After the Meriam Report: W. Carson Ryan, Jr. and the transformation of American Indian education, 1928--1936.

摘要

This dissertation examines the contributions of W. Carson Ryan, Jr. during his tenure as the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) director of Indian education (1930-1935), and later as director of research on planning and development (1936). In doing so, the work credits Ryan and the Hoover administration, rather than the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, with introducing a modern program of John Dewey-inspired progressive cross-cultural education. As the first professional educator to serve as director, Ryan's appointment marked a pivotal moment in the history of Indian education in the United States.;After detailing the history of federal Indian policy and Indian education prior to 1920, this study examines Ryan's contributions to the Institute for Government Research's 1928 survey of Indian affairs, the Meriam Report. Citing the inadequate food and medical care available to students, poorly qualified personnel, uniform course of study, and outdated vocational education program as serious problems, Ryan gave the Indian education program an abysmal rating. Two years later, following his appointment as director, he had the opportunity to implement the changes that he had recommended.;During his six years with the BIA, serving first under Commissioner Charles Rhoads in the Hoover administration, then under John Collier in the Roosevelt administration, Ryan professionalized the Indian education division and implemented an education program that emphasized the principles of progressive education to which he was deeply committed. Highlighting the benefits of local education, he increased the number of Indian day schools and worked to simplify the federal-state contracting process required for the public education of Indian children. Moreover, he reduced the BIA's reliance on boarding schools, modernized the vocational education program, and established a network of scholarships and loans to encourage Indians to pursue higher education. In spite of the challenges he faced from funding shortages, Indian parents, the general public, and members of Congress, Ryan established a solid foundation upon which future directors of Indian education could build. In the end, his impact on Indian education was both significant and enduring.