Source Document: Lippitt, W. O., "The Junior College at Jackson, Minnesota," School Education (December, 1916): 4.

Interpretation

The following article provides a first-hand account of one of the many small, short-lived junior colleges established by communities that lacked the resources, students, or both to survive. While one must be careful in projecting the views of this document's author, a school administrator, back onto the lay community, many of the arguments he lists in support of Jackson's ill-fated venture into post-secondary education would be echoed by parents, newspaper editors, and even students in other small, rural communities that established a junior college during the first half of the 20th century.

One of the main arguments advanced by Lippitt in justifying Jackson's junior college -- that colleges and universities had grown too large and impersonal to provide adequate superivision of freshmen and sophomores -- is noteworthy because it suggests that in such communities as Jackson, with a population of less than 5,000, the junior college was not so much inspired by the advocacy of university presidents, but grew out of the fears of parents. For these parents, a junior college was a "safe haven" alternative to the overcrowded, co-educational university and all of its attendant temptations to the "moral welfare" of "boys and girls". The German notion of the undergraduate, as an adult capable of making his or her own way in the world, had clearly not found its way to rural Minnesota.

Lippitt's references to the "boys and girls" and their need for close supervision must be set alongside his second, and seemingly contradictory theme that students at the junior college were to be treated, with respect to tuition, book fees, and the like, as if they were enrolled at the University of Minnesota. From the students' perspective, at least, it would seem that they had the worst of all possible worlds while attending Jackson's junior college -- none of the fun and freedom of university life, but the same responsibilities, and with both parents and teachers closely monitoring their every movement to be certain that they met those responsibilities. It is little wonder that only eight students entered Jackson's junior college in its first year, 1916, nor any great surprise that the junior college closed in 1918. As represented by Lippitt, at least, it would seem to have had all the attraction for students of a Benedictine monestary.

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JUNIOR COLLEGES are increasing in favor because of the rapidly growing conviction on the part of many parents and educators that the professional course should not begin until the close of the adolescent period, and until that time the student should be under the directing influence of the home and school. A strong protest has also been made by parents against sending immature boys and girls into the overcrowded, unsupervised classes of large co-educational institutions at the immature age at which they are now completing the regular High School course.
The conditions surrounding boys and girls still in their teens in many large educational institutions, just at the time when they are making the transition from directed to independent educational effort, is often not only unsatisfactory, but in many cases decidedly detrimental to their physical, mental and moral welfare.
Most of our universities and colleges now require two years of academic work before students can enter many of the professional or vocational courses, and often students take four years of college work in preparation for their professional training course.
For these reasons Jackson has added a Junior College department. The organiaztion [sic] of the department has been encouraging in every respect. We have two instructors who have had four years of college work and one or more years of post graduate work, and several years of successful high school teaching experience. Two rooms in the high school building near a well equipped library have been provided for the use of this department.
To accommodate those who needed to do considerable library work, and those who wished to earn a part or all of their tuition, eight o'clock was chosen as the opening hour of their session, and classroom work closes at two-fifteen in the afternoon. Advanced courses are offered in Mathematics, English, German, Economics, History and Science.
The students, in our Junior College buy their own books and pay tuition just the same as they would if they were attending a college away from home. This department offers the eight freshmen enrolled the advantage of securing much supervision of their research work and much individual attention that would be impossible in a larger department, or in a large institution.
Considering the average age of High School graduates, the need of directing influence at this transitorial period, the need, in some cases, of partial self-support by students, and the overcrowded conditions of the first year classes in many institutions, we believe that the Junior College will grow in favor and will eventually fill a very important place in the educational work of the state.

Contributor: R. Pedersen

Last Updated: December 15, 1999