Almost Heaven….
by Mary Jo
West Virginia! Blue Ridge Mountains and in this case, the Monongahela River. A couple of weeks ago, the Mayhem Consultant and I had occasion to visit West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV.
Though I’ve driven through West Virginia, I knew very little about it except that originally it had been part of Virginia, but it broke away during the Civil War because the western part of the state wasn’t plantation country. Residents tended to be yeoman farmers who didn’t support slavery so it split away, to their credit. (The actual process was more complicated than the simple fact I stated.)
We had an easy drive to Morgantown, which is less than a four hour drive from Baltimore along two scenic interstate 
highways. However, Morgantown itself is very confusing to navigate because the city is built in the Monongahela River Valley and is hemmed in by mountains. Even my car’s GPS was confused: it directed us to a small, empty airport and stopped working. <G>
But WVU is an excellent public university with over 340 bachelors, masters, doctoral, and professional degree programs. It’s also a top tier research institute in the same category as universities like Yale, 
Harvard, and MIT. Because the campus sprawls so far along the river, it has a PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) system to scoot students between the different academic clusters. Here’s a picture of one of the cars.
Land Grant Universities
Besides WVU being an impressive university, it got me interested in the subject of land grant universities. Land grant colleges were established by the Morrill Act, which was signed into law by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. (It was possible to do this since the Civil War was being waged, which meant that Southern members of Congress were not in attendance. (Presumably many of them would not have been in favor of expanding higher education.)
Land grant colleges received federal grants of land and money to expand opportunities for higher education. The emphasis 
was to be on agriculture, engineering, science and military studies. This was a pragmatic change from famous early British universities like Oxford and Cambridge which emphasized the classics and training for clergymen.
As a side note, the long history of teaching the classics is why I studied Latin in my small rural high school some years ago; it was the only foreign language available. I liked Latin–it helped me understand the structure of language and was a great aid when I hitch hiked around Europe with a friend after my sophomore year of college because it helped me read signs in the local languages. (I googled and apparently only 2.3% of high school students are studying Latin these days–but apparently taking Latin improves scores on SAT college entry exams, in which case I must say thank you!)
According to Wikipedia, there are 106 land grant colleges, including several Historically Black Universities like the Tuskegee Institute. Many famous public universities like Michigan State, Ohio State, and Penn State are land grand universities. I read somewhere but can’t find the reference that the vast expansion of higher education in the US helped the country develop so much industrial technical power in later years.
Ultimately, most land-grant schools became large state universities that today offer a full spectrum of educational and 
research opportunities. (The beloved football teams came later. <G>)
Among the seventy colleges and universities which eventually evolved from the Morrill Acts are several of today’s historically black colleges and universities. Interestingly, Wikipedia says that because of anti-Semitism at many “white” colleges, “more than two-thirds of the faculty hired at many HBCUs from 1933 to 1945 had come to the United States to escape from Nazi Germany. HBCUs believed the Jewish professors were valuable faculty that would help strengthen their institutions’ credibility. HBCUs had a firm belief in diversity and giving opportunity no matter the race, religion, or country of origin. HBCUs were open to Jews because of their ideas of equal learning spaces. They sought to create an environment where all people felt welcome to study, including women.” Fascinating, and good for them!
Public Education
Reading about land grant colleges got me interested in the history of public education in the United States. If you’re interested in following me down the rabbit hole, here’s a very good article on the subject. Briefly, in the early days of the American colonies, education was a haphazard mix of home schooling, charity schools, dame schools and private tutors.
A quote from the article: “Preparing people for democratic citizenship was a major reason for the creation of public schools.” Broader support for universal free education came in the 1830s. If you’re interested in the topic, by all means read the article!
I went to a small but capable rural public school and my mother taught in a neighboring school district. So what are your thoughts on schooling? Did you go to a public school? A private school? Do you feel you got a good education?
Mary Jo
Interesting article, thank you, Mary Jo. I went to an all girls Catholic high school in the late sixties. The Sisters were strict but fair and it was a good education. Everyone had Latin for at least two years and I too find it helpful even today.
West Virginia is a beautiful state. We are heading there in October to take some steam train rides in the Monongahela National Forest. Keeping my fingers crossed for some good leaf peeping!
Denise, Catholic schools are definitely more likely to teach Latin. (My husband went to one.) I’m glad you got a good education. (So did my husband.)
The steam train rides will be wonderful! I love those.
I’ve only passed through the corner of West Virginia on the interstate, but I understand it has beautiful mountains nd rivers; another entry for the bucket list!
Another interesting fact about HBCUs, is that they hired not just Jewish refugees but political refugees! During the McCarthy era, many professors could not get jobs at other schools because of the blacklist, so they ended up at places like Howard and Spelman. For instance the famous historian, Howard Zinn, taught at Spelman, a women’s HBCU in Atlanta, where one of his students was future author Alice Walker. Here’s a short piece where she writes about his influence on her. https://www.howardzinn.org/about/howard-zinn-favorite-teacher/alice-walker/
Karin, I didn’t know about HBCU’s hiring of blacklisted professors, but it’s clearly in keeping with their general tolerance and desire for diversity. Obviously those brilliant refugees were a huge bonus for students like Alice Walker.
And isn’t ‘blacklisted’ an interesting word given the above?
Good catch, Kareni!
Wow, Karin! What a great piece of new information. So the HBCUs were not only generous and accepting, but they acquired fabulous professors by taking in refugees from both Europe and the US during the McCarthy era!
I went to various schools – all public. My family moved around. I got into a good university without having to take any tests. My education was varied. But, the consistent was I started reading when I was about 3 or 4. I read everything from cereal boxes to my father’s book of the month club books. (ask me about WWII) I loved to read and that allowed me to learn a great deal.
Unfortunately, it did not teach me to be wise in my life’s choices, but I was reading and reading and reading.
Thank you so much for this post. I did not know about Land Grant Colleges. But, it makes me proud that our leaders were thinking about the future of the country as well as the people who were going to be living in that country. Education is power.
Annette–you’re totally write about the foresight of our earlier leaders. As for the reading addiction–I imagine that most of us around the Word Wenches share that addiction. Wisdom is a whole different thing, but I’m sure you’ve acquire a good amount of that over the years.
I went to one school system in Roseville, CA and from there to the University of California at Davis, a land grant college that began in 1868, getting land sadly by stealing it from Native American reservations. U.C. Davis began as the University Farm and until the mid 1950s had no Letters and Sciences, just the Agriculture and Veterinary Departments. My sister started there in 1955 and I in 1959. My Mother, a U.C. Berkeley grad, said “You’re going to Davis,” and we went. I missed all the campus furor of the 60s but got a good education. These days Davis has a med school for people as well as animals, a law school, and I’m guessing more than 34,000 bicycles, a long tradition in a college in the flat lands of central California.
Serena, I think most of the land grant colleges have expanded and added new programs over the years. I knew of UC Davis, but not about the 34,000 bicycles!
Apparently putting them on land stolen from Native Americans was common, unfortunately.
“Did you go to a public school? A private school? Do you feel you got a good education?”
The fifteen schools I attended between kindergarten and high school graduation included primary schools in Australia, private Episcopalian and Catholic schools in Guam, public schools in Texas and Ohio, and a private school in Jamaica. You might say I had a bit of everything, Mary Jo! For all the moving that I did, I do feel that I got a good education.
We homeschooled our daughter from 7th grade through high school graduation. She studied Latin at a resource center for homeschoolers and actually went on to major in Latin at college. She loved the language!
15 schools? Blink! I knew you were well traveled, Kareni, but even so, I’m impressed! It sounds like your education was not just good but exceptional. And I love that your daughter majored in Latin in college! We need keepers of treasures of the past.
What a terrific post, Mary Jo! I am a product of public education and a graduate of the oldest state university in the US, the University of North Carolina. I could wish the politics of today were kinder to public universities, but have hope the pendulum may be starting to swing back in our favor. As for Latin, I often think it was the most valuable topic I studied in high school (2 years) or at university (3 years). And it once won me lunch at a very high end restaurant when a colleague, who considered himself a Latin scholar, did not believe me when I said that in Latin, “v” was pronounced as “w”.
Constance, LOL about winning a fine lunch because of your knowledge of Latin! I didn’t realize that politics were not kind to public universities–I think it’s great to have public universities because it makes higher education more affordable, and many of the public universities are real power houses.
I absolutely agree about the value of state universities, Mary Jo – it’s some state legislatures and their politics that aren’t supporting their state systems. I fear their shortsightedness will have long term consequences.
Constance, state legislatures are always looking for places to save money and state universities unfortunately must look like easy targets. I hope the universities fight back well. Education is indeed power.
I actually attended West Virginia University in the early 1980’s! It is renowned for several subjects and at the time, was the 3rd best journalism school in the country, which is what I obtained my degree in- a Bachelor of Science rather than a liberal arts degree. By being a land grant university, tuition was especially inexpensive at the time – less than $1,200 per year. Hard to believe nowadays, isn’t it? 😳
LilMissMolly–so you got a great education at an affordable price and in a beautiful setting–win/win/win!
I was thought by Catholic nuns in primary school then moved to a co ed school for secondary education. We didn’t have much growing up so I left school at fifteen to go working even though I loved school. I could never learn enough!! I’ve been a reader since I could first string words together to make a sentence 🙂 I’ve taught myself a lot from books over the years. The one huge regret I have in life is not going to college. I think I’d have loved it. Very enjoyable post.
Teresa–I’m really sorry you didn’t get the opportunity to go to college because you indeed would have loved it, and been very good at it, too. But being a serious reader makes up for a lot.
Excellent article. I loved that it was instigated by your visit to my Alma Mater, West Virginia University. It is a beautiful setting for a college with the seasons inspiring the students, beautiful autumn colors, pretty snow covered hills, daffodils on campus every spring, and the river inviting activities in the summer.
I learned a lot about land grant colleges. Thank you for that.
Susan Dudics-Dean aka Suzanne Quill
Susan–so you’re another alum of WVU! Having visited there, I have some sense of what a great university it is–though driving through the city was confusing! I enjoyed having the chance to dig into land grant colleges, of which I never very little. America’s penchant for education has benefited all of us.
I went to Catholic schools 1st through 12th – very good education. Of course we were taught Latin. Semper ubi sub ubi! LOL Hubby & I went to University of Wisconsin. He was an Ag major & knew all about land grant colleges. Then our son went to Penn State – also an original land grant university. We also sent our kids for the whole Catholic school education but Latin wasn’t part of the curriculum anymore. Kind of weird, don’t you think?
Jeanne, Latin teachers may be harder to find these days, and both students and administrations might think that a modern language like Spanish will be more useful. But I do hope Latin education doesn’t die out completely.
I went to public schools which were only as good as the individual teachers and my motivation. Despite how irregular and disorganized education was in the various states of the USA in the 18th and 19th centuries , we were far ahead of England in that. They didn’t have public education until late in the 19th century. My days in school were so long ago, I don’t remember much of the subject matter. Did have to take Latin and Algebra as well as Home Economics where we learned to sew, and cook, and can.
The meaning of a public school in the USA is different than what it is in England.
Nancy, it is weird how the English call expensive and very exclusive schools “private.” One of the many ways we are two great countries divided by a common language! You’re right that the bottom line for education is the quality of the classroom teachers–but some schools do better at hiring and retaining good teachers. Good educational funding is vital.
Mary Jo, I believe that the ritzy schools in England are called “public” schools instead of “private” schools, which is why the name is so ironic.
You’re right, Patricia. For Americans, the idea that schools like Eton and Harrow are called “public” is a real eye-roller!
I attended Michigan State University and graduated with a degree in Veterinary Technology. I came from a small town that bordered Detroit’s south border, called River Rouge. My high school had some really good teachers and I definitely wanted to learn and go to college. Michigan State has a beautiful campus and many great colleges enclosed in it’s border.
Kathleen, I’m not surprised to hear that Michigan had good secondary education as well as a top notch state university. We’re lucky that in earlier times, the US government took education so seriously. We’ve all benefited.