University of Virginia Library

HISTORY

The Curry Memorial School of Education was founded in 1905 as one
of the academic schools of the University. It was endowed by gifts of
$100,000 from John D. Rockefeller and $50,000 from the General Education
Board, and was named in honor of Dr. J. L. M. Curry, the Southern
educator. There were originally two professorships in the School, the
Curry Memorial Professorship of Education and the Professorship of Secondary

Education. In 1914 a chair of Educational Psychology and Principles
of Teaching was added to the School, and two years later a Professorship
of School Administration was established.

In 1919 the School was organized into a Department of the University,
with four professorships, and was placed upon a professional basis similar
to that of the Departments of Law, Medicine and Engineering. The relation
of the Department of Education to the various academic schools of the
University remains close, however, since the academic training of students
of Education is obtained in the academic schools, and courses in Education
are credited toward the academic degrees.