The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-03
CONFERENCE MEANS MUCH FOR THE CITY So. Conference of Education Will Bring Big Men MEETS HERE IN APRIL Over 1000 of the Most Prominent Edu. cators and Phlanthropists In
 the Country to Be Guests
 of the City.
MEETS HERE IN APRIL

Will take place next Aprll, when the | Southern Educational conference meets here. The conference will include nearly all of the prominent educators of the country as well as many philanthropists who have devoted their time and given their money to educational work in the souths
 It has also been announced that the i Southern Educational association, an en- tirely different organization, will meet in Birmingham during the present year. This organization Is composed largely of edu- 1 cators who meet to discuss topics of in- terest in the educational world relative to the south.
 Seven Years Ago.
 The conference which meets here in April was organized seven years ago at Capon Springs, w. Va, when several dis | tinguished men, including the late Dr. J. l.. M Curry and Robert c. Ogden met informally to discuss means of promoting education in the south. From that small beginning the conference has grown un- til now it has from 1000 to 1900 members at its annual meetings the last of which | was neld Tn RlcnmOnd.
 In the last two or three years the con- ference has grown steadily and developed greatly This is due largely to the fact that the conference is backed by two boards of great power and influence. One | of these is the southern board of educa- ton, which Is merely advisory, and ar ranges for the conference meetings and Il problems. This board is composed entirely of southern men-educators, fnanciers and business men.
 The other is the general educationa, board, which has charge of large sums of money to be used in southern educa- ton. The policy of this board is literally to help those who help themselves. In the past year it has sent agents into many rural districts in the south and has given money to all districts which would raise a like amount for the purpose of educa- ton. It lays special stress on local tax ation for education, and wherever this can be secured the board has aided the district to build and maintain school houses. In the past year this board has |
 To Entertain Conference. Tn order to properly entertain the Southern Conference of Education in April it will be necessary to raise a con i siderable amount of money. The confer ence will be in session three days, and a theatre will have to be rented for that length of time, and entertainment will | l,o r ception or banquet.
 For this purpose a local organization will be perfected this month by Dr. J. II. Phillips, superintendent of the Birming- ham schools. A large number of the people attending the conference will be the guests of Robert c. Ogden, president | of the conference. He invites many prominent educators and journalists to be his guests every year. Others of the visi- | tors will board at the hotels, but Dr. Phillips estimates that about 800 should be entertained in private residences. Prominent Men.
 l Such men as MT. Ogden, President El- liott of Harvard, President Butler of Columbia, President Woodrow Wilson of Princeton, President Harper of the Uni versity of Chicago, President Kent of .he University of Virginia, President Kirkland of Vanderbilt and President Prather of the University of Texas are among those who have expressed a desire to come to the conference.
 Besides these there will be representa- tives of many newspapers, magazines, educational papers and book companies present at the conference. The editors of many of the largest newspapers in the country are greatly interested in this movement and personally attend the meetings every year.
 The coming meeting will be noted for two reasons, according to Dr. Phillips. l First 1t consists not only of teachers and educators. but also business men and men whose names are known in every rart of the country. Second, because of the large number of the best educators of the country who are brought together.
 The Rev. Edgar Garner Murphy of Montgomery, is vice president of the con- | ference and chairman of the committee on programme. He is constantly in con- I ference with MT. Ogden and they are arranging the programme for the Bir- mingham meeting. It is probable that | there will be nothing done in the after moons while the conference is in ses- sion, and this time will be devoted to entertainment and allowing the visitors to see the city and district.
 Officers of Conference.
 The officers of the conference and the I advisory board are as folows Robert c. l Ogden of New York, president Edgar Gardner Murphy of Montgomery, vice. president and chairman of the committee on programmes; Dr. B. J. Baldwin of Montgomery, secretary.
 l The advisory committee is: B. B. Val entine of Richmond, Va; Joseph G.. Brown of Raleigh, N. O.; B. c. Caldwell. president of the State Normal college of Louisiana; J. B. Gibson, superintendent of schools, Columbus. Ga.; R. B. Fulton. chancellor of the University of Mississip- | pi; Hon. John B. Knox, of Anniston Ala. {: R. R. Jesse. president of the University os Missouri; s. A. Mynders, state superin- tendent for Tennessee: D. F. Houston, president of the Agricultural and Mech an- ical college of Texas; G. P. Glenn, superin- tendent of schools. Jacksonville. Fla; S. A. Snyder, president of Wofford college South Carolina.