Ohio inventions and firsts · First · 1906
Cooperative education at the University of Cincinnati
Herman Schneider's co-op program, alternating classroom study and paid work, began at UC in 1906 after trustees approved a one-year trial in 1905; he developed the idea at Lehigh in the early 1900s.
At a glance
- Year
- 1906
- Company
- University of Cincinnati
- Place
- Cincinnati, Hamilton County Cincinnati · Hamilton County
The story
In the early 1900s, engineering students spent years in classrooms and then entered factories with little practical experience. Herman Schneider, an engineer, noticed that the most successful graduates had worked before finishing their degrees. He decided the classroom alone was not enough for technical students.
Schneider developed the plan at Lehigh and joined the University of Cincinnati faculty in 1903. He proposed it to the board, which approved a one-year trial in 1905. The program, in which students alternate study with paid work, began in 1906 and was an immediate success.
The idea spread. Northeastern University adopted it for engineering in 1909, Drexel launched a four-year version in 1919, and in 1921 Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio adapted it for liberal arts as the Antioch Plan. By 1962 about 150 schools had co-op.
In 2005 the University of Cincinnati marked the end of its original one hundred year trial period. Whether it was the very first such program anywhere is debated.
Timeline
- 1903: Herman Schneider joins the University of Cincinnati faculty. (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1905: The board approves a one-year trial. (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1906: The cooperative program begins at UC. (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1909: Northeastern University becomes the second school with co-op in engineering. (Boston, MA) source
- 1921: Antioch College adapts co-op for liberal arts as the Antioch Plan. (Yellow Springs, OH) source
- 1962: About 150 institutions have cooperative education. (United States) source
- 2005: UC marks the end of its 'one hundred year trial'. (Cincinnati, OH) source
What it changed
- About 150 schools had adopted co-op by 1962.
- A century later UC still runs it.
Why it matters
Model for co-op programs nationwide.
Who gets the credit is disputed
The Ohio claim. Herman Schneider's co-op program at the University of Cincinnati, alternating classroom study with paid work, began in 1906 and became a model nationwide.
The other claims. Schneider developed the idea at Lehigh around 1901, and whether UC's was the very first such program anywhere is not settled.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.