The American College and University: A History

by Frederick Rudolph, John R. Thelin (Foreword)

First published in 1962, Frederick Rudolph's groundbreaking study, The American College and University , remains one of the most useful and significant works on the history of higher education in America. Bridging the chasm between educational and social history, this book was one of the first to examine developments in higher education in the context of the social, economic, and political forces that were shaping the nation at large. Surveying higher education from the colonial era through the mid-twentieth century, Rudolph explores a multitude of issues from the financing of institutions and the development of curriculum to the education of women and blacks, the rise of college athletics, and the complexities of student life. In his foreword to this new edition, John Thelin assesses the impact that Rudolph's work has had on higher education studies. The new edition also includes a bibliographic essay by Thelin covering significant works in the field that have appeared since the publication of the first edition. At a time when our educational system as a whole is under intense scrutiny, Rudolph's seminal work offers an important historical perspective on the development of higher education in the United States.

Genres: Education, History, Nonfiction, Teaching, College, Research, American History

616 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 1965

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rudolph is part of the canon. If you study the history of higher ed in the States you must know his work since he's cited extensively as either a positive or negative example of...oh...lots of stuff. He starts with the founding of the first colonial colleges and ends (for all intents and purposes) at the beginning of the twentieth century. Rudolph has a solid narrative style. This is a good read, in spite of the fact that important groups like blacks and women are largely excluded. I forgive Rudolph for the omission (big of me, eh?). At the time of writing there was a void in such subject matter and he made a genuine contribution. Since then others have updated him and have addressed issues deemed lacking in this work (see Ebony and Ivy, for example). I've noticed that there are two groups writing these histories: trained historians, and those trained in the field of education. Rudolph is a historian. I know that because he tells the reader, but I would have guessed anyway. Historians are marvy at documentation (well, good ones are) and this book is well documented. The bibliography is fantastic. To update Rudolph's bibliography the publisher asked Thelin to throw in some more recent stuff, which is much appreciated. Thelin also writes an intro, but doesn't mess with Rudolph's text. (GASP! That would be sacrilege.) I should send my copy to a print shop to get it spiral bound. I wrote so many margin notes that I damaged the integrity of the spine. Now the pages are falling out. But my notes are important to me, as they document my personal conversation with the book. I wish the publisher offered this as an ebook. I like having important works in both print and digital formats so I can consult them in different ways. I am a librarian. I write in books. But I don't deface anything that doesn't belong to me, and I don't ask people to be quiet in the stacks.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a phenomenal book. Seminal in every way, this text should be read by every collegiate administrator, every professor, every student studying higher education administration in graduate school. Rudolph wrote this fifty years ago and it rarely, if ever, seems dated. His research is incredible, but the true challenge with history is to present the overwhelming detail with passion and a smooth flow. Rudolph truly delivers not only with his the rich detail, but also with the strong writing that keeps you coming back for more.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a (strangely) gripping page-turner of a book! My highlighter was highlighting!!

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Development of higher ed in USA up through 1950s.

[Hannah Walton]

Read half for school

[Joseph Serwach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Called ``the classic'' history of American higher ed. It continued to dominate for decades after its 1962 release. Frederick Rudolph uses many great anecdotes to develop the definitive story. Rudolph is the best. Don't think anyone has ever really topped him.

[Alison Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was actually a text book for one of my doctoral classes and I still have it. It is very handy and a good reference.

[Emily Wetsel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Educational book on how the American College and University came to be in the early years of the US, which helps explain how the secondary educational system came into play today.