The Importance of General Education in the 1950s

In the 1950s, American academia was going through a great change. The truth about what Nazi scientists did at their death camps was slowly revealed. Meanwhile, Harvard introduced a new concept to the American University System: General Education. This is the system by which all freshmen receive a common knowledge base as both educational foundation and bonding exercise. Because of 1950s ideology, these lectures sometimes combined to deliver a depressing message.