1930s > Literature Humanities
Hard Times & Humanities A
The Great Depression was a major catalyst for Columbia's larger plan of "general education." Unresolved since Columbia had moved to Morningside Heights in 1897, was the purpose of the College within the new University structure: Should it continue cultivating character by exposing students to classical literature? Should it prepare students for professions and practical careers in business? Or should it teach the research methods of the new specialized departments as in Germany?
For three decades, Butler had emphasized the latter imperatives.
But, in 1937, Columbia revisited its classical roots, albeit with a twist. From the 1890s, English professor and poet George Woodberry, and later his protégé John Erskine, had argued that many of the edifying benefits of the old college could be preserved – despite the elimination of Greek and Latin requirements – by having students read and discuss great literary works in translation. In 1919, this idea had become the basis of General Honors, a two-year seminar for advanced juniors and seniors. In 1937, historian Jacques Barzun and colleagues from across the humanities created a similar mandatory course for freshman and called it "Humanities A."
CC & Lit Hum: Working in Tandem
From the start, CC and Humanities A (aka, Literature Humanities) would complement and exercise mutual influence on one another. The former concerned itself primarily with problems of the modern world as these began to develop around the 13th Century. The latter sought to address problems arising from the human condition itself, regardless of time and place. In the literature of Greece, Rome and medieval "Christendom," students confronted their own unexamined assumptions and became aware of alternative ways of thinking and being.
Humanities A took its cue from CC's success, drawing on instructors from across disciplinary lines, in this case the various language and literature departments. The new literature course also adhered to CC's small-group discussion format and employed standardized quizzes and exams to gauge progress. But the influence went both ways: Positive student response to Humanities A, wrote College Dean Herbert Hawkes, "opened our eyes to the fact that college freshmen do not need to be fed predigested food." Accordingly, after 1941, primary works replaced textbooks as the staple of CC's first-year reading list.
