Of Yale at the end of the [19th] century it was remarked: “The life of the campus was so dynamic and vital that even professors … at heart half accepted that ideas, the search for truth and scholarship must be among the lesser products of their show.”
Rudolph, Frederick. (1962) The American College and University: A History
In 19th century America, the success of the self-made man led to the perception of higher education as a diversion. At that time going to college was not the way to move up on life; on the contrary it took young men away from the pursuit of wealth.