The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-05

On the fifth ballot, Inspector scholle
moved the unanimous election of Cur
tlsi seconded by Inspector McNair. The
Hiotion was carried and the entire vote
OF the board cast for Prof. Curtis
virgil G. Curtis has a national ren,I-
tailon In educational circles. In an
pointing him to the important tr11st
me board Of education secured a man
VINO combines rare qualities for ths
WI moih pelore MIN. To be the superin-
eehdent or school system such as is
boosted of by st. Paul, requires q
many sided man. 1t requires a three
cornered man, so to speak. A msn
must De a scholar, a keen business.
man and a diplomat all at once, and
.llose quantles are all believed to be
present in Mr.. Curtis.
Mr.. Curtis is fffty-one wears old b,,.
he looks younger. His hair is steel
gray and every spear of it appears 10
De IN place, for there is not a trace
OF badness on his classic head Tthen
again the new superintendent is 4
VlVaclous talker, splendid converse
uonalst, q natural diplomat, polished
suave and unaffected.
as an educator he ranks among the.
foremost in the country He has hell
many important positions. and eacII
mas been higher and more responsible
that the one preceding He began
where dozens Of ether educators have.
begun. teaching a country school for.
years. but all the time rising above his
surroundings and improving his mind
SO that when the opportunity present.
ed itself, he might step into a higher,
post.
he is a progressive man whose am
bition is to place the schools under his.
charge on the topmost round. he
comes to st. Paul realizing that the
schools of the city rank at the head OF
any In the country, but his pluck tells
MN that they may still be made bet
ter. Yet Mr.. Curtis cannot be said to
be revoiutionist. He approves OF
many modern REFORMS. but he is said
to have a faculty Of introducing them
without friction and without sacrificing
those traditions of school education
which are precious and dear to the
hearts Of the people.
Mr.. Curtis is not a faddist, for the
reason he believes there are no fads In
existence. so far as public schools are
concerned. He is an earnest advocate
OF manual training in the public
schools and during his FIVE years CON
nection with the public schools Of New
Haven, Conn, he placed the manual
training department in that city at the
head of any in the East. He believes
that the teaching CT mechanical arts in
the public schools is a prime requisite
to a well rounded education. Mr..
Curtis is further, an ardent believer in
the theory that any special trait which
is developed in a. school should be cul.
tivated to it's fullest limit, and that a
prescribed course of study maintained
as a matter OF form, against the natu-
raj tastes and inclinations of the stu
dent, is crime against that student
In other words the new superintendent
Is a believer in individuality. Where
ever he has labored in the cause oil
education, he has followed out this
idea During the past year Mr.. Curtis
has Travelled largely In Europe, and
while investigating the schools Of Ger
many, he found much to corroboratt
this idea that the Individual IS greater
| tivating the Individual is followed
closely in the Fatherland. 1t has pro.