(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ The Modern Polytechnic School: Inaugural Address Of President Charles O. Thompson, Delivered At The Opening Of Rose Polytechnic Institute, March 7, 1883 Charles Oliver Thompson C.W. Brown (Globe office) printer, 1883 Education; Computers & Technology; Education / Computers & Technology; Technical education
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Thompson was born at East Windsor Hill, Connecticut, in 1836. His father, Rev. William Thompson, was a professor in the Theological Institute of Connecticut. He was a descendant of Anthony Thompson, who came to Boston in 1637 and later was one of the founders of New Haven, Connecticut. Charles's mother was Eliza Butler, whose ancestors were among the pioneer settlers who established Hartford, Connecticut.
Young Thompson entered Dartmouth College in 1854 and four years later, having taken high rank, was graduated with the degree of A. B.
For six years he had a varied experience in teaching and engineering practice. Until 1864 he was principal of the Peacham Academy at Peacham, Vt. , but used his vacation periods in the practice of surveying and civil engineering. From 1864 to 1868 he was principal of the Cotting High School at Arlington, Massachussets Here he established a reputation which led to his being called to Worcester in February 1868 as principal of the new Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science (later Worcester Polytechnic Institute).
He spent the summer of 1868 abroad, studying European technical schools. Upon his return in November, he put into effect at Worcester what were then considered rather radical innovations in American technical education. "In all the great schools that began before 1868, " he said in after years, "there were collections of apparatus and models, drawing-rooms and laboratories for the proper teaching of practical science, but there was no workshop worthy of the name. The mechanical arts were the last to be recognized in schools of engineering. The first school to embody in the course a thoroughly equipped and genuine workshop was the Free Institute at Worcester, Massachussets, in 1868".
He even planned to have the articles made by the students in the shops compete in the open market with those produced by commercial manufacturers. He thus sought a solution of the still important problem of the relation of engineering education to engineering industry by bringing industry into the technical school. His scheme has since been largely abandoned in advanced engineering schools, in favor of sending students to industrial works to secure this training; but to Thompson belongs the credit of being the first to emphasize this important feature in engineering education.
The great success of the Free Institute led to its director receiving many offers from other institutions. These he refused until, in 1882, he had the opportunity to become the first president of Rose Polytechnic Institute at Terre Haute, Ind. , Chauncey Rose, the founder of this school, having decided after making a careful survey of the field that Dr. Thompson was the person best fitted to establish the institution. It was opened on March 7, 1883, but Thompson was destined to do no more than organize it and start it on its career, for he died at Terre Haute almost exactly two years later.
Thompson was a pioneer in the introduction of shop practice in engineering teaching. He published several papers on teaching and manual training, which include Hints Toward a Profession of Teaching (1867); The Modern Polytechnic School (1883); Manual Training in the Public Schools; and "A Review of the Reports of the British Royal Commissioners on Technical Instruction".
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
He was a member of a number of societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Institute of Mining Engineers.
On May 14, 1862, he married Maria, daughter of Dr. Horace and Elizabeth (Dickinson) Goodrich of Ware, Massachussets, who with their two sons and a daughter survived him.
