Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-07-19

Conn, Jan "a, 1911, and he died in the
home Of his childhood He had lived
in the picturesque New England town
all his life with the exception of those
years he devoted to travel, and laid
claim to no permanent home. His Of
fee and library were in the room in
which he was born. And there with
unimpaired health and mental vigOr
the educator and writer continued to
pass his time among his books until
only short while prior to his death.
His education began in the district
school, which he attended until he had
passed his twelfth year. He next was
sent to an academy at Monson Mass,
and after a period in that institution
ne was prepared for college by priv
ate tutor.
A few months before he was 16 years
of age he entered Yale and was grad
uated with hOnors in 1880, before he
was 20, achieving especial distinction
on account Of his oratOriCal powers.
After leaving college he studied law
and was admitted to the bar at "a.
His vacations had been spent in
travel in this country and on COM
pleting his legal studies he went
abroad, travelling through England
Scotland and Switzerland on foot, for
the purpose of studying the social,
scholastic and political conditions of
those countries. During his travels he
visited Carlyle, Wordsworth, De
Quincy, Locl1hart, Pestalozzi, Chal-
mers, Lord Brougham and other dis
tinguished men. Returning to Hart
ford in 1886, he entered earnestly upon
the work he had mapped out as his
Iife's mission, the Improvement of the
educational institutions of his native
country.
In 1887 Dr.. Barnard was elected to
represent his home city in the Con-
necticut legislature, and in the fol-
lowing year he introduced an educa-
tional bill His speech in presenting
it produced such an effect that Roger
Minor Sherman, the recognized leader
Of the house, moved a suspension Of
the rules for immediate action on the
by both houses of the legislature. The
bill created a board of school commits
sionPrS for the state, and Mr.. Barn
ard was induced to accept the position
of secretary of the board. He con-
tinued in this work until 1912, and by
his endeavoTs education was made the
leading question of the day, and his
reports and suggestions are still con-
sidered standard educational docu-
ments.
Five years later the Connecticut
board of education was abolished, and
following the urgent advice of Cover
nor Seward of New York and other
leading men, Mr.. Barnard delivered
addresses in the principal cities of the
country to arouse public sentiment in
favor of organizing the educational
systems of the different states. In
1S43 MIR. Barnard became state su-
perintendent of schools in Rhode Is
land occupying that position till i'm
paired health forced MIN to resign in
1910. During his work in Rhode Is
land he addressed over 1900 educational
meetings. and won the highest praise
from the leading men of the state
In 1850 Mr.. Barnard resumed his
educational labors. Three calls came
to hjm-one to the presidency of the
University of Indiana; another to the
chancellorship Of the University of
Michigan, and a third, which he &C
cepted, from his own state, which gave
him its highest educational positions,
state superintendent of schools and
principal of the normal school. These
positions he held four years, when i'll
health again compelled him to resign.
In 1859 he was able to begin again
his work in the educational field, and
accepted the position of chancellor OF
the University of Wisconsin. Here he
remained until 1861. devoting his
energies mainly to the establishment
of graded schools throughout the state
Severe nervous prostration compelled
him to resign.
In 1866 DR.. Barnard was elected pres
ident of St. Johns college, Maryland
position he resigned in the follow
ing year to become the first commits
sioner of education appointed by the
United States government He re-
NAMED four years in Washington, dur
ing which time he organized the
bureau of education and issued four
reports of a very valuable character
and it has been recorded as a striking
fact, revealing the constructive char.