The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-12-09
OFFICIAL REPORTS
OF THE
State NORMAL SCHOOL.
1. PRINCIPALS REPORT.
Concluded from our first page.)
CHANGES N THE FACULTY.

CHANGES IL THE FACULTY.
At the close of the first term, Miss
Ellen Plumb, Principal of the Model
School, resigned her position, for the
purpose of opening book store in EN-
poria. The vacancy caused by this res
ignation was filed by the appointment
of Miss Mary E. Baker, of Decatur, ILL
nois, teacher in the High School of
that city. Miss Baker brought to her
aid in the work of the Model School, q
successful experience of some eight
years duration, first as Principal of the
primary department of the Model School
connected with the State Normal Uni
versity of Illinois, and subsequently,
for the last five years, teacher in the
Decatur High School. Under her skill
full management the Model School has
been led to occupy a high place in the
estimation of the community. 1t gives
me pleasure to add my own testimony
in favor of the general excellence of this
Department of the school.
At the close of the quarter of the ifs
cal year, II. d. Norton, Associate Prin-
sipal, resigned his place in the school.
Ill health, coupled with desire for an
active, outdoor life, constituted the mo-
tives inducing the resignation. Prof. r.
B. Dilworth, of Leavenworth, accepting
the invitation of the Board of Directors,
has been performing the duties of the
vacant position during the present,
third term. Mr.. Dilworth, graduate
of Princeton College, n. j., is well
known to the teachers of the State by
reason of his successful labors in con-
nection with the Normal District Insti-
tutes, held for the last two seasons by
State Superintendent McVicar. He
brings to his work in the Normal School
a large amount of professional enthusi-
asm, broad and comprehensive scholar
ship, an energy and willingness to work
bounded only by the limitations OF
physical strength. take the liberty to
suggest that such arrangements be made
as will insure to the institution the per.
manent services of Prof. Dilworth.
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Hon. c. v. Eskridge, in the winter Of
1853, then q member of the House OF
Representatives, secured, by an act Of
the Legislature, the location of the State
J Normal School at Imports, with an en-
: dowment of about thirty-seven thou
sand acres of land. The following SEES
J sion he procured the passage of an &C
: for the organization of the institution
and another, making an appropriation
of one thousand dollars to open tht
} school for the reception of students. A
competent Board of Directors was ap
pointed by the Governor. This BoarC
: appointed meeting in the fall Of 1864
but at the time it was to convene, came
: the imperative call for all able-bodie(
citizens to march to the border. 1t wa
not until January, 1866, that this OF
ganization was fully effected and tn,
: machinery put in motion. An Execu
: tive Committee, President, Secretary
: and Treasurer, were appointed. Rev
= G. G. Morse, acting for, and by the au
4 thority of, the Board, started for tn,
east in quest of suitable person to TAX
f the position of Principal. After man.
difficulties and not a few discourage
ments, Prof L. B. Kellogg, a graduate
3 of the Illinois Normal University, wa
induced to take the place.
On the 10Th day of February, 1866
eighteen students-fifteen more thai
were greeted by Father Pearce in Lex
ington, when the first Normal Schoo
of Massachusetts was opened, and on
l less than President Hovey had at tn
beginning of the Illinois Normal Uni
versity-were gathered in room be
l longing to the district school of Empor
ia. With them was one teacher. Gu
of doors were all sorts of rumors con
corning an expected rebel invasion from
Texas, and another of Indians from tn
Territory. In doors, the eighteen stu
. dents had settees, borrowed from
neighboring church; the teachers sea
5 was q chair borrowed from the count
treasurer's office. There were tw
t stoves in the room, no teachers desk o
C other furniture, no textbooks, maps, o
3 other appliances. The parable of tn
sower was read, the Lords Prayer re
e peated-and SO the Normal school O
: Kansas was opened. All were hopeful
!, and ere long, hard at work. Very 500
: the school room was we'll seated, an
: reasonably well furnished. The mum
n Der of students increased day by day
until there were forty-two and all wer
: earnest, faithful and enthusiastic. TIL
|. discipline was all that could be wished
: and little said about it. The school wa
t much visited and much talked about, q
home and in the newspapers.
The first term closed in June, after
. session of nineteen weeks. The Boar
1 of Visitors appointed by law to repol
their views with regard to the "cond
ton, success and usefulness" of the in
a stitution, was in attendance Throughout
= the examination, which lasted two day.
: It's discriminating and able report, pre-
sented to the legislature, did much to
! ward confirming public opinion in favo
of the school. Judge L. d. Bailey, c
;, the supreme court, was chairman of thi
8 board. Hon. I. T. Goodnow, State Su
: perintendent of public instruction, 6
G this time favored the students with a
: address. The anniversary Grafton wa
r pronounced by his honor Judge Brewe
e of Leavenworth. The attendance c
r the educational men of the state wa
> large, and the harvest of good word
r not small.
IS The summers vacation was spent i
: planning the next years work. A NOR
: extended circular was issued, and quit
: generally distributed. Notices of th
il school appeared in most of the state ps
pers. Prof. II. d. Norton, graduate {
y the Illinois Normal University, accept
: ed the position of Associate Principa
The State Teachers Association, unde
the presidency of II. d. McCarty, {
2 Leavenworth, granted to the Norms
School kindly recognition, by a resc
= luton expressing their sense of its i'm
# portance, and recommending it to th
confidence of friends of educatio
= throughout the state.