PARIS UNIVERSITY. This university is also known as the Sorbonne, the name originally given to the college founded by Robert de Sorbon in Paris ; hence applied afterwards popularly to the theological faculty, and so to the institution which is now the seat of the academie of that city. For the early beginnings of the university, see UNIVERSITIES. The Sorbonne itself was founded in Feb. 1256 (0.S.) and was originally one of the various colleges which formed part of the university, but it soon became a meeting-place for all the students of the University of Paris, who resorted thither to hear the lectures of the most learned theo logians of the period—Guillaume de Saint Amour, Eudes de Douai, Laurent l'Anglais, Pierre d'Ailly. At the close of the cen tury it was organized into a full faculty of theology, and under this definite form it conferred bachelors', licentiates' and doctors' degrees, and the severity of its examinations gave an exceptional value to its diplomas. The so-called "these sorbonique," instituted towards the beginning of the 14th century, became the type of its order by the length and difficulty of its tests. Ultimately the professors of the Sorbonne came to be resorted to for dogmatic decisions and judgments in canon law; the clergy of France and of the whole Catholic world had recourse to them in difficult cases, and the Curia Romana more than once laid its doubts before them. To the Sorbonne belongs the glory of having introduced printing into France in 1470: within its precincts it assigned quar ters for Ulric Gering and two companions in which to set up their presses. The Sorbonne took a leading part in the religious dis cussions which agitated France during the 16th and 17th centuries, and its influence thus inevitably extended to political questions. During the insanity of Charles VI. it helped to bring about the absolution of Jean Sans-Peur for the assassination of the duke of Orleans. Shortly afterwards it demanded and supported the condemnation of Joan of Arc ; during the Reformation it was the animating spirit of all the persecutions directed against Protes tants and unbelievers. The declaration of the clergy in 1682, which it subscribed, ended its authority with the Curia Romana; it revived for a short time under Louis XV. during the struggle against Jansenism, but this was its last exploit ; it was suppressed like the old universities, in 1792.
When the University of France was organized in 1808 (see UNI VERSITIES) , the Sorbonne became the seat of the academie of Paris as well as of the university itself. Between 1816 and 1821 the faculties of theology (since disappeared), science and litera ture were installed there. The university library was transferred to the Sorbonne in 1823. In 1868 was organized the Ecole des Hautes Etudes, and in 1897 the Ecole des Chartes also found its home alongside of the Sorbonne, both being independent institu tions, as are also the College de France, the Ecole Normale Supe rieure, and the schools of oriental languages, fine-arts, decorative arts, scientific agriculture and the specialised schools for the train ing of Colonial administrators, civil engineers, army officers, etc.
In 1852 the Sorbonne was made the property of the city of Paris; a reconstruction of the buildings, projected by Napoleon III., was begun in 1885, under the direction of Nenot. This new Sorbonne is one of the finest university edifices in the world. In 1896 the higher education of France was decentralized, regional universities were created out of the existing isolated faculties, and the new University of Paris received its present constitution. Since then, except for the World War period, it has gone forward under a series of able administrators, Louis Liard, Lucien Poin care, Appel, Lepie and its present head, Charlety.
The influx of foreign students has been fostered by the creation of a university quarter. A site was provided by mutual conces sions of the State and the city of Paris on ground originally occu pied by the fortifications, on which accommodation has been created for French students through the princely gift of E. Deutsch de la Meurthe of I o million francs. This was followed by a gift by M. and Mme. LapOtre of five millions for a Belgian hostel. Other hostels in being or in course of construction are the Canadian, Argentine, Japanese, United States, British, Swedish, Armenian, Indochina, etc. The total number of rooms, when completed, will be nearly 2,000, of which about 600 will be for French, 30o for British and 275 for United States students. Ten other countries are contemplating the erection of national hostels. A general assembly building with restaurants, library, etc., is being provided mainly by the generosity of J. D. Rockefeller, Jr. The British Institute comprises also a building next the Sorbonne which provides special coaching for English and French students and possesses a fine library of English books.
In 1900 the University of Paris contained 11,00o students, of whom i,ioo were foreigners. In 1928 the number was nearly 27,00o of whom about 6,50o were foreigners; male students num bered nearly 20,000. Of the above nearly 14,00o were enrolled, nearly 8,000 had matriculated, and over 4,500 had taken examina tions in the year under review.
See Denifle, Documents relatifs a la fondation de l'universite de Paris (1883) ; J. A. Randolph, History of the Sorbonne; La Cite Universi taire de Paris (Imprimerie Choix). (C. BR.)