Dr. Hu Shih conceived of the vernacular literature movement in a dormitory at Columbia University, while contacts by students with the pragmatic philosophy of John Dewey and with free and universal education, formed the foundation for later reform.
驚天動地的白話文運動便是胡適在哥倫比亞大學宿舍內，「冥想一番，再和那幾位滿肚皮英文教科書的同學辯論一通而想出來的。」其他如美國哲學家杜威所提倡的實用主義、美國教育界自由而公開的學風，均給這批留學生帶來十分的震撼，而這些日後都成為改革的基礎。