The inclusion of laboratory exercises for undergraduate students was a major innovation in 19th-century chemical pedagogy. This program reached the US from Liebig's laboratory in mid-century via German-trained American instructors and translated laboratory manuals. It was particularly welcomed in the new, democratically-minded mid-western land-grant colleges. These colleges initially had small enrollments, underprepared students and a lack of many material and human resources. The Liebig laboratory program therefore underwent substantial modification, especially after college enrollments began to soar around 1890. Using data from representative institutions, I will describe how homegrown lab manuals and modified curricula accommodated changing local circumstances. Most land-grant institutions were coeducational when founded or soon thereafter. Their strong emphasis on science meant that female and male students studied science together, at least in beginning subjects. The talk will conclude with a brief overview of the numbers and career pathways of the early women students and alumnae.

Chemical laboratory instruction, democratic ideals, and mass education in midwestern land-grant colleges, 1870-1914

244th National Meeting (2012)

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