cherish institutions favourable to
humanity. — G. Washington, Draft of the First Inaugural
Address, c. January 1789
In
his final annual address to Congress, Washington outlined his dreams for a new
nation, calling for the formation of a national university and a national
military college:
I have heretofore proposed to
the consideration of Congress the expediency of establishing a national
university and also a military academy. The desirableness of both these institutions
has so constantly increased with every new view I have taken of the subject
that I can not omit the opportunity of once for all recalling your attention to
them.
The assembly to which I address
myself is too enlightened not to be fully sensible how much a flourishing state
of the arts and sciences contributes to national prosperity and reputation.
True it is that our country,
much to its honor, contains many seminaries of learning highly repeatable and
useful; but the funds upon which they rest are too narrow to command the ablest
professors in the different departments of liberal knowledge for the
institution contemplated, though they would be excellent auxiliaries.
Amongst the motives to such an
institution, the assimilation of the principles, opinions, and manners of our
country-men by the common education of a portion of our youth from every
quarter well deserves attention. The more homogenous our citizens can be made
in these particulars the greater will be our prospect of permanent union; and a
primary object of such a national institution should be the education of our
youth in the science of government. In a republic what species of knowledge can
be equally important and what duty more pressing on its legislature than to
patronize a plan for communicating it to those who are to be the future
guardians of the liberties of the country? —
G.
Washington, Eighth Annual Address, 7 December 1796
Washington was not alone in his
patronage of the intellectual future of the republic. The American Academy of
Arts and Sciences was established in 1780. Its founders were John Adams, John
Hancock, and James Bowdoin. Among the members inducted the following year were
Washington and Benjamin Franklin.
The five authors of the
Declaration of Independence were public intellectuals of the highest order.
Robert Livingston was a distinguished man of letters who amassed a personal
library of over 4000 volumes. John Adams, as noted above, was a founder of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Roger Sherman was a member of the Yale
University faculty and served as the University’s treasurer. Benjamin Franklin
provided the leadership to create the College of Philadelphia, which became the
University of Pennsylvania. Of all his accomplishments, Thomas Jefferson took
his greatest pride in having established the University of Virginia.
George Wythe, the first of the
seven Virginians to sign the Declaration
of Independence was our nation’s first law professor. At the College of
William and Mary he provided instruction and mentorship to Jefferson, James
Monroe, John Marshall, and Henry Clay. It is hard to overestimate his role in
preparing a generation of leaders to bring forth our nation. In a letter to
John Banister, Jr., Jefferson wrote:
When college education is done
with, and a young man is to prepare himself for public life, he must cast his
eyes (for America) either on Law or Physic. For the former, where can he apply
so advantageously as to Mr. Wythe? — T. Jefferson, Paris, 15 October 1785.
Other Virginia patriots
provided important educational leadership. James Madison and James Monroe were
charter members of the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia, and
Madison succeeded Jefferson as Rector of the University. Patrick Henry helped
to establish the charter of Hampden-Sydney College in January of 1776, making
it the last college founded in the colonies. On 5 December of that same year,
Phi Beta Kappa was founded at William and Mary.