Ellwood Patterson Cubberley
Encyclopedia
Ellwood Patterson Cubberley (1868 – 1941) was an American
educator and author
, a pioneer in the field of educational administration. He spent most of his career as a professor and later dean in the Stanford University School of Education
in California
.
Cubberley was born in Andrews, Indiana
. He graduated from Indiana University in 1891, he then served as president of Vincennes University
from 1891 until 1896. He was superintendent of schools in San Diego, California
from 1896 until 1898. He joined the faculty of Stanford, then went to Columbia University
where he earned a Ph.D. in 1905. He returned to the Stanford faculty in 1906 as a professor of education. He was the dean of the Stanford school of education from 1917 until he retired in 1933.
During his career, he maintained a view of education as an instrument of social engineering, a view that created some controversy. Cubberley published a total of 30 works during his life, including:
Cubberley was perhaps the most significant educational administrator of his day. At the outset of Cubberley's career, school administration had no theoretical or scientific basis. There were no formal textbooks from which to teach educational administration; educational administrators were expected to learn solely from experience. Indeed, educational administration posts were often political plums requiring little, if any, formal training in education. Most universities lacked education departments.
Cubberley pioneered the use of the school survey as an instrument to improve education, in his reports on the schools in Baltimore, Maryland; New York City
; Oakland, California
; Portland, Oregon
; and Salt Lake City, Utah
. In conducting surveys, he applied an integrated theory of organization, administration, and teaching, to assess the strengths and weaknesses of individual schools. He used the latest statistical and quantitative methods. His surveys were significant steps down a new road toward improving school functions.
Cubberley's academic legacy has been controversial. Since his death in 1941, Cubberley's impact has been attacked, most memorably by Lawrence Cremin's The Wonderful World of Ellwood Patterson Cubberley (1965). Some academicians have used Cubberley's methodology as a cautionary tale and termed his approach anachronistic and evangelistic, and some of his administration stances have been attacked as sexist and autocratic.
The Ellwood Patterson Cubberley Papers, 1886-1965 (3.25 linear ft.) are housed in the Department of Special Collections and University Archives in the Stanford University Libraries.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, a pioneer in the field of educational administration. He spent most of his career as a professor and later dean in the Stanford University School of Education
Stanford University School of Education
The Stanford University School of Education , is one of the seven schools of Stanford University. It is the second-oldest school of education in the United States, after NYU...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Cubberley was born in Andrews, Indiana
Andrews, Indiana
Andrews is a town in Dallas Township, Huntington County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,149 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Andrews is located at ....
. He graduated from Indiana University in 1891, he then served as president of Vincennes University
Vincennes University
Vincennes University is a public university in Vincennes, Indiana, in the United States. Founded in 1801 as Jefferson Academy, VU is the oldest public institution of higher learning in Indiana. Since 1889, VU has been a two-year university, although baccalaureate degrees in seven select areas are...
from 1891 until 1896. He was superintendent of schools in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
from 1896 until 1898. He joined the faculty of Stanford, then went to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
where he earned a Ph.D. in 1905. He returned to the Stanford faculty in 1906 as a professor of education. He was the dean of the Stanford school of education from 1917 until he retired in 1933.
During his career, he maintained a view of education as an instrument of social engineering, a view that created some controversy. Cubberley published a total of 30 works during his life, including:
- Syllabus of Lectures on the History of Education, 1902
- Changing Conceptions in Education, 1909
- Public Education in the United States, 1919
- The History of Education, 1920
- Readings in the History of Education, 1920
- A Brief History of Education, 1922
- Public School Administration, 1929
- Public Education in the United States, republished in 1947
Cubberley was perhaps the most significant educational administrator of his day. At the outset of Cubberley's career, school administration had no theoretical or scientific basis. There were no formal textbooks from which to teach educational administration; educational administrators were expected to learn solely from experience. Indeed, educational administration posts were often political plums requiring little, if any, formal training in education. Most universities lacked education departments.
Cubberley pioneered the use of the school survey as an instrument to improve education, in his reports on the schools in Baltimore, Maryland; New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
; Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
; and Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. In conducting surveys, he applied an integrated theory of organization, administration, and teaching, to assess the strengths and weaknesses of individual schools. He used the latest statistical and quantitative methods. His surveys were significant steps down a new road toward improving school functions.
Cubberley's academic legacy has been controversial. Since his death in 1941, Cubberley's impact has been attacked, most memorably by Lawrence Cremin's The Wonderful World of Ellwood Patterson Cubberley (1965). Some academicians have used Cubberley's methodology as a cautionary tale and termed his approach anachronistic and evangelistic, and some of his administration stances have been attacked as sexist and autocratic.
The Ellwood Patterson Cubberley Papers, 1886-1965 (3.25 linear ft.) are housed in the Department of Special Collections and University Archives in the Stanford University Libraries.
Recognition
- The Cubberley Education Library at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
is named for him, as is Cubberley Auditorium in the Stanford School of Education. - Ellwood P. Cubberley High SchoolEllwood P. Cubberley High SchoolCubberley High School was one of three public high schools in Palo Alto California. Opened in 1956, Cubberley High was located at 4000 Middlefield Road. It was finally closed in 1979 as a reaction to declining enrollment and decreased revenues following Proposition 13...
(1956-1979) in Palo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
was named for him; the site of the former school now houses the Cubberley Community CenterCubberley Community CenterCubberley Community Center is a community center in Palo Alto, California that is housed on the campus of the former Cubberley High School, which opened in the fall of 1956 and closed in 1979 as a result of budget cuts from California Proposition 13...
. - Elementary schools in San Diego and Long BeachLong Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, California, are named for him.
External links
- Public Education in the United States http://www.archive.org/details/publiceducationi032029mbp