1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Chicago, University of
CHICAGO, UNIVERSITY OF (see 6.125).—The grounds of the University of Chicago increased between 1908 and 1920 from 60 ac. to 92, so that the university's holdings occupied both sides of the Midway Plaisance continuously for three-quarters of a mile. During the same period new buildings were erected, at an aggregate cost of $2,000,000, for a general library (the William Rainey Harper Memorial), for classics, for geology and geography (Julius Rosenwald Hall), for pathology (the Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory), and for a women's gymnasium, refectory and clubhouse (Ida Noyes Hall). Funds amounting to $3,250,000 were in hand in Jan. 1921 for further building projects—a theology building and chapel, the Rawson laboratory for medical research, the Billings hospital (250 beds) and the Epstein dispensary, and the founder's chapel. In 1916-7 funds amounting to $5,461,000 were secured for the development of the medical work of the university, and arrangements were made for the closest coöperation with the Presbyterian hospital, the Otho S. A. Sprague Memorial Institute and the McCormick Memorial Institute. A Graduate School of Social Service Administration, continuing and developing the work previously done by the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy, was added to the schools by the university in 1920.
The libraries of the university contained in 1920 685,000 volumes and 200,000 pamphlets. By a novel arrangement of bridges connecting the third floor of the Harper library with adjacent buildings, reading rooms with an aggregate capacity of 900 readers were brought into connexion upon the same level and virtually under one roof. The University Press, the first to be organized under university ownership in the United States, publishes from 30 to 60 books annually, and II scientific journals, the Biblical World and the American Journal of Theology giving way on Jan. 1 1921 to the American Journal of Religion. Beginning in 1914 the Meadville Theological School united its summer quarter with that of the Divinity School, and in 1915 the Chicago Theological Seminary (Congregational) became affiliated with the university. While the trustees of the Divinity School were Baptists, theological instruction was given by members of five Protestant denominations to students of every denomination. In celebration of the quarter-centennial of the founding of the university, June 2-6 1916, the university published three volumes: The Quarter-Centennial Celebration of the University of Chicago, 1916, by D. A. Robertson; A Bibliography of the Publications of Members of the University, 1902-1916, edited by G. J. Laing; and a History of the University of Chicago, 1891-1916, by T. W. Goodspeed.
Upon the entrance of the United States into the World War, the President placed the resources of the university at the disposal of the Government for purposes of experimentation and research and for military training, and the members of the university entered actively into war work. President Judson himself led a political and philanthropic mission to Persia in 1918-9, and, in all, 4,355 members of the university, including students, alumni, and members of the faculties were in the service of the Government; 70 of these gave up their lives for their country. Between 1908 and 1920, under the administration of President Judson, the university's total resources more than doubled, and on June 30 1920 exceeded $50,000,000, rather more than $30,000,000 of which was in invested funds. The members of the faculties numbered 328. Between 1892 and 1920 87,600 students matriculated and more than 12,000 took degrees, 1,200 of them the Ph.D. In 1920-1 the university enrolled 11,479 students.
(E. J. G.)