Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-30
PRESIDENT HOMER B. SPRAGUE.

A strong addition to the educational and
intellectual forces of the State Will arrive
from the East this morning, in the person
of Professor Homer B. Sprague, the re-
Gently chosen President of Mills Female
College. In the selection and acceptance
of Professor Sprague to this very response
BILE and high position the Board of Trus-
tees of the College and the people of the
State have been exceedingly fortunate, as
it is believed that no stronger man, if an
other so well fitted for the position could
have been found, to stand at the head of
this new and promising College, which
takes leading rank among the educational
institutions of the Golden State.
For several years the new President was
Professor of English Literature in the Cor
nell University, which chair he resigned to
accept the position of Principal Of the
Adefphl Academy, New York. From q
highly successful administration of this in
stitution, he was called to that of Head
Master of the Girls High School of Boston,
which position he has held for several years
past, and now resigns, after much hesita-
| ton, to accept the Presidency of the Mills
Female College The Girls High School
of Boston is one of the very best and most
celebrated for female education in the
United States. and Professor Sprague would
| never have left it to take the Presidency of
| a young ladies' seminary, even so Justly
prominent as the Mills has been, but the call
to take the lead in establishing a female
college of the first order, upon the Pacific
coast, with all the beneficent results which
| will flow from it, has induced him to leave
the Athens of America" to add the
great weight of his years of experience, his
ripe culture, and superb powers of scholar
ship and oratory, to the efforts of the earn
est men who are here engaged in the grand
movement of laying broad and deep the
foundation of better and higher ciyiliz-
alton. The people of California most gladly
and warmly welcome President Sprague,
and his family who accompany him, to
make this their future home.
In this connection the following recent
expressions by eminent authorities respect
ing President Sprague will be of interest:
Professor Moses Coyt Tyler says: PRO
feSsor Spragues course at Yale, when he
graduated, is not there equaled once in
twenty-five years. He excelled in all de-
partments of study. No other graduate
has approached the record which he made
as a college orator"
President Andrew D. White, of Cornell,
says of him: ~ regard Professor Sprague
of Boston as one of the best in every re-
spect for the position of President of Mills
College. / can hardly be mistaken in him.
for | have known him ever since we We're
in college together, and had occasion to
learn his qualities thoroughly during his
| residence as Professor here. His separation
from us was matter of very deep regret
to us all, and if we could then have offered
him inducements sufficient to warrant his
remaining, we should have done So"
Rev. Theo. T. Munger, the well known
RI Dr- L.
ter fitted for the position to which you have
called him, than any other person in the
country. He is noble-hearted, chivalrous
man, one who can be trusted with the en-
| tire interests of the school,
President d. G. Gilman, of Johns Hop
| kins University, writes " The papers sew
eral days ago announced that my old friend
and classmate, DIR. Sprague, has accepted
the invitation to California | congratu-
late you most heartily on having secured
the services of gentleman whose abilities
and attainments are so varied and great l
know of no man so well adapted to carry
| forward the work so well begun"
| Rev. Joseph 7. Duryea, D. D., indorses
him most thoroughly by writing PRO
fessor Homer b. Sprague is a genuine
Christian man. His moral and spiritual
| power in school is of equal worth with his
| educational power. You are fortunate in
securing such man as the head of a col
| lege for young women. Personally / shall
grieve over the departure of Professor
| Sprague from Boston. We cannot fill his
place in Boston. 1t is doubtful if we can
find man approximating to his ability
and special adaptation
From Boston journal we also quote the
following: We regret to learn that Pro,
fessor Homer B. Sprague, head master OF
! the Girls High School in Boston has re.
signed his position. A critical scholar, a
polished gentleman, master orator, an
experienced teacher, he has presided over
the institution for a series of years with
ability. grace, dignity and great success
At no time, so far as we know, has any
ripple of discomfort, criticism or objection
appeared upon the placid surface of the
school waters No man among the corps
of eminent teachers of Boston has done 8
work more valuable, and his instructions tC
pupils and lectures to the general public
have not been excelled. Beyond the ordi
nary habit of the overworked teacher, Pro
fessor Sprague has always been ready t6
answer the call for writing or speaking ii
behalf of the cause to which he has de
voted his life. As speaker he is seldom
surpassed. He has, we learn, accepted thu
Presidency of Mills Seminary and Colleg,
at Seminary Park, California. His many
friends, and they are numbered by score.
and hundreds while most sincerely regret
ting his departure, will wish him abundan
success in his new field of labor. His com
ing viii be marked event among tn,
broad-minded educators of that State Th,
institution which secures his services is Il
! lie congratulated.