Establishment of Higher Education Associations in the United States: Focusing on the Relationship with the Federal Bureau of Education from the Late 1880s to the Early 1920s

Abstract

 This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the establishment of higher education associations and the Bureau of Education in the United States, from the late 1880s to the early 1920s, which has not been previously clarified. For this purpose, after reviewing the number of associations established and the higher education-related initiatives of the bureau, the relationship between individual associations and the bureau was clarified with a focus on nine major associations.

 The results revealed that prior to the 1900s, a relationship was established in which the bureau took advantage of associations to promote its activities, including attendance at annual meetings, requests for cooperation in statistics through addresses, and personal exchanges. In some cases, the initiatives of the associations influenced the bureaus. From the 1910s onward, the relationship developed to the point where the bureau was involved in the associations right from their establishment; departments that were integrated with the associations were established, and the bureau itself led to the establishment of the association. Moreover, differences in the degree of interest between associations were also identified.

 Finally, these facts complement the interpretation of the relationship between the federal government and higher-education associations from the former's perspective, as presented in previous studies.