The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-14
Dr. George B. Eager De-
 livers the Sermo1l.
GROWTH OF THE INSTITUTION
What It is Accomplishing for the
 Gifis of Alabama.
Ne1t Tern; Coda see seo Pupils En- relle4, But There l. No Room for
 Aceommodstion of sueh z. . Number.
By wiIl T. sheeha..

2 2 S -e
 By wiu T. sheehas.
 Montevallo. May 1s.-lspecial Core spondence. )-E Education fifty years ago was d privilege in Alabama. Today t is right.
 Whatever progress the state mas made in commerce, in manufacture, in mining and in agriculture .s not com parable with the splendid advance Ala bama has made in education. The state, fifty years. ago. had done. notn. ing but establish the University ol Aiabama. The University, then was not the democratic institution 1t IS now It was reserved for no special class, bnt Y it so happened that there were few sons of Alabamians of moder- ate means studying within It's walls. Higher education; for men was tnen' however, more a matter of tradition than a matter of money.
 The families in which higher edu- cation for their sons was a. tradition were families which sent their sons to the University That these families got most, of the benefits of the States bounty was due to no purpose of mak- ing a privileged class for higher edu- cation, but to the history and tradf- ton of the Alabama families which in- sisted that the sons were entitled 10 the best of educational opportunities
 At that time the daughters had mo inherent educational right which the State was bound to respect The State made no effort, no provisions for them. There was not even common school for them. The state was not even spending a dollar for their intellectual betterment. s,
 A. few schools for girls, very few, were scattered throughout Alabama. !. Estecialiy and in truth, education was Privilege to an Alabama girl fifty years ago. To enjoy #, she must have had the good fortune to have been born in a family where not only was money easy. but sin which education was es- teeined high above the ideals of the time. The girl who enjoyed the privi- lese went for # from q iuxurious nome P, r,,, ing array Of trunks in her wake.
 states Eaucational Advance.
 The span of fifty years, even though 1t widens the dark and bloody chapter of the greatrwar and the somber wrong of negro slavery. holds proud record. And no chapter in the record IS so worthy of praise and honor as that chapter which tells of the States splen- did educational advance.
 tOf the common school systems of the Alamama public schools which had no existence fifty years ago. and which grew to it's present splendid propor- lions from nothing more material or tangible than ideals, hope and energy, much has, already been written and much is to ,bes Written. difficult nhasa. and sone hardly less important of Aiabama,s educational achievment, demands at this time consideration and notice.
 The Alabama Girls Industrial School is celebrating its Tenth Adversary. The first decade of it's life has been finished. Only ten years has the State oi Alabama provided higher education for its girls. In. those ten years what has. been accomplished
 It is one of the things, and there are 80 many of them, which makes sn Ala bafnian proud of his state. It is fact. a condition. material thing which thrills when It's fun scope and growth is realized and appr eciated.
 No less tran 409 Alabama girls have matricuiated in this school in the past year. There would have been more had there been more room in the dormi- tory and in the class rooms. The. school is overcrowded today It has been overcrowded every day, of this school year which is closing. .r.
 "Conditions forbid us from canvas sing said President F. M. Peterson. We canote go abroad in the State and solicit the, attendance of the young women of Alabama. We cannot find place of. room for new corners in the dormitory. We opened the rooms of the dormitory in April for selection for rext year. The older students, those who have spent one or more years at the institution, were. of course, given first choice of the rooms. Within a day, practically. every room in the or n them four of the girl students are compelled to find accommodations"
 Tribute of Mir. Bloch.
 A similar tribute to the growth of the institute was paid by Hon Sol. D. Bloch, of Camden, who had more to do with the founding of the. school than any other one man. and who Is a member ot the Board of Trustees. takes per haps a keener interest in its welfare than any, other one man. --.-.--
 If we had the dormitory room" said Mir, Bloch, we could open the fall term. with 500 students. am fa- miliar with the situation and I firmly believe that we could enroll 500 students for the coming year with hardly an ef- fort if we had theroomtoput them. I will go further and say that if we had the room and the right to canvass. within two years we could increase that enrolment to 1000 girls. If Ala
 
 will have the right and the opportu- nifty of augmenting our matriculation list until 1t shall reach 1000"
 Suchis the school in numbers in this the final year, of its first decade It's other material and tangible growth is hardly less impressive. The State of Alabama has been kind and generous to the school. but the law makers were not expecting it's rapid and phenomenal growth Nor were its founders. for that matter. But because of the schools phenomenal development the generosity of the State has fallen short of the urgency of the schools needs.
 When the school was first establish ed among the beautiful and verdure clad hills of Shelby. there was only one building, picturesque old Southern structure, with Corinthian columns given it. by the people of Monteyallo. Its early material growth was slow. The State of Alabama fifteen years ago. was not so prosperous. nor so financial ly independent as 1t Is now.
 The first building done was the construction of a series of wooden class rooms. They, were built one-story. in