Historical reconstruction bridges the gulf between theory and practice extant in educational administration. This book characterizes evolution of administrative thought and practice in the United States. An introduction summarizes methods incorporated by this applied field from diverse administrative systems. Chapters 2 and 3 advance two of four major views of administration: "scientific management," drawn from industry; and "human relations," fueled by John Dewey's "democratic administration." Chapter 4 presents the bureaucratic view of school organization, resurrected from Max Weber's model and expanded by Talcott Parsons. Later concern for the individual created the open systems view, discussed in chapter 5. Chapter 6 categorizes these four views as considering either organizations or individuals and observes contributions by Andrew Halpin and Jacob Getzels and organizational syntheses by Thomas Greenfield and Harry Wolcott. Chapter 7 relates school administrative history to education as a local phenomenon. Chapter 8 discusses higher education, wherein democratic administration immediately evolved from commitment to academic freedom. Forces shaping educational administration graduate study are described in chapter 9. Enduring dichotomies during preparation include whether to emphasize practical skills or societal understandings. The conclusion recounts the field's history of knowledge and practice and discusses struggles with educational purpose and public expectations. Sixteen reference pages are provided. (CJH)