History 204
Dickinson College and Carlisle Indian Industrial School
On October 6, 1879, Carlisle Barracks became home to the first students of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The school became a pioneer in Indian education. Founder Richard Henry Pratt's purpose was to transform the Indian into a “civilized” person. The mornings at Carlisle were devoted to classes while the afternoons were devoted to practicing vocational skills. Pratt’s zeal and constant campaigning for his cause soon turned the rundown Carlisle Barracks into a thriving school.
The thriving central Pennsylvania town of Carlisle was also home to Dickinson College, an academic institute that had been chartered almost one hundred years earlier. The relationship between the Carlisle Indian School and Dickinson College existed from the very opening of the school when Dr. James McCauley, President of Dickinson College, lead the first worship service at the Indian School.
This section details the history of Indian education in the United States. It follows the evolution of the educational system from Day Schools to Reservation Boarding Schools to the opening of the Carlisle Indian School.
The Public Relationship Between Dickinson and the Indian School
This section examines the relationship between the Carlisle Indian School and the town of Carlisle. We look at the interactions between the citizens of Carlisle and the students at the school. While Dickinson College is obviously a part of the public sphere of Carlisle, we would like to focus more on the town itself. Specifically, we look at the Catholic church in town, the public reaction to the Indian School dominating the College athletically, and the public response to Pop Warner as the Indian School football coach.
Collective Biography of Indian Dickinson Students
This section explores the collective biography of the Indians that attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and went on to obtain higher education at the Dickinson affiliated schools. It analyzes their diverse personalities, individual experiences, and careers, during and after their time in Carlisle. By discovering and researching different aspects of their lives, we have pieced together life at Dickinson and the various accomplishments and contributions made by the Native Americans within society.
Insitute to Institute: Dickinson College and Carlisle Indian School
This section of the relationship between Dickinson College and the Carlisle Indian School focuses on the internal contacts. This topic aims to discover how "strong" the relationship was and looks at the faculty and organizations of Dickinson College and what interaction they may have had with the Carlisle Indian School.
