Show College Student of 1850 i Was Trained in Religion College students between 1830 and ond 1850 usually pictured as swagger swagger- swaggering ing adolescent pranksters were characterized by a preoccupation with religion according to a study of the undergraduate of that period published by the Columbia Press Educational institutions used reli reli- religion religion gion glon as a connecting link between all aU subjects including chemistry philosophy and mathematics Re Re- Religious Religious Religious interest was fostered by the faculties For example one professor proCessor sor devoted his entire inaugural address tto to an avowal of his faith in God and in the Bible as the literal expression of His will In a typical al undergraduate essay essny On IOn the Rhetoric of the Bible a 0 student declared that the word of God was the best model of literary composition It is impossible to overestimate the importance of such religious thinking in education But there were frivolous moments it is pointed out At one meeting of ofa a student literary society the sub sub- subject subject subject was whether or not old bachelors bache bache- bachelors bachelors lors ought to be taxed for the sup sup- support support support port of old maids decided by young bachelors in the affirmative During the entire period between 1830 and 1850 there was an epidemic of interest in college education The chief symptom was the quantitative increase of such institutions there having been in the neighborhood of 80 colleges founded In spite of the financial panic of 1837 and the en en- ensuing ensuing ensuing suing depression more than two score colleges were begun in the 32 of them substantial enough to survive to the present day Generally speaking this flurry of establishment was the result of a marriage between the then universal sal American respect for education ed cation and denominational enthusiasm among the churches The colleges were designed primarily as institutions institutions to train men for the ministry or for God-fearing God professional ca ca- careers careers careers and each sect strove to outdo all aU others in providing its own future fu fu- future future ture leaders Amherst according to its Greek professor pr tess r had been born of the prayers and baptized with the tears of holy men early in the century and most of its later rivals were similarly conceived Much of the interest in American literature during the period was ex ex- expressed expressed expressed pressed in earnest or arrogant denials de de- denials denials nials of its nonexistence |