1871-1965
Professor

Progressive Educator.

William Heard Kilpatrick is commonly seen as a popularizer of John Dewey's theories of education. In a sense he was even more radical than Dewey, his former mentor. During his tenures as professor at Mercer College, Columbia University, and Bennington College, he expanded the scope of "progressive education," creating classes centered upon interaction with students rather than upon the authority of the teacher.

No Report Cards.

Kilpatrick graduated from Mercer College in Macon, Georgia, with a B.A. in 1892 and an M.A. in 1893. Following a year of study in mathematics at Johns Hopkins, he served as teacher and principal in various Georgia public schools. While holding these positions, Kilpatrick did away with report cards and student punishments. After further training at Johns Hopkins, he returned to Mercer as a professor of mathematics in 1897. In 1904 he was made acting president of...