The Lafayette gazette., 1902-06-28

this pleasant occasion. My pleas
ure is not only Il personal one,
but I am glad to be here as con
ductOr of the South Louisiana
Summer School. I am glad to
have any opportunity TO express
my personal appreciation of the
many cOurteSieS that have been
shown me by the hospitable peO-
pie of Lafayette: and [ hope you
will let me say Il word about
Summer Schools. 1t has been
my fortune to attend summer
schools as pupil or to teach for
d number of years, and 1 believe
in them. A teacher does not al
ways realize his or her needs
until the actual work of teaching
has begun. Then it is that the
desire to learn is strongest.
Now these summer schools
fulfill this purpose, and they
benefit in two ways:
First, in the matter of
methods of teaching. The
teacher has the opportunity of
seeing others teach, and also of
teaching under criticism. Be
sides, there are subjects taught
of purely professional nature,
with the aim of elevating the
teachers work and giving it Il
solid, technical. professional
basis.
But second, teachers have in
these summer schools the Op-
pOrtunity of extending their own
knowledge. The first requisite
of a teacher is to know thor
Oughly the subject to be taught,
and not only this but to know
BEYOND the subject to be taught.
The greatest of our early advO-
Gates of public education was
that greatest of the world =
Democrats, Thomas jefferson,
and how did jefferson begin his
great scheme of public educa-
ton for his native State? He
knew that to have efficient
schools for all the people, he
must have efficient teachers,
thoroughly instructed them
selves and imbued with the prin
cipleS of sound learning. So the
first step he took was to establish
the University of Nirginia-nOt
for it's own sake, one might say,
but for the sake of his larger
Here DR.. Billiard told of Il visit
ne made to one of the great in
situations of learning in Michi-
gan, which State has perhaps
the best educational system in
the Union. DR.. billiard said he
was pleased to hear from the
lips of the president of that uni
verSity that Michigan was in
debted to a Virginian-tO
Thomas JefferSOn--fOr the basic
principles of its magnificent
educational system.
What was jefferson great
purpose: continued DR.. billiard.
What did he clearly see: This,
that DemOcracN--Of course, ]
mean Democracy in its large
SenSe--that Democracy could
not live, could not continue eN-
cept by educating not It class
only, but all the people. This is
the great truth which We are
beginning to take to heart to-day.
Virginia, his own State, is only
to-day beginning to do what he
set out to do nearly a century
ago. Jefferson, like all supreme
men, was at least a century
Of his own day. This is
the truth which we in Louisiana
must take to heart if we are to
keep abreast of sister States in
thrift and intelligence. | say
thrift, because education does
bring thrift. Education pays.
1t is good financial investment.
as statistics prove. We do not
make this the highest end of
but it is nevertheless
an inevitable result. Nor A DOL
LAR COULD BE SPENT BT THIS
PARISH OF LAFAYETTE THAT
WOULD NOT RETURN WITH INTER-
EST TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE.
COMMUNITT.'
Then Dr.. billiard gave a short
history of the organization of the
Educational Board, its
origin, it's aims and the great
power it is destined to WELD in
the cause of public education in
the South. DR.. Dillard con
cluded his address by paving a
deserved tribute to the South
Z