The Truman Commission was appointed by President Harry Truman in 1947 to examine the system of higher education in America and make recommendations. It was led by George F. Zook and issued a report in six volumes. The report found that higher education needed reforms to address issues of equal access, affordability, and curriculum in order to better serve the needs of a democratic society and growing student population in the aftermath of World War II. The Commission recommended expanding access to higher education, integrating vocational and academic education, and increasing federal support for scholarships and aid.

1. Truman Commission
Report
Class facilitation by Kaitlin and Peter

2. Higher Education for
American Democracy 1947
 President Harry Truman appointed a Commission of
higher education comprised of 28 educators and
Laymen with the purpose to “re-examine the system of
higher education
 George F. Zook was the president of the Commission.
 The report put together by the commission concluded
into six volumes

3. Why have a Commission of
Education?
 Americans were dissatisfied with the accomplishments
of the educational systems, so they needed to be
evaluated
 Record growths of student enrollment created prime
time to address the movement of more students
attending college

4. Mission of the Commission
 Must define the responsibilities of colleges and
universities in American democracy and in international
affairs
 re-examine the objectives, methods and facilities of
higher education
 Improvements to the American educational systems
were necessary to keep up with society

5. Factors that increased
enrollment
 With the War over the Veterans Rehabilitation Act, and the
G.I. Bill sent Veterans to school
 Industrialization meant society needed an educated
workforce to work complex careers
 Workforce needed mature youth upon their adult roles
 Innovations in science and invention expanded resources.
 The increase in national resources expanded the increase in
production
 The threat of atomic warfare needed to preserve education
 Global perspective

6. Role of Education
 “the social role of education in a democratic society is at
once to insure equal liberty and equal opportunity to differing
individuals and groups and to enable the citizen to
understand, appraise and redirect forces, men and events
as these tend to strengthen or weaken their liberties”
 Education must address current issues to grow policies that
are relevant
 Serve as an instrument for social transition
 Provide vision to give a sense of direction for individual and
national future
 “What America needs today, then, is Schooling better aware of
it’s aims”

7. The Numbers
In 1900, 700,000 students were enrolled in High School.
This was 11% percent of the population.
In 1940, 7,000,000 students were enrolled and increased
the population enrolled to 73% of the population.
In 1900, 250,000 students were enrolled in college.
By 1940, 1.5 million students were enrolled in college.
In 1947, 1 million veterans enrolled in college.
College enrollment went from 250,000 in 1900 to 2.5 million
after World War II.

8. Equal Opportunity Barriers
 Opportunity students had for education depended on
the family and community they belonged to versus the
student’s ability.
 Which family you were born into, the color of your skin,
and the religion of your parents provided opportunity or
lack of opportunity in education.

9. Economic Barriers
 Education cost!
 The cost of tuition rose 30% from 1939 to 1947
 Colleges and Universities were not spread out enough
throughout the country. Many students could not afford
to travel distances to attend College or relocate.
 What your father did as a profession predicted if you
were going to college.

10. Barrier of a Restricted
Curriculum
 “We Shall be denying educational opportunity to many
young people as long as we maintain the present
orientation of higher education toward verbal skills and
intellectual interests”
 Other programs should be provided that help develop
other abilities such as social sensitivity, mechanical,
and motor skills.

11. Racial and Religious Barriers
 “11 percent of the white population 20 years of age and
over had completed at least 1 year of college; whereas
for the non-whites, a little more than 3 percent had
completed at least 1 year of college”
 “Segregation lessens of the quality of education”
maintaining two school systems means inadequate
facilities. Best to combine so the U.S can focus on one
system

12. The Need for General
Education
 “The crucial task of higher education today is to prove a
unified general education for American youth”
 Understanding cultural heritage and common
citizenship as well as specialized training in different
careers should be the mission of higher education.
 “General Education is liberal education with its matter
and method shifted from original aristocratic intent to
the service of democracy”

13. Truman Commission Recommendations
 Abandon the European concepts of education, and in its place, develop a curriculum attuned to
the needs of a democracy
 Double college attendance by 1960
 Integrate vocational and liberal education
 Extend free public education through the first 2 years of college “for all youth who can profit
from such education.”
 Eliminate racial and religious discrimination
 Revise the goals of graduate and professional school education to make them effective in
training well-rounded persons as well as research specialists and technicians
 Expand Federal support for higher education through scholarships, fellowships, and general
aid.
 Establish a system of community colleges
 Expand adult education programs
 Distribute federal aid to education in such a manner that the poorer States can bring their
educational systems closer to the quality of the wealthier States.
 Source :http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=12802

14. Warm Up Questions
 How has the increase in student enrollment shaped the
role of higher education in society?
 Discuss the barriers of 1946? Do they still exist today?
 How are the events of World War II reflected in this
report?

16. The Numbers Today
 Between the years of 1990 to 2000 the student
population rose 37% from 15.3 Million to 21 Million.
 Between the years 2000 and 2010 the student
population rose from 35% to 41% of the population for
students between 18 to 24 years of age.
 Enrollment is still rising!