The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-09-14
SUPERINTENDENT ALDERr1AN.

Schools of Henderson and has ac-
cepted the high and responsible
position. By our request the Chair-
man Of the Board of Trustees has
consented to answer for us few
questions which everybody is asking
just now:
ale il OF good English stock. The
family first emigrated to New jersey ana
about the wear 1850 removed to North
Carolina and settled in New Hanover
county. There they have shown the
characteristics of their race. In quiet
wnv they have been prosperous farmers
| and some of them have made their marx
| as business men in Wilmington. They
| have been much given to education ana
| the teaching instinct seems to run IN the
| blood. A. B. Alderman was student
at Wake Forest College. 1856. He
settled in the upper part of Sampson
county, sometimes teaching but giving
himself mainly to the work of the Gospel
| Ministry, closing a useful and honored
career in 1899. William F. Alderman
graduated at Chapel Hill, 1856, and was
| Professor OF mathematics, Greensboro
Female College. Edwin A. Alderman
| graduated at the University, 1882. He
| is now President OF that noble Institution
| having proved his fitness for the place
| by eminent service as an educator.
| Others of the family are alumni OF the
| University and are numbered among the
| successful laborers in building up the
| cause of education in our Commonwealth
Edwin S. Alderman graduated at Wake
| Forest College, 1888, and at the South
ern Baptist Theologi cal Seminary, 1886.
| He is now a Professor in one of the Col >
| leges of Kentucky. !. @. Alderman
graduated at Richmond College, 1886,
and with the exception of a term at the
Theological Seminary he has been busy
as teacher and preacher, having labored
| i'm one or the other OF these callings at
| kinston, Lexington, Hendersonville,
Concord, and High Point Several Others
| of the name are alumni OF Wake Forest
| College. Superintendent Alderman grad
uated at that Institution in 1880, and
| took a course in Pedagogy under Prof.
Noble at the University.
WHAT HE HAS DONE.
ale has given his life to the work OF
teaching and in his high calling he has
!
two years after his graduation he taught
in his nativecOunty,S Sampson. His next
term OF service was in Davie county from
which he went to Reidsville, 1890, to
become Superintendent of the Graded
Schools in that place. About six years
ago he was called to Columbus, Ca,
becoming Principal of one OF the city
schools and Assistant Superintendent of
| the system OF schools in that enterprs-
ing city. In all these places his work
has been eminently satisfactory and his
bearing as a cultured Christian gentle
man has endeared him not only to his
pupils but also to the citizens. For ten
years he has been engaged in Graded
Schools and has accepted that as his
| life-work. In it he has already taken
rank as specialist.
HOW HE CAME TO BE SELECTED HERE.
'He made 10 application for the place.
| At first he was not thought of. None OF
| the Trustees knew much of Graded
| Schools and some of them wanted infOr
nation. One of them thought of invit-
| ing Superintendent Moses, OF Raleigh, to
make us a visit but he was not at home.
| Then it was remembered that Prof.
Alderman was spending his vacation
|
| He kindly spent an afternoon here, eX-
aiming the various sites which had
| been spoken of and talking over the
matter with the Chairman and other
members of the Board. He first sug-
| gested that no dwelling in the place
could be made to answer the purpose OF
such school as we wanted and the
best thing was to rent or purchase one
| of the vacant tobacco houses and fit it
up temporarily: This until permanent
| quarters could be provided. His bearing
| and especially his mastery OF the whole
subject Of graded schools made fav-
| Orable impression on the Trustees and
| Others that he met, but nothing was said
to him about the Superintendency. The
| first suggestion of him came from Prof.
J. Y. Joyner, of the Normal and Indus
| trial College, who wrote to one of the
| Trustees: Get j. Il. Alderman for Sup
erintendent OF your Graded School if you
can. He is the best man for the place
that know. We want him back in the
State. A subsequent visit deepened
| the favorable impression which had been
made and one of the Trustees asked him
whether he would undertake to organ
ize our school for us and at what sal
airy.
| HOW He CAME TO ACCEPT.
Every North CarClinian who is out OF
| the State wants to come back if he is of
| any account. And who that has ever
! visited Henderson but wishes to live and
| die here? The work of building and Or
ganlzing which is to be done here appeals
| very strongly to man who has much OF
his life ahead OF him. Family considera-
| tions also helped the decision. They were
| every way commendable but it is not,
needful to speak of them here.
| HIS STANDING IN EDUCATIONAL CIRCLES
president Alderman, OF the University
| writes of our Superintendent: L have
known of him and his work for seven
years. And my Judgment is, he has every
qualification for the superintendency of
| schools. He has good scholarship, a
| thoughtful mind, just and sane views of
| things, kindly and pleasing address,
| and high Christian character. He also
| has wide experience in all phases of
| school work. | know of no man fuller of
! his work. Every summer school finds
| him in attendance, eager, Industrious and
enthusiastic; and generally attended by
his corps of teachers who have respect
| and affection for him. He is the sort of
man who never sops over but goes for
ward increasingly, using good sense, pru-
dcnce and Judgment; and growing al
ways.
"Prof. Noble, of the University. saws
| 4 regard Mr.. j. L. Alderman as A No. l
| in every respect, just such a man as
would gladly vote for We're | on your
| school board. | seldom write testimo-
| mails but Mr.. Alderman is worthy of all
| | have said of him..
superintendent Moses, of the Graded
Schools, Raleigh, writes: I know Mr.
Alderman well. He is the very man for
your schools If you can secure his ser
| vices
These testimonials we're given with
! out the knowledge even OF Supernten-
| dent Alderman. Most OF them came
after he had been elected and they could
| be multiplied indefinitely. The Trustees
| thinking over the matter for themselves
| without conference or canyaSSing or
e!ectioneerng, came to the conclusion
| that in Prof. Alderman they had lust