University+of+Pennsylvania

__ Abstract __ In many ways the University of Pennsylvania has been a huge part of our history. The University of Pennsylvania was one of the first universities to combine multiple disciplines into one actual institution. Penn Claims to be the first University in America, this is because it was the first university to stop educating for the clergy, and to instead try and prepare its students for business, and making a living in the world. This was the goal of Benjamin Franklin, the founder of the university, as made clear in his __Proposal for the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania__. This pamphlet expressed his ideas for a university, “Publick Academy of Philadelphia” in which both the arts and sciences would be taught alongside the skills needed to work. These thoughts and ideas allowed Penn to create the country’s first curriculum in liberal arts. Penn was founded on the belief that Schools should educate student to become the governing class of society. Instead of teaching the classical information that was passed onto the clergy in the old schools, Penn would combine the arts and sciences with a liberal arts program to educate its students to become business men and prominent figures in society. All of this would be taught in English, as opposed to, the classical languages of Greek and Latin. There would be a set, and completely different than normal, curriculum established, and there would be lower schools within Penn that would prepare younger students to study at the college. Also, after the establishment of the school, many other innovations will arise and take place here that will also shape the way school are un in the future. __ Outline __ 1. Introduction 2. Benjamin Franklin’s Beliefs 2.1. Franklin’s Proposal 2.2. Changes in the Operation 3. Early Penn 4. Innovations 5. Conclusion 6. Bibliography __ Introduction __ “It has long been regretted as a Misfortune to the Youth of this Province, that we have no Academy, in which they might receive the Accomplishments of a regular Education.” Benjamin Franklin, __Proposal for the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania__. This Pamphlet expressed his ideas for a university, “Publick Academy of Philadelphia” in which both the arts and sciences would be taught alongside the skills needed to work. Along with the college ther was also the Charter school and the Acaademy. These were designed for younger students to learn the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, and other subjects which the college would be able to build off of to educate the students. The University of Pennsylvania would not be another school of god, taught in Latin and Greek, but would be a school that was meant to prepare students for business, and for leadership roles within their lives. These thoughts and ideas allowed Penn to create the country’s first curriculum in liberal arts. Opened in 1751, Penn claims to be the first university in America, this is because Penn was the first university to stop educating for the clergy, and to instead try and prepare its students for business, and making a living in the world. Also this school would be the first school to have both an undergraduate, and a professional education, as in the Madical School, and would include business and law courses later on. Math, Geology, Modern Languages, and many more classes were offered by the college, and there were no particular religious affiliated classes. This allowed for students to learn liberal arts and the arts and sciences in a different way than any other college in the country. Also, other than the creation of a new type of college, Penn has come up with a myriad of other innovations that have affected collegiate studies completely and has transformed the way colleges run. __ Benjamin Franklin’s Beliefs __ Benjamin Franklin wanted to create a school that was to educate not the clergymen, but the businessmen, and the governing class of society. He wanted to have a school that would prepare young men to become the future governors and businessmen of Philadelphia. Unlike traditional colleges he would have all classes taught in English rather than in Latin and Greek. “…And would it not be very unreasonable to require of a learned Country Schoolmaster (who has all the Tropes and Figures in //Farnaby//'s Rhetorick at his Finger's Ends) to teach his Scholar to express himself handsomely in //English…”// Benjamin Franklin, __Proposal for the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania__. The school would also offer other “modern” languages like German and Spanish combined with classes in natural history, geography and geology. Overall Franklin wanted to offer students a good education at home, where one could learn in their “mother tongue” and be able to be prepared enough to enter the world and use their knowledge to make a living and head very prestigious positions. Franklin also designed the school to be targeted at students from two schools for younger students. These schools were all part of the same institution and were called the Academy, and the Charter School. These schools focused primarily on reading, writing, arithmetic, and the reading of short stories and fables. In the later courses of these schools rhetoric, philosophy, history and logic were taught while reading English authors. “…their //English//, Arithmetic, and other Studies absolutely necessary, being at the same Time not neglected…” Benjamin Franklin, __Proposal for the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania.__ The ideas behind the formation of the University of Pennsylvania are expressed in every college today. Schools today follow the same guidelines, and teach students the skills they need to live and work. Franklin did not want to teach students religious viewpoints and create a school of god, but to, instead, teach students the skills necessary to work, along with the arts and sciences. The other universities such as Princeton, Harvard, William and Mary, and Yale, were all universities in the classical sense, teaching for the clergy and instilling religious values. These schools would teach all classes in Latin and Greek to the clergy, and would not focus on any type of liberal arts at all. These are some of the changes that Benjamin Franklin deemed necessary, and wanted to correct in the creation of a new kind of school. __ Early Penn __ The early junior curriculum at Penn, as described by William Temple Franklin, Benjamin Franklin’s Grandson, called for classes from Monday morning until Saturday at 5. Three times a week classes were taught on Latin and Roman History. Then three other days during the week student were taught geography. The rest of the day students were taught Euclid's Elements, and then Mathematics. William Smith was the first provost of the college in 1755; Smith was also the professor for philosophy, ethics and Logic. Smith put a little more emphasis on the classical education than Franklin had wanted, and also, Smith disagreed with Franklin on multiple Political issues. __ Innovations __ The University of Pennsylvania and had many other innovations that would change education, and college. In 1765, John Morgan Founded the nation’s first medical school. This was the first, and only, school of medicine within the thirteen colonies. The school was modeled after The University of Edinburgh, and would give medical lectures alongside actual hands on experience in a hospital. This made Penn the first university to offer both undergraduate and professional education. The Medical school started by offering anatomical lectures and a course called “The Theory and Practice of Physik.” Also in 1790, James Wilson offered the first lectures in Law ever available at a school. These law lectures were designed to focus on past and present law, and would evaluate natural law, common law, and international law. Also there were close studies within the classroom of the new American Constitution. The University also founded a School of Engineering and Applied Science in 1852. The University of Pennsylvania also had a large change in 1872. Penn transformed into a research institution, where the school would not only educate its students, but would have research occurring too, generating new knowledge and understanding. The school changed design to not only transmit knowledge to its students, but it would create new knowledge by funding research within the school itself. This change incorporated research labs that were located along Spruce Street in Philadelphia. In 1881, the University of Pennsylvania opened the world’s first business school within the institution. This school was founded by Joseph Wharton, who donated 100,000 dollars to establish a “School of Finance and Economy.” All of these exemplified the idea of having a college that teaches its students the arts and sciences and the skills needed for making a living in the world. __ Conclusion __ All of these ideas that created The University of Pennsylvania caused a major change in the way colleges were run in the nation. This new way of running a college is what set the standard for how schools should be run, and influenced most schools currently in the nation. Schools and colleges around the nation began to adopt programs similar to how Penn was set up. Schools combined medicine schools in the campus and created programs in business, law, engineering, and multiple more. Benjamin Franklin’s influence on starting the first school of its time is still present in any school today. __ Bibliography __ "A Brief History of the University, University of Pennsylvania Archives." __University of Pennsylvania University Archives and Records Center__. May-June 2009 . Franklin, Benjamin. __Idea of the English School, Sketch'd out for the Consideration of the Trustees of the Philadelphia Academy__. Philadelphia, 1751. Franklin, Benjamin. __Proposal for the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania__. Philadelphia. Franklin, William T. Letter to Benjamin Franklin. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Friedman, Steven M. __Imagining the University__. Rep. Philadelphia, 1996. Joseph Carson. __A History of the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania: From Its Foundation in 1765__. Philadelphia: Lindsay and Blakiston, 1869. Smith, William. "Account of the College, Academy, and Charitable School of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania." __Discourses on public occasions in America__ (1762): 107-29. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. __THE EARLY YEARS : The Charity school, Academy and College Of Philadelphia__. Philadelphia, 1972. "University of Pennsylvania -." __Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia__. 10 May 2009 . Wallace, John J. __Class of 1865 Scrapbook__. Philadelphia, 1865. Yates, Jasper. __Student Notebook__. __Trigonometry, plain sailing...__ Apr.-May 2009 .
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