Dartmouth 250 On Solid Ground

Kicking off the second semester of the 1949-1950 Great Issues course was George F. Kennan of State Department. Just two years earlier, Kennan had written the notorious “X Article” that laid out the U.S. Cold War strategy of containment.

By 1893, the Dartmouth curriculum had shifted to emulate the German university system. Specialized fields of study, electives, and even modern literature arrived in Hanover.

In 1829, every student would have moved through the same set course of study. No modern languages, and no modern literature.

This was Samson Occom’s copy of the first Hebrew grammar printed in America. Occom lovingly inscribed his name and identity across the pages. He was Wheelock’s star pupil and de-facto co-founder of Dartmouth College.