The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-10
PROF. SANFORD'S
JUBILEE YEAR
The Tezl-Kaospp University Woman Closes Her FIFTY
Years of Continuous Teaching with Busy Week
of Commencement Address-A Disciple Of the
Gospel of Work for Mind and Body.

yXy ITH the close Of this semester's
w work at the university, Profes-
sor Maria l.. Sanford com
pletes her fiftieth year of practically
continuous teaching and she seems TO-
day to be as full Of enthusiasm, as
abreast of the times ass she ever could
have been. She herself says that each
year but renews her energy ana her
love for her work. "
She attributes her always vigorous
health in part to strong constitution,
but largely to her indulgence in about
four hours a day Of physical exercise
as foil to her continued mental labors.
She has not resorted to calisthen1cs,
but in short skirts and thick shoes she
goes out and mows her own lawn, digs,
makes and cares for her own garden;
or in winter tends her own furnace.
She sometimes teaches eleven months
in the year, going from one summer
school to another after the university
wear has ended. During the past win
ter she has slipped upon the ice, and
broken her shoulder. She showed her
splendid grit and strength OF nerve by
going to her classes every day and
even taking trip into Iowa to fill
lecture engagement on the second day
after the accident. Professor Sanford
began teaching when she was but a
girl of l6 in a country school district
in Connecticut. She graduated from
the Connecticut normal school in 1865
and since that time has never been
more than six months at time out Of
the work.
While she was in charge of a school
in Middlefeld county, Connecticut, the
superintendent of Chester county, Penn
sy1vania, decided to visit her school.
Miss Sanford had been called away by
a death in the family, but she had left
directions for work with the scholars,
and when the Chester county supe9rin;,
running itself in a very orderly and
; a step towards promotion, for thru it
the teacher obtained the Parkersville
school in Chester county, Pennsylvania.
While teaching her second year at
Parkersville, Miss Sanford was can
didate for the county superintendency.
Parkersyyille was in a Friends district
tute and done much for the neighbor-
ing schools. When the position Of
county superintendent became vacant,
the Friends were all DESTROYS that she
should have it. No woman at that
time had ever been thought of for
such a position, and a colony of Ger
We ens much M an opposed to the Innovation.
Their opposition defeated Miss San
ford, altho she had more votes than
had elected the man who had held the
position before.
Soon after this she went to Coates,
vile, where she was superintendent OF
schools and principal of the high school
This was another Innovation, as many
there thought that no woman coulc
take charge of high school.
During these years she had been pub
fishing various articles on child train
ing the moral influence Of education
and kindred subjects, which were wide
ly read and quoted and made her well
known among the foremost educators.
One of the regents Of Swarthmort
college was ner neighbor when she was
living in Parkersville, and know Of he:
special success in teaching history. Al
soon as vacancy occurred in the his