In this previously unpublished essay, William W. Brickman complicates the traditional conception of the historical foundations of comparative education--that is, the role of Marc-Antoine Julian as a "father figure." The article examines influences on Julian (by Cesar-Auguste Basset's influential publications, for example) and discusses the methods of comparative analysis before the nineteenth century. The author turns to early notions of educational transfer, focusing on the European educational systems influence on education in America. Most notably, he explores Horace Mann's contribution to the field of comparative education. (Contains 11 notes.)