The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-01-04
VA MOST ALE
go STATE RNUcAT0A


CDkIo9s Makes "a Go04 Aoeof4
AiAert Alexandar Murphree, the sub
iect &c this modest sketch, y beyond
doubt the best known educator in the
State 81 Florida. This statement u
made adeisedly. President Murphree.
has been &c the head Of leading e1uca-
eati0naI institutions of Florida For many
years He has come in personal contact
with more young men and women Of this
State than any other educator or execu-
tive, and Il Is not al all likely that any
college girl or boy will question the state
ment that no one connected with educa-
ton in Florida ism0re popular than he.
From "Who'e Who in America" is
found the following paragraph; MUIR
phree Albert Alexandra, educator; born
at Walnut Grove, Ala, April %, 1850;
son of Capt. ]. E. and Helen (Cornelius)
N. Educated Walnut Grove ala Col
lege. 1907, Peabody College Nashville,
1916; University Of Nashville, 1884,
Al. b; 1894, A. M; married, Tallahassee,
Fla, uly %, 1877, to Jennie, daughter
of Col. John A. Henderson,, of Tallahas-
see. Began teaching in rural schools
In Tennessee in 1887; was superinten-
dent Of .Cullman Gala. lefty. schools, prin-
scipal of Summit (Ala) Institute, princi-
pal city high school, Cleburne, Tex,
two years; professor Of mathematics,
1895, and president from 1897 to 1905,
Florida State College. Member Of the
American Academy Of Political and So
cial Science, Kappa Alpha, president
Florida Teachers Association, 19O4-5,
member National Educational Associa-
tiOn; Baptist; Democrat; contributor
Of psychological articles in educational
journals.
President MurphFee's college work,
thus far, has been confined to Tennes-
see, Alabama, Texas and Florida. He
came here In 1895 as professor Of math-
ematics in the Florida State College,
and from that day to this his education
al work has been confined TO the insti-
tuition in Tallahassee, located on College
Hill. Hundreds of young men and wo-
men of Florida, and many from other
States, have passed through the sever
al class rooms of this seat of learning.
For two years, from 1896 TO 1897, they
attended Mr.. Murphree's classes in
mathematics. He was not destined TO
hold that chair for any length Of time.
In 1897 he was elected president Of the
College, and remained At the head Of
the school until 1906, when the Florida
State College was abolished BY the
Buchanan act, and the Florida College
for Women created in it's stead, the
young men, driven out by the abolish
ment of eo.education, going to the I'm
iversity of Florida
The wonderful development of the
Florida State College. under the admin
istration Of President Murphree, is not |
generally known II was a punny af-
fair when he first assumed management. !
The buildings were small, equipment |
old and out Of date, and the school was
but little more than high school. The |
attendance was composed chiefly of res
idents of Leon county, although il was
maintained for the good Of students |
from all parts of the State. President
Murphree saw an opportunity to devel-
op and expand the institution. 1t was
q State College, yet there was no dor
mitory room on the campus for the ac-
commodation of students from other |
counties The first few years were de-
voted to increasing attendance from
other counties than Leon. Soon the
private residences in the neighborhOod |
of the campus we're all in use. Then |
there was need for domitories and Pres
ident Murphree set TO work on a plan
to present the requirements properly
before the legislature. In 1901 he sue
ceeded in obtaining a small apprOpria-
ton including about $4,000 for two
frame domitories. This money was i'm
mediately expended and girls and boys
dormitories were erected and designated
as East and West Halls. The first year
both were comfortably filed, the next
year they were crowded, the third year
outside accommodation bad TO be found,
and the fourth year-well, there was
no Florida State College Its life was
ended, but II expired when 1t was in its
glory; full Of stength and energy. The
enrolment for the last year Of it's ex-
istance was SS7 girls and boys.
IL is useless to refer TO the disap-
pOintment that President MuFphree
must have experienced the day OF the
passage of the Buchanan law in the
sping of 1905, when the Florida State
College, built up by him from not much
more than q local school to q promi. (
nent seat of learning, with a standard
and an attendance reaching
nearly into the four hundreds. IL was
by large odds the most important and
most thriving State educational institu-
ton ia Florida, and its development
was due almost solely to the magnetism,
ability and energy Of its president The 1
Buchanan law knocked down. but aimed {
TO build up even more substantially. {
II was thought that in recognition Of I
past services the head of the largest {
and most furnishing educational inSti-
tuition IN the State would be offered the
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