Cooper Union Courses Since 1918
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THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE NEW YORK CITY OFFICE: 70 FIFTH AVENUE Conducts Educational Work in: COOPER UNION MANHATTAN TRADE SCHOOL "The People's Institute may be called a mature educational enterprise for adults and a clear demonstration that adult education has its place in the social scheme- that there can be adult education, if under the proper auspices, and that it is of immeasurable benefit under the proper auspices." -Nathaniel Peffer in "New Schools for Older Students." THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE ~=================================~ ~!====================================~ BOARD OF TRUSTEES Activities of the Institute HENRY DE FOREST BALDWIN, Chairmau SAM A. LEWISOHN, Treasurer ('T' HE People's Institute was founded in 1897 by a group JOHN G. AGAR ELLWOOD HENDRICK -.L of New York's public spirited citizens on the initiative GEORGE W. ALGER EVERETT DEAN MARTIN of Charles Sprague Smith. Its original purpose was to LEROY E. BOWMAN MRs. M. D. HERTER NORTON provide a forum for the free discussion of public questions, LINCOLN CROMWELL EDWARD F. SANDERSON M RS. W. MURRAY CRANE HAROLD SPIELBERG and for the first twenty years of its existence its main ERNEST G. DRAPER JAMES P. W ARBASSE functions were those of a lyceum and forum, with a few P ARKER McCoLLESTER, Secretary of the Board social service features. The Institute's Sunday evening meetings inspired the organization of the Open Forum ADVISORY COUNCIL National Council and the spread of the forum idea. FRANK L. BABDOTT CHARLES H. INGERSOLL EARL BARNES MISS ANNIE B. JENNINGS The Institute has a record of twenty-nine years' work ALFRED J. BOULTON JoHN BROOKS LEAVITT in adult education beginning long before the present wide R. R. BOWKER V. EVERIT MACY spread interest in such education. It is now concentrating JOHN GRAHAM BROOKS HoWARD M ANSFIELD NICHOLAS MURRAY BUTLER J. HOWARD MELISH all its energies toward further developments in this same JoHN DEWEY GEORGE FOSTER PEABODY direction. JoH N L. ELLIOTT SAMUEL SCHULMAN JoHN H. FINLEY EDWIN R. A. SELIGMAN Three lines of activity are helping to carry forward this GLENN FRANK ALBERT SHAW FRA NKLIN H. GIDDINGS MRS. CHARLES SPRAGUE SMITH adult education program for the season 1926-27. They MRS. J. BORDEN HARRIMAN MRS. ANNA GARLIN SPENCER are: MRS. L. EMMETT HOLT MISS LILLIAN D. WALD ( 1) The lectures held three evenings a week from LECTURE STAFF November to May in the Great Hall of Cooper Union EARL BARNES w. F. OGBURN including Mr. Martin's continuous Friday evening course. E. G. CONKLIN HARRY A. OvERSTREET These lectures addressed to large groups of people give IRWIN EDMAN BRUNO ROSELLI broad backgrounds, arouse intellectual curiosity-and plot HoRACE M. KALLEN E. G. SPAULDING lines for further study. ROBERT C. MURPHY JoHN B. WATSON ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF (2) The School of the Institute, Manhattan Trade School, which developed from the Cooper Union work, EVERETT DEAN MARTIN, Director and which provides smaller classes on specialized subjects. ScOTT BucHANAN, Assistaut Director BLANCHE C. DAYlD, Secretary, Cooper Uuiou Forum JuLIA M. HINAMAN, Publicity Director ( 3) Adult Education Groups distributed about the city PHILIP N. YouTZ, Orgauizatiou Secretary providing individual guidance in tutorial groups. 2 TH E PEOPL E' S INSTITUTE THE P EOP L E' S INS T I TU'tE r» privilege of a very small portion of the populat ion. When instruction has been offered to adults it has been chiefl y The Aim of Adult Education belated elementary instruction which the backward or un fortunate missed in childhood, or it has been instruction in English offered to immigrants, or it has been vo cational [CONCEIVE it to be the aim of adult education to training offered to those who have wished to acquire in broaden the interests and sympathies of people regardless creased industrial efficiency. The value of such training of their daily occupation-or along with it-to lift men's is apparent but it is for the most part essentially primary thought out of the monotony and drudgery which are apt education offered to grown people. It is not adult educa to be the common lot, to free the mind from servitude tion as that term is coming to be understood, and it is not and herd opinion, to train habits of judgment and of ap enough. It has left a chasm between the centers of en preciation of value, to carry on the struggle for human lightenment and a populace which, notwithstanding the excellence in our day and generation, to temper passion vast sums spent upon public education, still reads the with wisdom, to dispel prejudice by better knowledge of tabloid papers, frequents the cheap motion picture, and is self, to enlist all men, in the measure that they have easily swayed by prejudice and "catch" phrases. capacity for it, in the achievement of civilization. In other words, the aim is the same as that which has The People's Institute is one of the agencies now at all along inspired the best efforts at general education. In work trying to bridge this gap between formal institutions one sense the tradition of adult education is very old, of learning and the daily life and thought of people out coming to us from the ancient Greeks, but there has been side such institutions. For those who wish to gain a in recent years a notable increase of interest in education knowledge of the higher branches of learning best calcu in all its branches. In the sense that large numbers of lated to give one the general outlook of an educated persons of mature age are discovering the fact that it is mind, the Institute offers continuous and serious courses of possible for them to add to their store of knowledge and study in the natural sciences and the humanities. It has improve their understandin g, the movement for adult edu not been found expedient to offer courses in mathematics cation is a recent development in American life. Hereto or the ancient and modern languages, but we have re fore, the idea has prevailed that education belongs prop ceived a very gratifying response to such suojects as the erly to the years of childhood and adolescence; that beyond history and methods of science, philosophy, hi tory of a certain very elementary knowledge education is the civilization, contemporary literature, the classics in tran 4 s THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUT E THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE ~ ~ lation, and the general principles of biology and psy there is a larger demand and consequently need in New chology. Each course is given by a competent instructor whose own standards of scholarship are of the best. York for the sort of work it is doing. During the past Several of the courses given at Cooper Union and else ten years I have seen the demands on the Institute in where under the auspices of the In titute have been pub crease from year to year as large numbers of men and lished and are now in use as reference and text books in women engaged in the ordinary pursuits of life show evi various colleges and universities. The response regardless dence of a desire for more and better knowledge. Our of the degree of preparation of those who attend is gen present task is to meet these increasing demands. erally keen and the interest sincere and stimulating, many Everett Dean Marlin individuals continuing in attendance for a number of years. We have no illusions that we can suddenly transform the mass nor have we any new-fangled theory of what an educated person is, nor any magic or "short cut." But we are able to interest large numbers of people with an uncompromising standard of educational aims and values without resorting to any trickery, to any propaganda, or any cheapening of the content of instruction. I believe that the people we reach are "key" persons in the circles in which they live. They are for the most part eager and sincere and I am convinced that we have been able to bring some new meaning and worth into their lives. I am also convinced that these persons exist in such num bers that, given the education they desire, they may become a balance of power, in the end an influence for turning public sentiment from ant and hy teria to something more serious, more appreciative and d pendable. The People's Institute is now in it twenty-ninth year. From the beginning it has demon tratcd the fact that ' THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE ~~ ==~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What Is the Matter liV ith The School of The Peopll s Institute Modern Ideas? The School is an outgrowth of the Institute's work at Mr. Martin' s 1926-27 course at Cooper Union (Average Cooper Union. For a number of yea rs the work of the attendance at this course l ast year was 983; aggregate attend School was carried on by volunteer efforts on the part of ance 23,600). the students themselves and instructors who gave their Nov. 12 THE LOSS OF INTELLECTUAL LEADERSHIP IN THE MODERN WORLD. services for a nominal fee, and by Mr. Martin's personal Nov. 19 ANCIENT AN D MEDIEVAL IDEAS WHICH PASS FOR work. During the last two years the Carnegie Corpora MODERN. tion has su pported it to the extent of $10,000 and has thus Nov. 26 THE INFLUENCE OF ROUSSEAU ON MODERN IDEAS. Dec. 3 !CANT AND THE MORALISM OF THE NINETEENTH made possible a notable expan ion of the work. The CENTURY. School has conducted its classes at the Manhattan Trade Dec. 10 THE PRI NCIPLE OF THE REFO RMATION.