When John Thelin, an education professor at the University of Kentucky, was asked to name the world's most enduring academic institutions, two came to mind -- Oxford University in England and Dartmouth College.
Those two universities joined rock superstars The Rolling Stones and the conglomerate General Electric on management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton's list of the world's most enduring institutions in celebration of the company's 90th anniversary.
According to Thelin, Dartmouth has demonstrated an ability to innovate and respond to challenges throughout its 235-year history. Thelin cited Daniel Webster's passionate defense of Dartmouth's charter in 1819, which not only saved the College, but also established the sanctity of contract law in the United States.
"Its significance expanded beyond Dartmouth. When making my decision I asked myself, 'Does a place make a difference not just for itself but outside itself as well?'" Thelin said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
Thelin, who finished a 300-year history of American education, said that it was Dartmouth's ability to not only to improve upon itself, but to contribute to society as well, that elevated Dartmouth above other prestigious American universities.
"What came to me were these really crucial and important events in Dartmouth's history," Thelin said.
Thelin also highlighted the crisis of Dartmouth's curmudgeon President Nathan Lord who, in 1863, was forced to resign in response to an outcry from students, faculty and alumni. College President Asa Smith took his place and increased Dartmouth's enrollment from 300 to 2,000.
"There was an amazing internal coalition, and they really turned Dartmouth around," Thelin said.
While Dartmouth students and faculty generally agreed that Dartmouth was indeed an enduring institution, some found the label contrived.
"You have a bunch of 'garbagy' terms that were given to your evaluators," history professor Jere Daniell said. "Dartmouth is a special institution and if you want to plug in these criteria you can. What Dartmouth really is, is the premier liberal arts university in the country,"
Others, however, felt that Dartmouth has failed to survive intact through all centuries and has floundered, losing some of its status more recently. Minkun Zhang '07 said Dartmouth has "lost some of its mystique" outside New England.
"In my opinion Dartmouth has lost some of its prestige," Zhang said. "People down South would recognize the University of Virginia or Cornell more than Dartmouth. The name recognition isn't there."
The study was commissioned by the management and technology consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton to commemorate its 90th anniversary. Given its motto, "delivering results that endure," Booz Allen Hamilton decided to look at what truly made institutions endure, according to George Farrar, one of the firm's salespeople.
Experts also chose the modern Olympic Games and the Rolling Stones as enduring institutions in the arts and entertainment along with General Electric and Sony in business, the Salvation Army and the Rockefeller Foundation in nonprofit organizations and the American Constitution and the International Telecommunication Union in government institutions.