Mark Hopkins on Education (1841)

by Rick Teller '70, Williston Northampton Archivist
Williston Seminary in 1841, at the time of its dedication. The single school building, the neoclassical “White Seminary,” is at right. Next to it is the “Town Hall,” formerly the Meeting House, but no longer functioning as such since the construction of the First Congregational Church, at left, in 1836. At this time there were no buildings on the west side of Main Street. The Village Green and Seminary Grounds extended down to the Manhan River.
Mark Hopkins (National Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1892)

On December 1, 1841, Williston Seminary opened its doors to its first group of students.  For the dedication address, Samuel Williston invited the Rev. Mark Hopkins (1802-1887), President of Williams College, Professor of Moral and Intellectual Philosophy, and one of the nation’s leading thinkers on education and educational reform.  Hopkins was known as a gifted teacher, who favored Socratic engagement over lectures.  One of his Williams protégés, President James A. Garfield, commented that an ideal college comprised “Mark Hopkins on one end of a log and a student on the other.”

True to the oratorical tradition of the time, Hopkins spoke for well over an hour.  His subject was the condition of education in the United States, of the need for a variety of reforms, and how Williston Seminary, of which he was a founding Trustee, might address them.  It is a fascinating and valuable document.  (Readers who wish copies of the full text may email the archivist.)

One passage, on pages 7 and 8 of the printed speech, concerns the importance of an educated citizenry, arguing that anything less constitutes a danger to democracy itself.  It is reproduced below.   Notwithstanding the optimism of the last excerpted sentence, Hopkins’ words continue to resonate, 176 years after he spoke them.

A portion of page 7
A portion of page 8

One thought on “Mark Hopkins on Education (1841)”

  1. Nice to see the connection between my two alma maters—Williston and Williams. The Hopkins learning approach was discussed often at Williams. In the modern era, it led to tutorials where one professor and two or three students take on a topic of study for a full semester. Tutorials are now a cornerstone of the academic program at Williams. Finally, the beloved college-owned bar is called “The Log” and it refers to that optimum educational experience James Garfield talked about. The logo of The Log actually has Mark Hopkins sitting on one end of a log with a student sitting on the other end. An academic building and dorm are also named after Mark Hopkins at Williams. Thanks for allowing me to learn about Hopkins’ connection to Williston.

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