I am trying to determine the origin of the Department of Education (I don't believe it should exist at all). If this doesn't shock a person I don't know what will. This is from a Drexel University Web Page ... "The history of the Department of Education goes back to 1867, when President Andrew Jackson signed legislation that created the first Department of Education." (see: http://www.cis.drexel.edu/faculty/shelfer/public_html/busrefpapers/edu.htm ) Of course, Andrew Jackson was President between 1829 and 1837. He died in 1845. According to https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html its original charter was "to collect information on schools and teaching that would help the States establish effective school systems. " :-o