Old Ironsides

On June 15, venerable, but slightly doddering, History 1 will join the ranks of Former Harvard Greats. Just after World War I the renowned back-breaker assumed its present form, surveying Western Europe from the Fall of Rome to the present. It saw glorious days under President Lowell as the core of Harvard education, a pre-requisite for every undergraduate in History, Government, and Economics. In recent years, however, its age has begun to show, and its passing is no surprise.

Two new developments have precipitated History 1's retirement this year. Professor Karpovitch, who has been giving the second half, is taking-over the Slavic Department next fall and will be unable to continue. And General Education has now matured sufficiently to perform the course's function, presumably with greater value to the non-concentrator.

Beginning next year, any one of the elementary Social Sciences courses will serve as an introduction to concentration in History. But a much changed Social Sciences 1 will most nearly follow the approach of History 1 when Professor Taylor joins Professor Brinton, to give the first half. Instead of the "important periods" approach, followed in the last two years, the course will become a survey, emphasizing cultural aspects and including source book reading and research papers. Such irksome details as map-making will be eliminated. In other words, the new course will proceed in a different, and, it is hoped, more palatable way, while still providing an historical framework for further study in European civilization.

There are serious dangers in these high aims. With less strict limits, the new course may lose direction in its huge field. The attempt to make the material more digestable may only make it easier, sacrificing the valuable disciplinary training which History 1 provided. In its prime, History 1 set high standards. To justify the change, Social Sciences 1 must confront the same problems and show that it can solve them more successfully.