Our Times: 60 Years of Education and Lifelong Learning
In 1945, Harvard published a seminal report, "General Education in a Free Society," which called for a new "liberal education" to mold a "well-rounded person." A study of Western civilization and American history were its underpinnings — the basis of educating a citizen to be the ideal participant in the ongoing life of a democracy. The report also argued that all individuals had the right to enjoy a life of the mind and immersion in cultural pursuits beyond their daily jobs (with or without a college degree).
Thanks to the GI bill, 15 million veterans returning from World War II were offered tuition and living expenses, giving them the opportunity to attend college or vocational school. The GI bill democratized education. Sulfa drugs and penicillin stretched life expectancy. By the dawn of the 21st century, the fastest-growing cohort in the American population consisted of people over 85.
In 1946, the computer age began with the giant ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania (with 18,000 vacuum tubes). And the first of nearly 78 million baby boomers were born. As they filled the classrooms, and later the universities, they revolutionized the way Americans lived, and how we thought about learning and the core curriculum required to navigate the contemporary world.
About the Authors
Mark Ciabattari is a novelist and cultural historian, and author of the forthcoming book Social History of the United States: The 1940s. Jane Ciabattari is a widely-published journalist and frequent contributor to NRTA Live & Learn.
This article originally appeared in NRTA Live & Learn, Summer 2007
