CHAUTAUQUA, sha-tak'wa, a popular educational centre on Chautauqua Lake in the southwestern part of New York State. The controlling organization is a corporation °not for profit," conducted for educational purposes by a board of trustees. The property com prises about 200 acres on the upland terraces above the lake, at a high elevation, although lying in a lowland corner of the State. Chau tauqua is 70 miles south of Buffalo, 200 miles north of Pittsburgh and 450 miles west from New York. It is reached by the Pennsylvania and Erie railways. Chautauqua has numerous large and commodious school buildings on a hilltop with a beautiful lake environment; sev eral thousand cottages in the woods; an hotel called °The Athenmum"; about 40 smaller houses for the boarding accommodation of the public; a few shops or °stores"; a so-called "Hall of Philosophy," which is a Greek temple with supporting pillars of masonry, open to the summer breeze, and seating 3,000 people; and a vast amphitheatre dug out of a hillside, but well roofed, well lighted by electricity and capable of seating 5,000 or 6,000. There are only about 500 permanent residents in Chautauqua. For nine months of the year it is a town of 1,000, but during the summer, while the classes are being held, has a population ranging from 20,000 to 50,000.
As an educational institution Chautauqua has become a centre of great importance. It may be considered primarily as an educational adaptation of the open-air public assembly such as the American mass-meeting or town-meeting, or the religious camp-meeting. The Chautau qua assembly was established by Bishop Vin cent and Lewis Miller in 1874 at Fairport for Bible study and the training of Sunday school teachers. But the ideal and purpose of the assembly were gradually broadened; and to the specifically religious study a great variety of subjects were added. The religious spirit, how ever, still holds an important place in the work of the assembly. The best exponent of the spirit of the institution was its chancellor, Dr. John H. Vincent. He infused into it the idea that all sound learning is sacred, and that the secular life may be pervaded by religion. The work done at Chautauqua has been thus sum marized in one of the New York State bulle tins: °For the many there are popular lectures, concerts, entertainments; for a somewhat less number there are philosophical, scientific and literary lectures in progressive courses; for the comparatively few are provided means for careful study under able and well-known in structors." The work may be further classified as follows: (1) School of English Languages and Literature; (2) School of Modern Lan guages; (3) School of Classical Languages; (4) School of Mathematics; (5) School of Sciences; (6) School of Education; (7) School of Social Science and History; (8) School of Library Training; (9) School of Home Eco nomics; (10) School of Music; (11) School of Arts and Crafts; (12) School of Expression; (13) School of Physical Education; (14) School of Practical Arts. An important part
of Chautauqua's influence is made effective through classes and courses for home study offered by the Chautauqua Literary and Scien tific Circle (C.L.S.C.), founded in 1878. The C.L.S.C. is a well-directed system of home reading in literature and science, carried on in connection with local reading circles, and prac tically aided by many good suggestions in 'a monthly bulletin, the Round Table. The course of reading occupies four years. Each year is devoted to one particular nation, the four being known as the °Modern European Year," the °Classical Year," the °English Year" and the °American Year." No attempt is made to teach languages or any of the exact sciences. The textbooks on England and the United States, Greece and Rome, and other subjects, social and economical, are prepared by good writers representing American colleges and universities. With the regular courses in his tory are combined literary courses and studies in art, sociology and natural science. In the• American year the subjects are American his tory, literature, government, diplomacy, social institutions and the like. The course of reading is carried on by Chautauquans at home, but once a week they meet in social circles in neighbor hoods and villages all over the country and, under the best local guidance they can find, devote an evening to the discussion of topics suggested and to other private reading. The total enrolment of Chautauqua readers has been about 400,000. By far the larger number fail to complete the four years' course, but it is estimated that about half have done consecu tive reading for two years. A "saving rem nant' of about 75,000 continued to the end and have won a simple certificate. The graduates are also encouraged to form local educational clubs and continue special study.
The "Chautauqua idea,' of which much has been said and written, is best expressed by Bishop Vincent, who said: "Chautauqua pleads for universal education; for plans of reading and study; for all legitimate enticements and incitements to ambition; for all necessary adaptations as to time and topics; for ideal associations, which shall at once excite the imagination and set the heart aglow. . . . A college is possible in everyday life if one choose to use it; a college in house, shop, street, farm, market, for rich and poor, the curriculum of which runs through all of life, a college which trains men and women everywhere to read and think and talk and do . . . this is the 'Chautauqua idea.''