The purpose of this study is four-fold: (1) to present through an analysis of life needs the nature and source of a curriculum best adapted to democracy; (2) to present fairly some of the reasons why a curriculum must be founded on democracy if democracy survives the dangerous forces that threaten to obliterate its very existence; (3) to make an unprejudiced analysis of the regular situation now existing in Oklahoma schools at the present time to find whether her schools are meeting this challenge to democracy; and (4) to offer from the comparison of the summaries of these data recommendations whereby all schools may have a curriculum "rooted in the life of its people"--a program that contributes to democracy and permanent national defense.

This investigation proposes to present a comparison of two compendiums of philosophy, and in the light of this comparison determine the prevailing types of educational philosophy and practice used in certain schools of southern Oklahoma.

This thesis is an attempt to portray the part the forts of the Southwest had in developing the Federal Indian Policy in that region from 1865 to 1885.