SECOND DAY. DECEMBER 27. The Association met at 10 o'clock; the president in the chair. The session was opened with prayer by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Potter. The standing committee proposed the following gentlemen as permanent members. PROF. JAMES NOONEY, San Francisco, As associate members: R. W. BUSHNELL, Washington, J. E. THOMPSON, Washington. On recommendation of the standing committee, Wm. P. Ross and Judge John Thom, of the Cherokee Nation, were elected corresponding members of the Association. Bishop Potter gave notice of an intention to offer an amendment to the constitution, in reference to the time for the annual meetings of the Association. The Association proceeded to a consideration of the order of the day, the discussion of the subject of classical education. The discussion was opened by the reading of a papert by David Cole, of New Jersey. At the close of Mr. Cole's remarks, the hour for the presentation of Prof. Hart's paper having arrived, on motion of Mr. Whitehead, the order of exercises was suspended for half an hour, to enable the members to express their views upon the subject under dis cussion. Remarks were made by Alfred Greenleaf, S. Jenner, Bishop Potter, and Z. Richards, until the hour appropriated for the discussion had expired, when, on motion of Bishop Potter, the further discussion of the subject of classical education was postponed to 6 o'clock P. M. Prof. Hart read a paper on the connection of the English language with the Teutonic, and other Indo-European languages. On motion of Mr. Hamill; Resolved, That the papers read by Mr. Cole and Prof. Hart be requested from their authors, for publication, under the direction of the standing committee. The adoption of the resolution was preceded by remarks from Bishop Potter, Mr. Dimitry, Prof. Proudfit, Prof. Hart, Mr. Hamill, Mr. Whitehead, Prof. Bache, Mr. Barnard, Prof. Henry, Dr. Stanton and A. Greenleaf. The hour of 3 o'clock having arrived, the Association adjourned. EVENING SESSION. The meeting was called to order by the president at 64 o'clock. The gentlemen proposed for membership, at the morning session, were unani mously elected. The standing committee proposed as a permanent member: SILAS L. LOOMIS, Washington. And as associate members: SAMUEL KELLEY, Washington, A. F. HARVEY, Washington. The resumption of the discussion of the subject of classical education having been announced as the order of exercises for the first hour, remarks were made by Mr. Richards, Bishop Potter, Mr. Cole and Prof. Proudfit. The hour for the presentation of Prof. Hart's report upon the Philadelphia high school having ar† See Appendix III. + See Appendix II. See Appendix II. b. See Appendix III. b. rived, on motion, the further discussion of the subject was postponed until to-morrow morning. Prof. Hart then entered into a detailed account of the construction of the high school recently erected in the city of Philadelphia, with numerous illustrations drawn on a large scale by pupils of the school. The reading the paper was followed by remarks from Prof. Bache, Dr. Lainbut, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Barnard, and others. A vote of thanks was tendered to Prof. Hart for his address. THIRD DAY. DECEMBER 28. The Association met at 10 o'clock, and, in the absence of the president, was called to order by Bishop Potter, upon whose motion Prof. Proudfit took the chair. The minutes of the last day's sessions were read and approved. The gentlemen nominated by the standing committee were elected members of the Association. Mr. Whitehead, of New Jersey, moved that the city of New York be designated as the next place of meeting of the Association. On motion of Bishop Potter, the resolution was laid upon the table for the present, in order to take up previously the amendment of the constitution, proposed during the second day's session. It was then Resolved; That the article of the constitution which designates the second Tuesday of August as the time for the annual meeting of the Association, be so amended as to leave the time for each annual meeting to be determined at its discretion, at the preceding meeting. Mr. Whitehead's resolution was taken up, and after considerable discussion was passed, designating the city of New York as the place for holding the next annual meeting, at the request of the Standing Committee. Hon. H. Barnard, of Connecticut, addressed the Association, giving an account of the Educational Exhibition held in London, in 1854, under the auspices of the Society of Arts, and the recent educational movements of Great Britain, generally. On motion of R. L. Cooke; Resolved, That the thanks of the Association be tendered to Mr. Barnard for his address, and that he be requested to prepare an abstract of his remarks, to be published in the proceedings of the Association. On motion of Bishop Potter; Resolved, That the standing committee be instructed to consider, and report specifically at the next annual meeting, upon the important suggestions made by Dr. Barnard, in his report of his late educational tour in Great Britain, respecting the expediency of establishing, in connection with the Association, a national museum or depository for books, globes, charts, models, &c. of school apparatus—also, a national educational journal—also, a system of educational exchanges-also, a plan for a series of educational tracts, adapted for circulation throughout the United States-and the employment by the Association of a permanent agent. The Association took a recess of 10 minutes. At the expiration of the recess, the standing committee reported, as a permanent member, the name of and as associate member. PROF. W. L. BROWN, Athens, Ga., PROF. JOSEPH J. WHITE, of Lexington, Va. See Appendix IV. † See Appendix IV. b. Bishop Potter, from the standing committee reported the names of the following gentlemen as officers of the Association for the ensuing year. Standing Committee, JOHN PROUDFIT, New Brunswick, N. J., The gentlemen nominated by the standing committee were unanimously elected. After considerable discussion, it was Resolved; That the next annual meeting commence on the last Tuesday, 28th of August, 1855, at 10 o'clock A. M. On motion; Resolved, That, as contingencies may arise which will render it expedient to alter, ei" he time or the place of the next annual meeting, the standing committee powered to make such alteration. The Association adjourned. EVENING SESSION. The Association was called to order by the president. The gentlemen nominated during the morning session were elected members. The standing committee nominated as a permanent member : GEORGE J. ABBOTT, of Washington city, and as an associate member: R. T. TAYLOR, of Washington city. A communication from the Young Men's Christian Association was read, inviting the members of the Association to visit their library and reading-room. The invitation was accepted, and thanks tendered to the Young Men's Association for the courtesy extended. Mr. Barnard, from the auditing committee, reported that they had examined the accounts and vouchers of the treasurer, and found them correct. The balance remaining in the treasury is $59.62. At the request of the Association, Mr. Barnard continued his remarks in reference to recent educational movements in Great Britain, especially as to Reformatory Schools, Schools of Industry, Government Schools of Practical Science, &c Prof. Joseph Henry, as the retiring president, delivered the annual address before the Association, on the philosophy of education.† On motion of Dr. Barnard, remarks on the topics suggested by the address of Prof. Henry were made the order of the day for to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock. Mr. Cole, of New Jersey, offered the following resolution: Resolved, That this Association regards the acquisition of the Latin and Greek languages as necessary to thorough, accurate, and comprehensive scholarship, and would sincerely deprecate the abandonment of classical studies in the academies, high schools and colleges of the United States. Bishop Potter offered the following resolution as a substitute for the above, which was adopted by Mr. Cole. Resolved; That, regarding the Latin and Greek languages as most valuable in ↑ See Appendix I struments of a high culture, this Association would earnestly deprecate the exclusion or discouragement of classical studies in the academies, high schools and colleges of the United States. After remarks by Mr. Richards, Bishop Potter, Dr. Stanton, Mr. Barnard, Dr. Proudfit, Mr. Hamill, Prof. Bache and Dr. Lambert, the resolution was passed, unanimously. Association adjourned. FOURTH DAY. DECEMBER 29. The Association was called to order by the president, and its session was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Dashiell. The minutes of the last day's sessions were read and approved. The gentlemen nominated last evening were elected members. The standing committee nominated as a permanent member : S. Y. ATLEE, of Washington city. Bishop Potter, from the standing committee, reported the names of the following gentlemen as a local committee: REV. DR. ISAAC FERRIS, University of New York, HON. CHAS. KING, President Columbia College, H. WEBSTER, LL. D., Free Academy, PROF. E. LOOMIS, University of New York, REV. G. D. ABBOTT, New York, PETER COOPER, Esq., New York, HON. S. S. RANDALL, Superintendent Public Schools, J. N. MCELLIGOTT, LL. D., ALBERT GILBERT, Esq., Clerk Board of Education. J. W. BUCKLEY, Sup't. Pub. Schools, Williamsburg, Hon. CYRUS SMITH, Brooklyn, SOLOMON JENNER, New York. Remarks upon the address of the retiring president were announced as the order of the day. Remarks were made by Mr. Barnard, Dr. Lambert, Prof. Henry, Bishop Potter, Dr. Proudfit, Prof. Bache, Mr. Hamill and Mr. Wight. On motion of Prof. Proudfit, the thanks of the Association were tendered to Prof. Henry for his address. The president called Prof. Proudfit to the chair. A paper on mental and moral discipline was read by Z. Richards, of Washington City.* The Association took a recess of five minutes. At the close of the recess, the president resumed the chair, and the nominees of the morning were elected members of the Association. On motion of John Whitehead, Mr. John Ross, of the Cherokee Nation, was elected a corresponding member of the Association. Mr. Wm. P. Ross made some interesting statements in regard to the state of education among the Cherokees.t Dr. Stanton offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the standing committee, to whom was yesterday referred the See Appendix VI. + See Appendix VIII. several subjects suggested by the address of Dr. Barnard, on the state of educa tion in Europe, with instructions to report at the next annual meeting, be, and they are hereby fully authorized to carry out any or all the objects contemplated in reference of the subject to the committee, as soon as, in their judgment, the requisite funds and the proper person or persons can be obtained for the work. The resolution was adopted. The following is an outline of the "Plan for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,' of education, and especially of popular education, and measures for its improvement through the Smithsonian Institution, or the American Association for the Advancement of Education," prepared by Mr. Barnard. The Institution [or Association] to appoint a secretary or agent; with a salary, and to furnish a room for an office and depository of educational documents and apparatus. Agenda by the secretary or agent: 1. To devote himself exclusively to the "increase and diffusion of knowledge" on the subject of education, and especially of the condition and means of improving popular education, and particularly 2. To answer all personal or written inquiries on the subject, and collect and make available for use, information as to all advances made in the theory and prac tice of education in any one state or country. 3. To attend, as far as may be consistent with other requisitions on his time, and without charge to the funds of the Institution, [or Association] Educational Conventions of a national and state character, for the purpose of collecting and disseminating information. 4. To edit a publication, to be entitled the American Journal and Library of Education, on the plan set forth in the accompanying paper.* 5. To collect (a) Plans and models of school-houses and furniture. (b) Specimens of maps and other material aids of education. (e) Educational reports and documents from other states and countries. 6. To institute a system of educational exchange between literary institutions in this and other countries. 7. To make arrangements, and effect, if practicable, at least one meeting or conference of the friends of educational improvement in Washington [or elsewhere] every year. 8. To submit annually a report in which shall be given a summary of the progress of education, in each state, and as far as practicable, in every country. On motion of S. Y. Atlee; it was Resolved, That a select committee be appointed to consider the expediency of rendering the study of constitutional law one of the rudimental exercises in public schools; said committee to report thereon to the Association, at its next annual meeting. The president appointed Mr. Atlee on this committee. On motion of Bishop Potter; Resolved, That the following subjects be referred by the president, at his earliest convenience, to committees or individuals as he may elect, to be reported upon at the next annual meeting. 1st. The uses and best methods of classical instruction. 2d. Moral education in schools. 3d. The relations of the schools and the family. * See Appendix IX A. |