Rise of Universities

Charles Homer Haskins was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 1870. He taught at the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Wisconsin, and Harvard University, where he also served as Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences between 1908 and 1924. His books include Norman Institutions (1918), Studies in the History of Science (1924), The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century (1927), and Studies in Medieval Culture (1929). He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1937.

The book displays a breadth of learning, a coherence of argument, and an economy of expression which make it a delight to read. Carrying his scholarship lightly, the author leads his audience easily and intimately into no less a topic than 'certain of the changes.. brought about in mankind by the advent of civilization,' i.e., by the rise of cities.(Yale Review) This book does not claim to be a finished product or a final answer to any of the fundamental issues raised; but it is a stimulating experience to share his thinking as this writer comes to grips with them in his sincere and profound way. There is throughout a simplicity and human touch about the man that captivates the reader.(The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science)

• Part I: The Earliest UniversitiesIntroductionBologna and the SouthParis and the NorthThe mediaeval inheritancePart II:The Mediaeval ProfessorStudies and text-booksTeaching and examinationsAcademic status and freedomPart III: The Mediaeval StudentSources of informationStudent manualsStudent lettersStudent PoetryConclusionBibliographical Notelndex