Karl Compton And The Turning Of Mit

MIT from a technical engineering college developed into a research institute, and now the world-classcomprehensive research university, there is a lot we can learn from, in which the role of universitypresidents is that we should not overlook. Karl Taylor Compton(1887-1954)as the ninth president of MIT,in his18years(1930-1948) tenure, MIT from a general local technical college was gradually developedinto a Institute of Technology with leading position in the United States, and he was later called〝the herowho took MIT into the world famous ranks".This paper focuses on Compton’s idea on management and practice of education at MIT, hoping toobtain beneficial experience and enlightenment for constructing top-ranking universities in China．Thethesis contains six parts:Part Ⅰ briefly analyses the background of Compton’s series of reforms, including the social andhistorical status quo of the United States, wartime science and technology policy, economic trends andconditions at MIT.Part Ⅱ focuses on Compton’s university idea. His ideas of the university include:"Technologyintegration" orientate the direction of the school; train leaders’ talent; emphasize the university’s socialservice function; strengthen disciplines to promote cross-disciplinary development.Part Ⅲ discusses Compton’s practical strategies at MIT in detail. It mainly manifested in: reorganizeMIT’s administration, adjust disciplines construction center, promote the professional development ofteachers, improve personnel education level, and develop multi-dimensional cooperation research.Part Ⅳ reviews the influence of Compton’s reforms, Firstly, Promote the greatness change in MIT;Secondly, have influences on American’s higher education even the whole society. In addition, in this part,also give an analysis of Compton’s reform in two aspects.The last part tries to explore the enlightenments that Compton could give us how to construct theworld’s first-class university in China．Including four points: First-class universities need famous president；Judge the situation, clear school direction; Strengthen disciplinary integrate to promote the development ofinterdisciplinary; Change the function of universities to serve the society.