Higher Education for American Democracy
Encyclopedia
Higher Education for American Democracy was a report to U.S. President Harry S. Truman
on the condition of higher education
in the United States
. The commission to write this report was established on July 13, 1946, and it was chaired by George F. Zook
.
The report is significant not only for its six-volume size but for the fact that it marks the first time in United States history that a President establishes a commission for the purposes of analyzing the country's system of education, a task typically left to the states as prescribed by the Tenth Amendment
. Such Presidential commissions are, today, relatively common. See, for example, President Ronald Reagan's, A Nation at Risk
, and President George W. Bush's, "A Test of Leadership," sometimes known as The Spellings Report
.
The Truman Commission Report, as it is sometimes known, calls for several significant changes in postsecondary education, among them, the establishment of a network of public community college
s, which would be free of charge for "all youth who can profit from such education". The commission helped popularize the phrase "community college" in the late 1940s and helped shape the future of two-year degree institutions in the U.S. The report also calls for increased Federal spending in the form of "scholarships, fellowships, and general aid".
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
on the condition of higher education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The commission to write this report was established on July 13, 1946, and it was chaired by George F. Zook
George F. Zook
George Frederick Zook was an American educator who was President of the University of Akron, U.S. Commissioner of Education, and President of the American Council on Education....
.
The report is significant not only for its six-volume size but for the fact that it marks the first time in United States history that a President establishes a commission for the purposes of analyzing the country's system of education, a task typically left to the states as prescribed by the Tenth Amendment
Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, 1791...
. Such Presidential commissions are, today, relatively common. See, for example, President Ronald Reagan's, A Nation at Risk
A Nation at Risk
A Nation at Risk: The Imperative For Educational Reform is the title of the 1983 report of American President Ronald Reagan's National Commission on Excellence in Education. Its publication is considered a landmark event in modern American educational history...
, and President George W. Bush's, "A Test of Leadership," sometimes known as The Spellings Report
Commission on the Future of Higher Education
The formation of a Commission on the Future of Higher Education, also known as the Spellings Commission, was announced on September 19, 2005 by U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings...
.
The Truman Commission Report, as it is sometimes known, calls for several significant changes in postsecondary education, among them, the establishment of a network of public community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
s, which would be free of charge for "all youth who can profit from such education". The commission helped popularize the phrase "community college" in the late 1940s and helped shape the future of two-year degree institutions in the U.S. The report also calls for increased Federal spending in the form of "scholarships, fellowships, and general aid".
External links
- Volume 1 and excerpts from Volume 2 of the report