The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-06-27

Master at the neau OF GnlS SeIluOh
not because | propose to speak from
them or to explain their meaning,
but because they seem to me a most
fitting comment upon the life which
/ have chosen to speak to you about,
and because that life sheds light on
their meaning and proves their truth
better than any words can do.
1t is fitting time to talk of HORACE
MANN because this month witnesses
the hundredth anniversary of his
birth. The children of men are
quickly forgotten after death except
by their immediate circle of friends
Not many perform such deeds or live
such lives as to make their names IA
miliar to any large circle hundred
years after their birth and forty years
after their death. But the world can
scarcely be accused of forgetting
Horace Mann when the daily press OF
great cities and the religious and ed
vocational press of the country gave
extended notice to his life and work
on the centennial of his birth. Yet
how few of all who read the headlines
of the newspapers took any interest
in the articles about him or even
knew who Horace Mann was or what
he did? 1t is one of the faults of our
social condition and civilization that
while the noisy mouthed politician is
lifted into national nUtoriety it often
happens that the men who are doing
the real work that makes for the
growth and permanence of national
and social life are unknown to most
of their own generation and wholly
forgotten by the next. 1t would not
be surprising, therefore, if to some
here, Horace Mann is an unknown or
an unmeaning name. If so, happy
shall be to make him live again in
not only in your memories but in
your gratitude and honor.
First, let me give bare outline OF
his life,-set forth the skeleton of his
biography which later we can clothe
with living flesh. Horace Mann was
born of poor parents in Franklin,
Mass, on small. rocky farm, on May
4, 1896. Till twenty years of age he
worked at home going to school IN the
humble district school house few
weeks each year. By means of much
private study he entered Brown Uni
versity at this time and graduated in
1919. He studied law and was admit
ed to the bar four years later in 1923.
He soon entered politics and was
elected to the Legislature of Massa-
chusetts first to the lower and then to
he upper house, being made President
of the Senate in 1886. The next year,
however, he resigned his political work
to become the first secretary of the
Board of Education in Massachusetts,
a position which he held for twelve
years and in which he did his great
est work and made his chief fame.
In 1913, upon the death of John
Quincy Adams, he was elected to his
seat in Congress where he dared to
champion the anti-slavery cause even
against the great influence of Daniel
Webster. In 1852 he was elected
President of Antioch College, Ohio,
and remained in that position for
seven years, till the time of his death
in 1859.
Such in barest outline is the story
of his life. Now, what is there in it
that is remarkable? Why should we
spend time on the life of this man
whose highest political Office was a
seat in Congress for little more than
one term and outside of that was
simply secretary of State board of
education at salary ofs$l 900 year
and later president of poor and
small college in little western will
ages 1t is at once granted that these
positions entitle him to no special
recognition. Thousands have held
such places who will scarcely be re-
called by any later generation; but
it is what the man was and what he
did in these seemingly humble pla-
ces that makes his life of supreme
worth.
Unknown as he may be to the
masses no other man singly has per
haps done so much for education in
America as Horace Mann. To him
more than to any other do we owe
our present public school system.
Other heroes of education we have
had who have labored as earnestly in
its cause,-such men as Henry Barn
ard, William Woodbridge, Thomas
Gallaudet, etc.,-but in Mann we have
a rare combination of scholar, states
man and educator which places him
foremost in the list of our educational
henefactOrs,