Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-08-08
BEARDSHEAR is DEAD.
PASSES AWAY AFTER A LONG
ILLNESS.
Was One Of the Most Prominent
Educators in the United States.


Educators in the United States.
Ames, Aug. Cdr. w. NJ. Beard
shear, president of the Iowa State Col
lege, died early yesterday morning
after an illness OF a month. The i'll.
ness was the sequel to nervous pros
tration with which he was stricken
while attending the annual meeting Of
the National Teachers Association at
Minneapolis.
DR.. Beardshear was one of the fore.
most educators in Iowa. Prior to as
Stunning the presidency of the Iowa
State College ten years ago, he was
superintendent of schools for West
Des Moines. Prior to that he hal
been president of Western College at
Tama, Iowa. When he became head
of the state college it was less than
half its present size, it's growth being
due in large part to his efforts.
VIM. NJ. Beardshear, A. M, D. d.,
was native of ohio, 50 years old,
an able minister in his early days and
great educator in his prime. He was
of Swiss extraction on his paternal
side while his mother was of Scotch
and Welsh blood. The grandfather
had moved from Pennsylvania to Vir-
ginia thence to Ohio early in the cen
fury and had entered 700 acres Of
land near Dayton. This was the old
homestead on which DR.. Beardshear
| was born, Nov. 7, 1850. His earlier
life was on the farm, but at the age
of IA he enlisted in the 184th Ohio
Volunteers and served to the close Ut
the war with the Army of the Cumber-
land. Returning to Ohio he prepared
to give himself an education. He en-
tered the preparatory department Of
Otterbein University and after six
years of hard labor graduated at the
head OF his class. While attending
| college he united with the United
Brethren church and on his gradua-
ton in 1876 was called to the pasto-
rate of church at Arcanum, Ohio
Later he attended Yale Theological
| seminary and fitted himself we'll for
the ministry He was then called TO
the Summit Street church, Dayton,
but in 1881 resigned to accept the
presidency of the Western College at
Toledo, Iowa. The college had but
recently been removed from Linn
county to Toledo and DR.. Beardshear
entered upon the work of building j.
up. He was remarkably successful in
this work and placed the college upon
a firm footing. In 1889 he was offer
ed and accepted the superintendency
of the West Des Moines public schools,
which position he filed with credit
to himself until 1891 when he was
called to the PRESIDENCY of the Iowa
State College of Agriculture and Me-
chanical Arts at Ames. .s5
DR.. Beardshear was always active
in school work and for many years
was prominent instructor in normal
institutes. While in the ministerial
work N Ohio he was elected a dele
gate to the National Sunday school
convention at atlanta. His college
gave him the degree of A. NJ. and later
he YVES given the honorary degree IT
D. D. by Lebanon Valley College. He
was president of the Iowa State Teach
ers' Association in 1894 and was d.
rector of the National Education two
years ago and when he was taken sick
was in Minneapolis to preside at the
last convention of that body. He
was member of the United States
Indian commission, also juror on
educational awards at the Pan.Ameri-
can exposition.
In the eleventh year of his work as
head OF the Iowa State College, DR..
Bradshaw has made for himself
national reputation as one of the most
progressive educators in the country.
The college has grown wonderfully
under his care.
He was married in 1873 to Miss
Josephine Mundhenk in Ohio and they
have four children.