Tabular statement of the State expenditures for higher education by the Colorado Legislature. From interest on land-grant fund approximately to January 1, 1890............. $217, 221. 35 33,000.00 2,500.00 Hatch-experiment fund to January, 1890.. 37,500.00 287,221.35 Less delinquent tax, $2,000, approximately each year twelve Total cost of school from February, 1877, to January 1, 1890, less invoice 139, 442. 49 Average cost of school for ten years, $13,944.25 annually, and experiment station two and one half years. Nevada made ample provision in the first Constitution, adopted in 1864, for a complete system of State schools, and has followed up the declaration of the Constitution by legislative enactments as far as circumstances would permit. The first section under education asserts that "The Legislature shall encourage by all suitable means the promotion of intellectual, literary, scientific, mining, mechanical, agricultural, and moral improvement." 1 Under this broad declaration the Constitution proceeds to provide for " a uniform system of common schools," the establishment of normal schools, and a "State university which shall embrace departments for agriculture, mechanic arts, and mining." It also authorized the establishment of a school fund by devoting all the public lands granted by Congress by the acts of 1787, 1862, and 1841,2 together with all escheats of land, to purposes of education. The first Legislature3 passed an act, approved March 9, 1865, entitled "An act to establish an agricultural and mechanical college in Washoe County in this State." This college became an integral part of the public school system which was organized on the 20th of March, 1865.5 However, no funds were given into the hands of the regents, and the university was not located according to the provisions of the Constitution until March 7, 1873. At this date an act was approved locating the university at the town of Elko, provided that the people in that town convey within one year to the board of regents of the State university the title of not less than twenty thousand acres, with buildings for a preparatory department costing at least ten thousand dollars. The Central Pacific Railroad Company donated a site, and the citizens of Elko more than fulfilled their part by erecting a building costing over eighteen thousand dollars. 1 Art. IX, sec. 1, Constitution, 1864. U. S. Statutes at Large, V, p. 455; 500,000-acre grant. 3 The first Territorial Legislature in 1861 passed an act to establish a seminary of learning at Carson City, but nothing came of it. 4 Laws of 1864-65, 349. "Laws of Nevada. II, 253. In 1875 a building was erected for a dormitory costing, furnished, $7,397, for the purpose of boarding students from abroad; but not over five scholars patronized it at any one time. The university preparatory department was opened in 1874 with seven students. The University of Nevada, at Elko, "did not realize the anticipations of the board of regents;" in other words, it was a failure. While during the eleven years of its existence at Elko, classes were maintained in algebra, geometry, chemistry, physiology, history, and the common English branches, it would scarcely bear the name of a modern high school. The regents' reported in 1883-84 that a change was desirable. A bill was proposed for the removal of the university to Carson City, but it failed to pass. Another bill, approved by the Governor March 7, 1885, authorized the removal to Reno (Washoe County), on the conditions that the board of commissioners of Washoe County pay into the treasury of Elko twenty thousand dollars, and to the board of regents five thousand dollars; provided further, that ten thousand dollars be appropriated by the Legislature, and this with the five thousand dollars be expended in the erection of a building not to cost over twenty thousand dollars.2 The board of regents proceeded at once to carry out the provisions of the act. They purchased a site of ten acres for $1,250. On June 1, 1885, the board of commissioners to carry out the stipulations of the said act issued bonds to the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars. FUNDS AND ENDOWMENTS. The Constitution provided in section six, article nine, that there should be levied "a special tax of one-half mill on the dollar, on all taxable property in the State, in addition to the other means provided, for the support and maintenance of said university and common schools." The permanent funds are derived from the sale of the Congressional grant of 1862 of ninety thousand acres, nearly all of which have been sold. In 1866 Congress granted to the State the customary two townships of public lands for "seminary" purposes. From a statement rendered December 31, 1885, the following facts are gleaned: 3 Amount of permanent fund derived from sale of lands of the agricultural The amount of money expended for university purposes since its opening up to the date (1887) of the last report of the regents was $57,138.28; only $17,760.20 being derived from the income on permanent funds, the remainder, $39,378.08, having been appropriated by the State Legislature.1 CALIFORNIA. FIRST ORGANIZED EFFORTS FOR EDUCATION. The first organized efforts toward higher education in California were made by the various religious denominations in their establishment of Christian schools. And these institutions wrought a noble work in thus breaking the fallow-ground and laying the foundation of that great system of advanced learning which is to-day the pride of the State. Usually without necessary means, and ofttimes with the meagre products of self-denial, these colleges and seminaries raised the standard of liberal education. During the first twenty years of existence, California was indebted to private institutions for the entire benefits received from higher education; and if these institutions could not be favorably compared with older Eastern colleges, possessing many superior advantages; if they professed to give but a limited education and often failed to fulfil what they professed, still they supplied the demand for higher education in pioneer days, and hundreds of men who received their early training and culture in such schools have since risen to positions of honor and usefulness throughout the State. But it is not our purpose to describe the work of these institutions; suffice it to say that whereas a number have succumbed to the rude shocks of fortune or to injudicious management, the majority have developed with the rapid growth of Cali fornia and fill their own mission in supplying the needs of the times. EARLY LEGISLATION. The first Legislature of 1849-50 made no provision for education, the few schools then established being carried on by private enterprise or through the agency of town councils, but the Constitution adopted in 1849 provided for a system of education. It states that "the Legislature shall encourage by suitable means the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement." It further provides for the appropriation of the proceeds of five hundred thousand acres of land toward a permanent school fund, and the protection and preserva tion of the United States seminary grant for a university. No school law was formed until 1851, and this law, following the provisions of the Constitution, stipulates that the schools shall be of primary, intermediate, grammar, and high school grades, but says nothing 'Regents' Report, 1883-84, 8. Sec. 2, Art. IX. about a university. One of the remarkable laws of this code represents the early policy of the State, which has in recent times been wholly departed from. In section 10 we find these words: "If a school be formed by the enterprise of a religious society, in which all the educational branches are taught, and which from its private and public examination will it to be well conducted, such school shall be allowed a compensation from the public school fund in proportion to the number of its pupils in the same manner as is provided for district schools by this act." Sec. 11 says: "Schools established under charitable auspices, orphan asylums, schools for blind, almshouse schools, etc., such as shall be subject to the general supervision of laws on education, but under the immediate management of their respective trustees, managers, and directors; and said schools shall participate in the apportionment of the school moneys in the same manner as other commou schools."1 As nearly all of the colleges and seminaries had preparatory courses in connection with their collegiate departments, section 10 of this law provided for aid by the State to private or sectarian institutions. By a law of 1852 the Catholics were allowed their pro rata of the public fund, but by an act approved May 3, 1852,2 which levied the first State school tax, the foregoing action was annulled by providing that no school should receive any apportionment of public money unless free from all denominational or sectarian bias, control, or influence whatever. Beyond this the State gave assistance to high schools, some of which attained first rank, but all of these are now supported by local taxation. THE STATE UNIVERSITY. The crowning work of the State in the support of education is found in the university at Berkeley. In fact all that the State has ever done in the name of higher education worthy of mention, has been centered about this point. From the time of organization as a State, California has shown a disposition to foster the grants made by the General Government, and has at the same time provided a constant support for the university by taxation, appropriation, and endowment. The grant of two whole sections of land from the General Government in 1853,3 for a seminary, and an additional grant in the same year of ten sections for building purposes, gave California an opportunity to realize a handsome sum by judicious management; but owing to hasty sales only one hundred thousand dollars was realized from these two Yet this was more satisfactory than the profits received from the five hundred thousand acres granted for internal improvement by the United States in an act of 1841.4 California received but six hun 1 Quoted by John Swett in History of Public School System of California, 15, 2 Ibid., 20. 3 General Statutes of United States, 4 Statutes of United States. |