The discussions carried on at these sessions are of the utmost importance in the educational work of the State. It is the only place where the various individual interests of the separate institutions can be represented. And while it has no authoritative voice, yet its efficient force in determining the policy of the regents and in affecting legislative opinion has been very great. Its proceedings are published, and among them are papers upon educational topics by the very highest authorities in New York and other States. It is growing in efficiency and in importance. The topics discussed are not merely the educational problems of New York State, but of the nation and of the world. The personnel of those who take part in the convocation, likewise, makes it rather a national than a State institution. . It is one of the important annual educational conventions held in the United States, and merits well the name of the "Congress of higher education," conferred by Chancellor Curtis.

UNIVERSITY EXTENSION.

The university has never undertaken the work of teaching. And wisely so. The educational needs of the State during this century have been mainly just in those lines where there has been most activity, in the common schools and the academies. This was work which there was no need for the university to undertake directly. It is one of the greatest merits of the organization that it has been only the directive power of forces that spring from individual initiative.

With the teaching done by the colleges the university has had no reason to vie. The many colleges in the State have, in the main, given opportunity to all who wished a higher education than the academies could give. But the advancing educational standards of this generation have created a new need. Both in England and in America it is coming to be the recognized duty of the colleges to extend their facilities as far as possible to those persons who can not come to the colleges. The university has been quick to acknowledge this duty. By the law of 1899, "the field of the university has also been extended to include the chartering not only of high schools, academies, and colleges, but also of libraries, museums, summer schools, correspondence schools, permanent lecture courses, and all other institutions for promoting higher education," and to "maintain lectures connected with higher education in this State."2 In the address just quoted from, Mr. Dewey has shown how admirably adapted is the system of organization of the university for this work as it is being done in England. He has already organized a successful library school at the State library. He proposes the formation of a great educational library and museum at the regents' office, with

'Dewey, Melvil. Extension of the University of the State of New York (see Conv. proc., 1889, p. 73).

specialists upon its staff, who shall be ready to give advice and direction to the schools and libraries of the State. He proposes a real extension of the work done in all its departments. It is a part of his plan that the State library and State museum, which are parts of the university, should form the central institution of multidinous local libraries and museums to be established throughout the State in organic relation to the university. In connection with these local libraries and museums he would establish university extension lectureships similar to those of England. His ideal is the democracy of learning, a higher education brought within the reach of all. The scheme is full of promise for the future. Already several important steps have been taken toward its accomplishment.

In July, 1889, the regents passed the following resolution:

Resolved, That the regents recognize as an important feature of the work the extension of university learning and culture to those who are unable to take the regular course in a college or university.

They then appointed a committee on university extension to report at the next annual meeting. At the convocation of 1890 a committee of representatives of the colleges and universities of the State was appointed to confer with the regents. Presidents Adams of Cornell, Low of Columbia, Hill of Rochester, Webster of Union, and Taylor of Vassar constituted this committee. In their report to the regents in February, 1891, they use this language:

Resolved, That in the judgment of this committee the time has come when the best interests of higher education in this State demand that the regents should undertake the establishment and supervision of a State system of university extension, including not only lectures, but such conferences, examinations, and certificates of work done as experience may have proved to be desirable and practicable. Resolved, That in order to maintain a high standard of instruction it is essential that the regents work through the representatives of the universities and colleges of the State as a committee having charge of the details of instruction and examination.

The regents thereupon took immediate action. They made their committee on university extension a standing committee, and provided for a permanent successor to the committee of colleges by the establishment of a university-extension council composed of representatives of the colleges. They also resolved to ask aid of the legislature. Their appeal was promptly and generously met by an appropriation of $10,000 for the use of the university in promoting university extension in the State of New York.1

In June, 1891, the regents' standing committee made a valuable report, from which the following extracts are made as showing the aim and scope of the work undertaken:

In the conception of your committee, university extension, as contemplated by the regents of the university, means extension to the people at large, adults as well as youths, of the best obtainable opportunities for education.

1 Laws, 1891, ch. 303.

In execution of the authority heretofore given them to begin and carry on the work of university extension, your committee design, among other things, to prepare and issue, from time to time, circulars, bulletins, syllabuses, suggested courses of reading and study, and plans for local organizations therefor; to ascertain the fitness of and accredit teachers and lecturers who desire to engage in the work of university extension, and aid localities, organizations, and associations in selecting suitable instructors: to procure and keep on hand, by purchase or by printing and reprinting, original and other matter of educational value in connection with the development and execution of the system of university extension, and to circulate the same, gratuitously or otherwise; and to provide for apparatus and collection of books and specimens, to be loaned or otherwise furnished from time to time to localities, organizations, or associations in this State engaged in educational work-using therefor also any of the properly available books, specimens, apparatus, or other property of the university.

Carefully fostered and wisely developed, university extension will well round out and complete in the State of New York an educational system whose influence may reach all of the people. For those who can avail themselves thereof our common schools, our academies and high schools, and our colleges, universities, and technical schools will cover the whole field of human learning; while the university-extension department will leave none beyond the possibility of such enlightenment as is needful for human welfare and happiness, as well as for good citizenship.

To meet the demands of the new enterprise, the regents at the same time greatly enlarged their system of examinations and regulations for the granting of certificates and diplomas.

This machinery for the extension of university teaching has already been put in operation. Successful courses of lectures have been given and organized centers established for the permanent carrying on of this work. Progress is likely to be slow. True to its traditions the university has confined itself to stimulating and fostering individual local ambition. No part of the State appropriation is allowed to be used in payment of lecturers' fees or other expenses of a local course of lectures. The money of the State is for administrative purposes only which shall further the general scheme. Local benefits must be gained by the enterprise, both moral and financial, of the locality.

It is too early to predict the eventual success or failure of this experiment. But the success of the movement in England, and of similar work done by various organizations in this country, indicates that the times are ripe for such an educational movement. The unique organization of the university would seem to have been specially designed for this work. The London and the Victoria universities are copying some features of the New York University to better enable them to meet new educational needs. The men who founded this imperial university "builded better than they knew."

Looking at the peculiar organization of education in New York, it seems as if success were largely dependent on cordial and wise cooperation between the university and the colleges. If they do not work together the cause is lost in the State of New York. In the university

council the colleges obtain a qualified representative in the management of this department of the regents' work. The colleges wisely insist that the standards of higher education shall not be lowered. The moral force of college opinion should maintain in universityextension work the high standard of collegiate attainment. If the colleges hold aloof the work will necessarily be of a lower type. It is a great opportunity of the colleges to spread their effective influence into every corner of the State, and make themselves more than ever an essential element in the life of the people. The time has come when knowledge must be democratic. It is the duty of the colleges, as the conservators of knowledge, to see that in this growing democracy of learning the standards are not lowered.

THE UNIVERSITY'S OPPORTUNITY.

There are, however, other educational needs of the American people which it may become the proud destiny of the University of the State of New York to satisfy. University extension is merely a new method of teaching. It does not solve the question as to what shall be taught. In American education there are these defects: In the first place, there are not sufficient facilities for original and deep research— the pursuit of truth for its own sake. Secondly, there are no schools designed to train persons for the public civil service. Thirdly, the general education of the people in the principles of political economy and of civil government is not recognized as the duty of the State. It lies within the grasp of the regents of the University of the State of New York to immortalize themselves by taking the lead in these educational reforms.

1. School for graduate work.-For the prosecution of original research the university possesses signal advantages.

The massive State capitol which towers above the city of Albany, and upon which New York has lavished her millions, has been declared by the late Professor Greeman, of Oxford, to be the finest specimen of American architecture. The library of the State, now housed in this building, is a rich mine of historical material, the resources of which are not adequately used-not even adequately known. As the writer was carrying on research there in the summer of 1890 he was oppressed with the sense of the failure of the people of the State to utilize these treasures of learning. The law library is probably unsurpassed in the United States, yet is practically little used. The general library with its 160,000 volumes, its vast collections of manuscripts and documents, is scarcely visited except by the passing traveler. The legislative and executive collections of documents are in requisition during the sessions of the legislature, but are otherwise virtually useless. The idea impressed itself upon the writer that in the university itself, the history of which he was writing, existed the

very organization which could develop into its wider usefulness these libraries under its control.

Here is an opportunity for this great university to advance the interests of the highest learning, to utilize these unused materials, to offer to students the best advantages for original research, and to make the university itself a more powerful and efficient body than it has ever been. The law of 1889 gives the university express power to maintain lectures connected with higher education in the State. The State capitol is such a university building as exists nowhere else in the world. In Albany is centralized the whole administration of the State. The executive offices are all located there. The legislature and the court of appeals sit there. Except in the national capital no such collection of material for the study of history, economics, statistics, finance, and the science of administration exists in the United States. It would need merely the establishment of a few professorships, under the direct management of the university, to develop in a few years a graduate school of economic, historic, and political science unsurpassed in the world.

The graduates of the colleges in the State or from other States could here pursue a regular course of study for higher degrees. A school for the higher and philosophical study of the law has become a crying need of the times. With a few additions to the library of authorities upon Roman and Teutonic systems of law to supplement the magnificent collection of works upon American and English law already upon the shelves, the study of historic and comparative jurisprudence could be carried on by those students who wish to learn more than the practical business of law. Students in economic and political subjects would have for their use not merely the statistics and collected information of the various State departments, but would likewise see the practical workings of those departments. Besides the offices of the governor, secretary of state, controller, and treasurer, there are the offices of the railroad commissioners, canal commissioners, the bank department, the insurance department, State census, land office, State agricultural society, forestry commission, Indian affairs, bureau of labor statistics, State boards of health and charities, of arbitration, of factory inspection, and several others. The legislature itself would be a practical school of political science. Every facility is at hand for research in every department of political science and political economy. No other university would have so admirable an equipment. In historical science likewise the material is at hand. It was the original design of the university to confer the higher degrees. With the work done by academies and colleges the university would not interfere. But in this field of original research lies the proper direction of the activity of the university. This corporation, with its historic dignity, thus would become in truth the head and crown of the educational system in the State. It would strengthen,