Into the 20th Century
Jordan was an inspiring teacher and mentor to many students during his dozen years at IU. By exhortation and by example he induced a number of promising undergraduates to pursue careers in science.
Among those motivated by Jordan was William Lowe Bryan, who completed his bachelor’s degree in ancient classics in 1884 and a master’s degree in the history of philosophy in 1886. Bryan, the son of a local Presbyterian minister, discovered that science as well as philosophy offered ways to explore questions about human nature. He became a noted contributor to the emerging field of experimental psychology.
Bryan left his laboratory studies of human learning behind in 1902 when he began a 35-year term as IU president. His emphasis on the development of the university’s professional schools was a natural outgrowth of his belief that education could prepare individuals to find in their occupations personal fulfillment as well as social usefulness. During his administration the structure of the university took on much of its present configuration. Schools of medicine, education, nursing, business, music, and dentistry were established, as well as the Graduate School and the Extension Division.
Over the long span of Bryan’s presidency, the university grew in nearly every way. Enrollment increased from less than 800 to nearly 5,000 students, and the number of faculty rose from 67 to almost 400. The university acquired dozens of acres, and the campus sprouted several academic halls and the first student dormitories, along with major new structures such as the library, the fieldhouse, and the Indiana Memorial Union. Through the Extension Division the university expanded its reach beyond Bloomington. Courses were offered at extensions in several urban centers around the state. By the time Bryan retired at the age of 76, the university had significantly broadened access to its programs and dramatically increased the quality of graduate and professional education.
Next: A Great Leap Forward
