The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-31
PRAISE Of TEACHERS
0kIahoma's MouIders of the
Plastic Mind
ARE SECOND 10 NONE
President Coles Testimony
to Their Thoroughness,

Oklahoma City, o. T. Dec. 3o.-Profes-
sor L. w. Cole, the retiring president OF
the Territorial Teachers association
which has just closed its annual session
at Oklahoma City, is highly gratihed over
the work of the meeting and the increas-
| ing interest of the leaders. Speaking OF
| the work Of the association and the ad-
vancement of education in Oklahoma, he
| said:
THE ninth annual meeting of the Ter
ritorial Teachers association has been
characterized by a generous substantial
ity, q relentless solidity,' as President
Scott put it, which 1 believe is character
| istic of the schools of Oklahoma. Not a
| trivial paper or discussion has been de-
hvered
Il cannot but feel that education in Ok
lahoma has put off its swaddling clothes
and no longer speaks as a child There
was time, for a few months, that a
heterogeneous aggregation Of educators
Rugged the title of Professor systemat-
ically introduced each other as such, and
trembled in fear of the next examination.
The territorial board of education proved
to be a great vexauon of spirit and Of
mind to them, and now 1 could mention
a great many men and wmen who, as
personally know, are doing very thorough
work in communities where nothing but
thorough work would be accepted, and in
speaking of them I may omit the
euphonious title Of Professor and still
be quite void of offense.
THE success of the meeting just passed
and its unusually large enrolment are
due to the efforts of Mr.. Butcher of Nor
man, whose school work is as relentless
ly solid and thorough as his work for the
association has been. His duties descend
to Mr. F. n. Howell of Ell Reno, who read
one of the most scholarly papers of the
meeting.
LAS an evidence that some educational
work is being done in Oklahoma, the fol-
lowing are city superintendent and prin-
cipals Of four-room to ten-roOm schools
who have received a part of their educa-
toinal training in Oklahoma's higher in
stitutions: Mr.. N r. Pool Purcell; Mr..
L. A. Terrell, Chandler Miss Maude De
Cou, Newkirk; Mr. ]. P. Evans, Pond
Creek; Mr.. E. S. McCabe, Hennessey; Mr..
J. T. Clayton. Yukon; Mr.. A. B.
Howard, Lexington, to which I should
add the name of Mr. Z. w. Johnson Of
Shawnee. t---
s'Hhen one realizes that there Is a long
er list Of. registered pharmacists, gradu-
ates of the university school of phar-
macy than the list [ have mentioned Of
school principals there is little doubt that
thorough work is being done in education
al lines and the time Of superficial work
is wholly past.
LAS administrator for the common
schools, superintendent Hopkins is a
skilled and tfreless worker. and Superin-
tendent Nffart Of Oklahoma City is his
earnest second.
presidents Boyd and Scott are at the
head of the territorial university and the
agricultural college, respectively. A year
ago President Gilman said in the Cosmo-
politan that there should be IN every uni
versity Observation-Disclosures men of wide
experience, who should be able to advise
young men and to influence them through
out their lives Presidents Boyd and
Scott are of this class of men. I believe
that long after the executive duties of
these men have been forgotten their
sound advice, their incubation of integ-
rity in the hearts of young men by pre-
cept and by the example of their lives,
will have been enacted into life.
Il should mention too, another such
man who is powerful in this way to help
the younger men of the territory-Profes-
sor W. n. Rice, editor of the Oklahoma
School Herald. One cannot go to an as
ISOLATION of this kind without hearing one
or more young men testifying to some
friend how powerfully they have been.
Influenced by the advice, direction or ex-
ample of Boyd, Rice or Scott I think
this is OF more value to the territory than
the fact that the classroom instruction
Of these gentlemen is unexceled any
where in the whole country.
These men are all here in the closing
hours Of this long session, and their
presence suggests these results of their
work
There is a class of educational men
who very rarely attend the association
meetings, and yet have done a great deal
4OI SIS SCHOOLS. a lew years ago Jnty
built all our school houses on paper and
now because of their good business man
agement much of that paper is already
redeemed and that outstanding IS, most
of it, above par. School patrons and the
public appreciate this sound business
management and they retain the MEM
bers of boards OF education who so trans
act business, year after year. As a re-
suit many members have known all the
business relations of their schools for a
term OF four 70 eight years. The careful
attention 10 the business and economic
interests Of the schools means tina. we
shall be able to DO more effective work
every year.
school authorities such as some that
know who have planned the work OF a
school system for six or eight years be-
come as sensitive 70 appreciation OF is
success and as watchful guardians OF It's
safety IS the best trained superintendent
or teacher. II IS this permaaency, sta
biity and ambition OF che people for good
schools which betokeas educational sue
cess here n Oklahoma, where many osd-
zens Of other states believe that we stil
have uncha2ging change and unsettled
educational conditions,