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American Business Philanthropy and Higher Education in the Nineteenth Century

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2012

Daniel A. Wren
Affiliation:
Professor of Business Administration, the University of Oklahoma
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Abstract

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Nineteenth century America witnessed the expansion of business enterprise as well as the extension of a system of higher education. Business philanthropy played a substantial role in higher education by filling the gap between the church-supported colleges of the colonial period and the state colleges and universities of later years. The philanthropy of American business leaders provided for scientific and polytechnical schools, opened colleges for women, extended new opportunities for black “freedmen,” and created the first undergraduate and graduate schools of business. Although nineteenth century law prohibited corporate philanthropy and offered no tax incentives, business leaders gave because they thought that they were stewards of wealth, they saw a need for practical education, they wished to create memorials for loved ones, and they desired to meet the needs of special groups of individuals.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The President and Fellows of Harvard College 1983