BALDWIN UNIVERSITY-ITS PAST, PRESENT AND

FUTURE.

BY G. A. REEDER, A. M., D. d.

Baldwin University, one of Ohio's live, prospering, and enthusiastic schools, is located at Berea, Ohio. Although not as well known possibly as some of the larger colleges of the Buckeye state, yet the past history of Baldwin University and its present energetic and thorough going administration are such as to command the attention and interest of all those, particularly of northern Ohio, who have youth to educate. It is now one of Methodism's strong little colleges, and judging from the renewed activity, life and enthusiasm which has been rife in faculty and student body alike during the past year or two, it does not seem too much to say that Baldwin University may be destined some day to become one of the great centers of learning in our state and church.

But what and where is Baldwin University, how came it to be founded, and what is it doing at the present time to merit the above. rather optimistic statements regarding its position and standing? To answer all of these questions for the readers of the REPORTER and to give what supplementary information space will permit, is the object of this article.

What and where is Baldwin University?

As stated above it is located in Berea, Ohio. Berea is a small town, a suburb of Cleveland, the sixth city of the United States in population. It is a clean, wholesome and temperance town, and is within one hour's trolley ride of the public square of the metropolis of Ohio, access to which is easy because of the electric line and two excellent railroads. Berea makes an ideal college town, for it is a beautiful, quiet, little place, and is possessed of an unusual citizenship, one interested in education, true culture and civic development, and one of which any town or city might well be proud.

Baldwin University is a college owned by and under the direct supervision of the North Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The university proper, as now organized, consists of seven departments; the academy, the college of arts and sciences, the college of music, the college of art, the normal college, the Cleveland Law School and the Cleveland-Pulte Medical College. Each one of the departments is thoroughly organized and is doing distinctive work in its own line.

The work of the academy corresponds to that of a first grade high school. The academy courses have been rearranged and the de

partment reorganized within the past year, and now there is granted each student completing its course a diploma. Students graduating from this department take part in the regular commencement exercises in June and are then ready the following year to enter, without condition, the freshman class of the college of arts and sciences, or one of the other departments.

In the college of arts and sciences regular college work is given. Modern and ancient languages, literature, history, philosophy, higher mathematics and the sciences of chemistry, physics, zoology, botany, biology and geology are all a part of the curriculum. Three distinct courses are offered the student; the classical, the philosophical and the scientific. Each course has been carefully arranged with the particular purpose in view of giving the students a thorough training in the line of work which they may elect. The classical and philosophical courses are particularly adapted to those who are going into teaching or the professions. The scientific course equips one for teaching the sciences or for expert work in ony one of them. Students desiring engineering enter the scientific course, and at the end of two years are admitted to advanced standing in Case School of Applied Science.

The colleges of music and art give opportunity for instruction in the finer arts. Vocal and instrumental music are made a specialty, although lessons are offered on the violin and cornet. Along with these are given courses in history and music, harmony and counterpoint. The popularity of the music department is growing year by year and a strong four year course is now offered. In art work in freehand and artistic drawing, in the crafts, in charcoal, in oil and in china painting can be had under the most competent instructors and artists. The benefits of the college of music and art are two-fold. One may take a complete course lasting through the four years in this department alone, or a student may select, under the proper supervision, such studies as they may desire to supplement their regular college work.

The normal college is equipped to give the teacher a thorough training. It is under the supervision of an experienced educator and a successful teacher. In this day and age teaching is no longer a simulant profession, but it is a real one. It is demanding as much preparation and study as are other professional lines. The state is recognizing this, and is constantly raising the requirements for its public school teachers. To meet this increased demand upon the teachers the normal college of Balwin University was organized. It provides the teacher with the means of fully and easily meeting the re

quirements of the Hawkins bill and the work being done by it has been approved by the State School Commissioner. This department has thus been put upon a sound basis.

The law school of the university provides its students with a means for obtaining a good legal education. This department is located in Cleveland and is known as the Cleveland Law School. It has an enrollment of two hundred and fifty students and is successfully fitting men for the bar. Among its teachers are some of the

most successful lawyers and jurists of the city of Cleveland. We have spoken briefly of the organization of Baldwin University, now let us turn to its equipment.

The Cleveland-Palte Medical College, so well known throughout the state and the United States as one of the foremost and oldest colleges, has just been united with Baldwin University. Many of our old students in times past have graduated from this college, and