CARLI Digital Collections Featured Image: Arts and Crafts Village

The “William Rainey Harper Collection” is intended to honor the life, intelligence, and ambition of Dr. Harper, and other members of his family, and to understand how those same traits are mirrored in the institution that bears his name. Dr. William Rainey Harper, first president of the University of Chicago, came up with many innovations in an attempt to widen the availability of higher education to students who would otherwise not be able to pursue it. In 1881, while teaching at Morgan Park Academy in Chicago, Dr. Harper enacted summer school classes, and then created "correspondence courses," whereby students would correspond by mail with the professor in lieu of attending classes in person. He also called for the creation of "junior colleges" to focus on the first two years of higher education, which would be a preparatory period devoted to general studies—the foundation from which to build knowledge in specialized areas when students attended universities.

The collection contains photographs, political cartoons, diplomas, honors of recognition, news clippings, and other memorabilia. “Arts and Crafts Village” is a 1904 photograph of the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. William Rainey Harper was associated with the Institution??either as an instructor or a principal--from 1883 until 1895. This photo shows the Old Dormitory Building which was remodeled for use of Arts and Crafts.

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