Higher education scholars are familiar with the close relationship between American higher education and the federal government after World War II. The G.I. Bill and Cold War concerns for maintaining the nation's technological advantage made the federal government the major benefactor of postsecondary growth. The seismic shifts of that era,…

In this essay, the authors examine an important first generation of university vice presidents and the structural, political, and psychological factors that led to their appointments and subsequently shaped their tenures in office. They explore in detail three particular, albeit overlapping, modes of vice presidential service, the variety of…

Describes how Robert M. Hutchins became the president of the University of Chicago while still in his early 30s. Points out that Hutchins subsequently became a leader in educational reform. Observes how the conflict between tradition and change manifests itself when new leadership is chosen, stating this offers an opportunity to define the…

Describes administrative problems in Japanese universities from 1870 to 1977. The universities of Kyoto and Tokyo serve as case studies of the power struggle among students, faculty, and the government. Major problems include lack of academic freedom, faculty hostility to government educational policies, and student activism. (Author/DB)

Nicholas Murray Butler, G. Stanley Hall, Charles W. Eliot, the respective subjects of three biographies reviewed here, were university presidents whose personal dominance has too often impeded the biographer in his task of objective historical inquiry. (JH)