William C. Brehm - Comparative and International Education: Abstract

A PROGRESSIVE MIND: THE EDUCATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF PERRY HUGHES

Percy Hughes was a progressive philosopher, teacher, and professor who directed the Philosophy, Education, and Psychology department at Lehigh University beginning in 1907. Hughes graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University, studying under John Dewey in his final year, with a Ph.D. in secondary education. Over the course of his 35-year tenure at Lehigh, Hughes struggled to infuse progressive ideas in the historically conservative institution. From encouraging curriculum reform for engineers to fighting for the abolition of compulsory chapel – Hughes worked tirelessly to transform Lehigh on an educational level. From women’s rights to environmentalism – Hughes devoted his life to progressive ideas. He not only wrote about but also practiced his ideas throughout his life. This research explores the tension between Hughes pedagogy and Lehigh’s organization, John Dewey’s influence on his thinking, and his place in the continuum of educational thought in the beginning of the 20th Century.

To learn more, please contact Tamara Palmer at tlp205@lehigh.edu or 610.758.3226.