Five articles on historical developments in higher education are presented. In "Oxford Dons and Professional Men in Victorian England," Arthur Engel discusses how 19th century Oxford dons sought to make university teaching into a profession, as well as the trend toward specialization in other developing professions. In "'Western' Colleges, 1830-1870: Educational Institutions in Transition," James Findlay identifies the contributions that private, sectarian colleges in the midwest made to American higher education before 1870. In "The Mental Hygiene Movement and the Development of Personality: Changing Conceptions of the American College and University, 1920-1940," Sol Cohen describes an attempt by psychiatrists to make personality development the guiding principle of American higher education. In "Academic Quality Rankings: Why They Developed in the United States and Not Europe," David S. Webster considers the development in the United States of academic quality rankings of colleges or departments, as well as the different natures of European and American universities. Lastly in "Against the Grain: Toward an Alternative Interpretation of Academic Professionalization," Sheila Slaughter and Edward T. Silva describe findings of a survey of the characteristics of leaders of social science organizations. (SW)