Jan Schmidt, age 15, of Chester, Pa., for her question:
WHERE IS THE OLDEST UNIVERSITY?
Modern universities had their origin in Europe during the 1100s. But European universities were not the first in the world. The Arabs had universities at earlier dates. The University of A1 Azhar, founded in Cairo in about 970, is perhaps the oldest university in the world that is still operating today.
European universities developed from the cathedral and monastery schools. Their development took place so slowly that it is difficult to know the point at which they became universities.
Many scholars say the oldest European university is the University of Bologna, Italy. It was founded in the late 1100s. Many other universities appeared in Europe during the 1200s and 1300s.
The first university in the Western Hemisphere, the University of Santo Domingo, was founded in the Dominican Republic in 1538.
The University of San Marcos at Lima, Peru, was founded in 1551 and in the same year the National Autonomous University of Mexico also was founded. Other universities appeared shortly afterward in a number of the other Spanish colonies.
The first university to be planned in what is now the United States was at Henricopolis, Va. It was authorized in 1619, but plans were dropped after the Indian massacres of 1622. Harvard University is the oldest school of higher education still active in the U.S. It was founded in Massachusetts in 1636.
The oldest university in Canada, Laval University, was founded as the Seminary of Quebec in 1663. It became a university in 1852.
The first English speaking university in Canada was established in 1789. It was the University of King's College at Windsor, Nova Scotia.
Higher education in the U.S. started at a time when knowledge was limited. The modern scientific spirit had not yet developed. Most of the early settlers in the American colonies regarded colleges chiefly as places for training ministers, and not as a places of higher education for others.
Each faith wanted to train its own leaders and each set up schools to do so. As a result, many small church colleges were founded during the 1700s, particularly in the Midwest. These colleges were general rather than specialized. A large number of them taught liberal arts rather than technical subjects.
Early in U.S. history, some leaders saw the need for education that went beyond religious concerns. The state university was one response to this need.
Another development was the granting of land in new territories for the establishment of schools. In addition, a number of wealthy citizens gave gifts of money for the founding of nonchurch schools. A number of schools established by churches also came under private control.