Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-07-15
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
A Sketch of the Life of It's New
President.

President.
Prof. j. M. .Bloss, the newly elected
president of the State Agricultural
college of Oregon, arrived in time to
be present at the commencement ex-
ercises, and met with the Board of
Regents when they came together
for the last time for the scholastic
year of 1912.
From his appearance, and general
makeup we believe that the A Agricul-
tural College Board has chosen wise
ly in electing him as the president Of
their Institution.
His manner of address is open and
frank, and he has within himself a
power at once commanding, yet
pleasing, and without the least show
of authority.
Before the pupils, and among the
other instructors of the school, he is
as one among them; his will is to
have all receive from his hands, eX-
actly the same treatment he would
be pleased to get from their hands,
and in doing this, he is entering the
portals of this institution az a friend
t. every one connected with it.
Following is "a short
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Prof. John NJ. Bloss was born in
Washington county Indiana in 1889.
His mothers maiden name was
Mcknight, and her people were
among the early settlers of Pennsyl-
vania.
His fathers ancestors came to Sa-
lem Colony. Mass, in 1880
Pres. Bloss secured his early edu-
cation in the public schools of lndi-
ana. AT fifteen years of age he en-
tered Hanover college where he
spent six years, completing the reg
ular classical course in 1860. He
was there elected principal of the
home academy, where he taught
until the spring of 1861, when he
raised a company of volunteers and
entered the Unian army.
He took an important part in the
battles at Winchester, Cedar Noun
tain, I'd Bull Run, Anteitam, Chan
cellorsville, and Gettysburg. Also
with Gen. Hooker at Lookout
mountain, and down at Atlanta in
1864 where he was last wounded.
On account of his wounds, five
in number, he was forced to resign
from the army, and after time,
entered the OHIO Medical college,
from which he graduated:
In 1867 he began his life work as
principal of an academy, and later
county Supt. of the public schools.
Ia 1870 he took charge of the
New Albany schools, and in 1875
was elected superintendent of the
public schools of Evansville, Ind,
with 120 teachers and 5000 pupils
under him.
In 1880 he was elected superin-
intendent of public instruction for
the state Of Indiana.
In 1888 he was placed in the chair
of mathematics in the Indiana State
Normal school.
There were over 5000 students and
125 teachers in his charge when in
1887 he was superintendent of the
public schools of Topeka, Kansas.
He has always been recognized as
leader in school work, and has
been intimately connected with
its progress ia the past twenty years.
When he was elected to fill the
position he now occupies here in our
state, he was superintendent of the
schools of the largest city in Kansas,
and also president of the board OF
directors of the Kansas Educational
Exhibit at the Columbian exposi-
tion.
DR.. Bloss is in thorough sympathy
with the work of education in Ore
gon, and is enlisted in the growth
and development of the State Agri-
cultural college. He says that this
is the place where men and women
are to be educated to be alive to the
interests and development of our
state and country.
At his suggestion, the Board of
Regents has closed up the gap
which has existed between the pub
lie school work of the state, and this
institution. These schools will be
commissioned if they so desire, SO
that their graduates will be admitt-