Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1884-05-15
JULIUS L. T0MLINSON.
THE SENTIEEL'S MAN FOR SUPT.
OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
The Record of Life Full of Practical
educational Experience and
Gratifying Results.
From the North Carolina Teacher.

From, the North Carolina Teacher.
Julius Lines Tomlinson was born in
Randolph county, North Carolina, of
parents who were prominent members
of the Society of Orthodox friends, of
which faith he is staunch adherent. His
first collegiate instruction was receiv-
ed al Trinity College, where he re-
naained three years, and graduated
with high honors and class distinction
before he was twenty-one years old ;
and the following year he spent at a
northern college, where, in addition to
the regular senior studies, he took a
special course in German and physics,
on which he afterwards received a
Masters degree.
A teacher by instinct and by delib-
crate choice from boyhood, he was
early trained in the honorable calling
in which he is now a shining light
beginning his life-work at the age of
fifteen, and at seventeen having charge
of large and successful private school
of one hundred and fifty pupils. Before
the close ofhis last college year he was
strongly recommended fer and elected
to a position in Santa Barbara Col
lege, in California, to the headship of
which he was advanced at the end ofthe
first twelve months. During hethird
year of his labors on the Pacific coast
he was called home by the last illness
of his mother; and in the summer of
that year, 1876, was offered and ac-
cepted a desirable position in large
private academy in Baltimore. Here he
remained for i've years, and availed
himself of the opportunity of instruc
tion in the Johns Hopkins University,
in which he took teachers course,
and several other courses of lectures,
on various subjects.
The summer of these years, with one
exception, were spent in Normal school
work in North Carolina, he being one
of the principal organizers of the first
Normal at Chapel Hill. The one
summer not thus devoted, that Of
1878, was spent in Europe, mostly in
Germany, where he gave special at
tention to the systems of instruction,
ever keeping before him the mission
of-his life, and the circumstances un-
der which it was to be discharged. In
the year 1881 he was invited to or
ganize, ab iniiio, system of graded
schools in Wilson North Carolina, and
to become its head and his eminent sue
cess here is matter of history and
testified to in strong terms by DIR. Mayo
of Boston, one of the highest education
al authorities in New England, who
visited the schools and published the
result of his observations in very en-
phatic terms of commendation.
During the summer of 1882, he
was invested with full powers as to
the organization and management of
the State Normal at Wilson, and the
success which has ever crowned his
work was soon manifestedin labors un-
dertaken without any pecuniary reward
This Normal at once took front rank
known popularity and usefulness were
largely due to Prof Tomlinson's self
sacrificing efforts.
While in the very successful dis
charge of work at Wilson, in 1883, Prof.
Tomlinson received flattering calls to
high positions in various places, and
among others, to Alabama and West
Virginia, and to three places in North
Carolina. Wisely preferring to re-
main in, and work for his native State,
he decided to accept the offer of the
Winston Commissioners of Graded
Schools He left Wilson with reluc-
tance, from considerations of health
desiring higher locality; and he is now
organizing the Winston schools, which
are to be white and colored, and which
the Commissioners, with Prof Tom
linson as Superintendent, wish and
aim to make equal to any of their
kind in the United States.
Professor Tomlinson was elected to
the responsible position of Superinten-
dent of the next University Normal
School to be held at Chapel Hill, and
was given full authority to arrange
the entire details of the work, and it
is confidently expected that new i'm
pulse will be given to this hitherto
successful and useful enterprise.
He has just returned from four
months tour of inspection among the
schools of the Middle and New Eng
land States, where he visited all grades
of country and city schools, Industrial
schools and Colleges. 1t is understood
that he will publish, as soon as op-
portunity will permit, a paper on "In-
dustrial Training" in our schools which
will be looked forward to with mulch
interest, as the esubject is rapidly claim
ing more and more of the attention of
orr people.
In the prime of life. and yet with
varied experience in the high call
ing, to the forefront of which he has
rapidly advanced, and to which he is
devoted, and which he has had in
view in all his studies cultured, faith
full and jealous, Professor Tomlinson
has apparently before him career of
wide usefulness sin field where such
labors are greatly needed.
THE following admirable sketch of
Professor Tomlinson's work in the
State has been kindly furnished us by
Rev. Alexander L. Phillips, Princi-
pal of Clinton High School,
THE RESULTS OF HIS WORK.
When Professor Tomlinson went to
Wilson the very foundations of the
graded school had to be laid. The
citizens of the town knew nothing of
the working of such d school, and must