Music Education at the Dewey School 1896–1904

Abstract

During the period from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, Chicago was in the middle of its rapid growth as a city. The 1893 World's Fair was an important landmark in the remarkable development of Chicago. This period was also Chicago's cultural renaissance, as represented by the establishment of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1891. In the same year, the University of Chicago was founded with financial support from John D. Rockefeller and called a distinguished faculty, later (1894) including John (1859-1952) in the Department of Philosophy, Psychology, and Pedagogy. Under these circumstances, opened an elementary school at the University of Chicago during the years of 1896 to 1904 to test his philosophical and psychological principles of education. The school started in January in a private dwelling near the University with sixteen pupils (ages six to nine) and two teachers in charge. The number later reached one hundred and forty children (ages four to fifteen) and twenty-three teachers with about ten assistants. Many educators paid attention to its unique practice, calling the school the Laboratory School or the Dewey School.!