In the middle foreground is the Carnegie Library, with the skylight on the roof that provided light for the reading room beneath it. Clockwise is West College with its clock tower. Next, in the middle background, is Roberts Hall and the two wings of Main College. To right of the east wing of Main College is East College. Note the observation tower and four skylights on the roof and the outside fire escape. Next to East College is the College Inn. The white dome marks the location of the Observatory. Loomis Field is visible beyond the trees behind Main College.

Changes in Calendar and Curriculum, 1919-1941

On September 18, 1919 the Academic Year was changed to the “two-semester plan” from the previous “three-term system.” Under this new plan, each professor taught five courses a semester and each course met three hours per week. The semester plan resulted in a decrease in the number of class meetings of courses, but it permitted each faculty member to teach an additional course per academic year so new courses could be introduced into the curriculum without adding additional faculty members. By 1931, a quality credit system and a dean’s honor list had been implemented in order to improve student scholarship.

Also, by 1931, the College curriculum had changed greatly from what it had been in 1915. This change had been in a “…steady but cautious advance toward newer trends…” in “…a college which trie[d] at once to be both liberal and vocational.” The Memorials of Bucknell University 1919-1931 contains a succinct description of the major changes.

The classical, philosophical, and scientific courses, which formerly led to the bachelor of arts and bachelor of philosophy degrees have been discontinued, as has the jurisprudence course. The University no longer gives the bachelor of philosophy degree. The baccalaureate in science is now confined to the technical courses. The courses leading to the bachelor of arts degree have been merged with a general arts curriculum. The requirement for specific courses has, for the most part, been supplemented by the requirement of group courses in various fields of study. These required courses must be followed by student in their freshmen and sophomore years. Arrived at his junior and senior year, the student is allowed to concentrate his work in three fields: a major and two minor fields.

New departments have steadily been created in the arts college, notably in the fields of psychology, sociology, art, music and religion. Political science has been separated from economics. A vocational course in commerce and finance has been added. The Education Department has been expanded in both teaching personnel and courses, and a four-year course in education has been established. The Modern Language Department has been divided into the Department of Romance Languages and the Department of German.

Between 1919 and 1931, the prescribed courses for the Bachelor of Arts degree changed dramatically.

The number of prescribed courses in 1919 for the A.B. degree [was] 34. The number for this degree in 1931 [was] the same, but the subjects prescribed [were] by no means identical. In 1919, Greek, Latin and mathematics were still held to be, as in ancient times, the most important subjects in a cultural college course. Of the 34 prescribed courses, 11 belonged to this trio. By 1931, a great change [had] been made. That trio of Greek, Latin, and mathematics, so important in 1919, [had] been wholly eliminated as prescribed subjects. English now dominate[d]. It [had] risen from three courses to 12 [semester hours] in 1931.

Foreign language [had] risen from no prescribed courses in 1919 to nine [semester hours] in 1931.

Philosophy and psychology [had] risen from four terms in 1919 to six [semester hours] in 1931.

Science [had] risen from nothing prescribed in 1919 to six [semester hours] in 1931.

During the presidency of Dr. Homer Price Rainey, 1931-1935, major changes occurred in both the organization of the College and in the requirements for degrees granted by the College. Shortly after coming to Bucknell, President Rainey convinced the Trustees to have the Bucknell faculty undertake a "survey" of the College. Faculty committees collected data, which was submitted to two consultants, Dr. Charles H. Judd of the University of Chicago and Dr. Melvin E. Haggerty of the University of Minnesota, both of whom were deans of the education schools at the two institutions. In 1932, based upon the recommendations from these consultants, the College faculty voted to implement several major changes.

The courses of instruction were arranged under five groups:

I. Language - English, French, German, Latin, Greek, Spanish

II. Social Science - Economics, Education, History, Political Science, Sociology

III. Natural Science - Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Physical Education

IV. Philosophy and The Arts - Art, Music, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion

V. Engineering - Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.

The College was organized into two divisions:

The College with the exception of the engineering group, is organized into a Lower Division (freshman and sophomore years) and an Upper Division (junior and senior years). The curricula of all courses leading to degrees, except those in engineering, are largely the same for the Lower Division, and are designed to give through survey and other courses the foundation of a broad cultural education. However, electives in each semester of the freshman and sophomore years allow the student to begin work at once in the field which he may wish to select as his major subject in the Upper Division.

The work of the student in the Upper Division will consist largely of concentration, under the direction of his group advisor, in the Group which he selects, the main objective being mastery of a particular field.

In 1945, these changes were still in effect when "...[t]he curricula of all courses leading to degrees, except those in engineering and in commerce and finance, [were] largely the same for the Lower Division, and [were] designed to give through survey and other courses the foundation of a broad cultural education." In the Upper Division in the Bachelor of Arts Course "...at least one-half of the last two years..." was devoted to "...completing a major of twenty-four hours...in one subject." Concentrations were pursued in the Bachelor of Science Course and the Education Course.

Changes In Response to the Second World War, 1942-1945

Temporary changes occurred in both courses of study and the academic calendar as a result of the Second World War. In 1942, Bucknell adopted an "…accelerated program…making it possible for an Engineering student, a pre-medical, pre-dental or chemistry student to complete his college course in two and two-thirds years, and for other non-engineering students to complete their course in three years; while at the same time the regular four year courses of study [were] maintained for those who [did] not wish to shorten the usual course." In 1943, in conjunction with the Navy V-12 Program, the College instituted a "new college year", which consisted of "…three sixteen week terms, an all year program." Terms began in July, November and March, with new students admitted in July, October and February. Graduations were held at the end of each term. Because of this change from two semesters to three terms, a "…[salary] increase of 33 ½ % was made to faculty members, and…the increase was distributed in accordance with a sliding scale recommended by the faculty advisory committee." In 1945, the University schedule adopted in May was: a sixteen-week V-12 Trainee Program from July 1 to October 29; a sixteen-week Civilian Term from July 1 to October 29; a summer session for teachers from July 2 to August 10; and an eight-week Civilian Term from August 7 to October 20. The "next regular semester" began November 1, 1945.

The Curriculum in 1945

In 1945, the College offered the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Finance (General, Secretarial, and Business Education), Bachelor of Science in Education, and Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Chemical, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical).

Descriptions in the Catalogue outlined the difference between the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees:

The general purpose of the Bachelor of Arts course is to give the essentials of a liberal education. It aims to enable the student to acquaint himself with the more important facts in his physical and social environment and to learn how to adapt himself to them, to enable him to acquire some familiarity with the background of our present civilization, to arouse and stimulate in him intellectual and cultural interests, to train him to think accurately, to disclose the range of his aptitudes, and to help him to discover the particular type of work for which he is best fitted and to lay the foundations for proficiency in this field.

In the realm of professional education, the general tendency to day is to place professional training upon a graduate basis, and to recommend that it be preceded by a broad cultural training, combined with the necessary pre-professional subjects, special emphasis being laid on the importance of a general education. The Bachelor of Arts Course is, therefore, well adapted to provide a sound preparation for the specialized work of the professional schools, such as the graduate school, law school, medical school, theological school, and business school.

*****

The science curricula are offered for those who seek a fundamental education based upon science supplemented with instruction in the humanities. This provides for a thorough preparation in the field of the student’s major interest without neglecting the complementary arts and sciences. Upon completion of one of these curricula, students of superior ability are encouraged to pursue further study in graduate schools. Those who find it impossible to extend their period of formal education will find opportunities for careers in several fields.

Three subdivisions of the Bachelor of Science Course are offered, each including concentration in one of the following subjects: Group I, Biology; Group II, Chemistry; and Group III, Physics.

Competence in a foreign language was required of all Bachelor of Arts students, which could be satisfied by taking college courses or passing am examination. Students in the Bachelor of Science program were required to demonstrate competence in either French or German, although another foreign language could be substituted “…with the permission of the student’s advisor and the Dean of the College.” There was no foreign language require for the Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Finance, the Bachelor of Science in Education, or any of the degrees in engineering.

In 1945, all candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree were required to take Art 100, “History of Art”; Economics 103, “Principles of Economics”; English 103 and 104, “World Literature”; History 99 and 100, “The History of Western Civilization”; Music 100, “Introduction to Music”; Philosophy 100, “Introduction to Philosophy”; Political Science 100, “Principles of Government”; Psychology 100, “General Psychology”; Sociology 100, “An Introduction to the Study of Society”; a biological science course and a physical science course, or courses in mathematics; one of four specified courses in Religion; and, Biology 100, “Personal Hygiene,” which was taken in the freshman or sophomore year. Four semesters of physical education were required also.

Enrollment in 1945-1946

Total enrollment for the November Term in 1945 was 1,439, including 353 male trainees in the Navy V-12 Program. Of the 1,086 regular students, there were 375 males and 711 females. Total enrollment for the March Term in 1946 was 1,619, including 5 trainees. Of the 1,614 regular students, there were 933 males and 681 females. For the First Semester of the 1946-47 Academic Year, total enrollment was 2,043 students, of whom 1,412 were men and 631 were women.

"two-semester plan", MBU '19-'31, p. 35

"...steady but cautious.." MBU '19-'31, p. 2

"The classical, philosophical, and..." and the following paragraph, MBU '19-'31, pp. 21-22

"The number of prescribed..." through "Science [had] risen..." ib., 46

" I. Language.." CAT '34-'35, p. 31

"The College with..." and the following paragraph, ib.

"...[t]he curricula of..." and the other quotations in this paragraph, CAT '44-'45, p. 33

"...an accelerated program..." BT '20-'50, 5/23/1942, p. 2

"new college year" and "...three sixteen week..." ib., 5/28/1943, p. 4

"...[salary] increase of...", ib., 12/18/1943, p. 2

"The general purpose of..." to ***, CAT '44-'45, p. 35

"The science curricula are..." and the following paragraph, ib., pp. 37-38

"...with the permission of...." CAT '45-'46, footnote on p. 47; p. 50

The major source for the information on this page is the Minutes of the Board of Trustees of Bucknell University, 1920-1950 (BT '20-'50). Additional sources are Oliphant, Rise of Bucknell; Theiss, Centennial History; Memorials of Bucknell University, 1919-1931 (MBU '19-'31); records from the Bucknell Registrar's office; the Catalogue of Bucknell University, Eighty-Ninth Year, 1934-1935, (CAT '34-'35); the Bucknell University Bulletin, Catalogue Issue, Ninety-Ninth Year, 1944-1945 (CAT '44-'45); and the Bucknell University Bulletin, Catalogue Issue, One Hundredth Year, January, 1946 (CAT '45-'46).