The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-10-02
THE INFLUENCE OF FRIENDS ON
AMERICAN EDUCATION.
Paper by President Kellyl

Paper by President Kelly.)
1t is no doubt expected that upon
such an occasion as this. a speaker up-
on any phase of Quaker progress will
find himself in a mood to eulogi:e.
During the hundred years that have
passed since the founding of White
water Monthly Meeting. much progress
has been made by Friends along educa-
tional lines. One good reason why
this statement is possible Is that they
had a long way to go. One hundred
years ago there was not 4 single
Friends college In America nor In Eng
land. For that matter there is-not =
single Friends college in England to-
day and the society is suffering for
leaders on that account. England.
however. did have a few good second
airy schools then. the famous Askorth
school having been in operation tor
thirty years In America the VIM.
Penn Charter school had been founded
for more than a century and the Nina
Partners Boarding school d196D under
the care Of New York Yearly Meeting
and the Westtown Boarding School.
$3.50 near Philadelphia. had entered
well upon their fruitful career. Al
ready Friends had lost two conspicuous
educational opportunities: one in Eng
land and one in America
The society had been given a good
start educationally by George Fox.
Through his advice. sixteen u6l Board
ing Schools had been set up. the first
one only twenty years u657) after the
first congregation had been establish
ed. The words of Fox have become
classic-"I advise the setting up OF a
school-for teaching boys and also
woman's school-for instructing girls
and young maidens in whatever things
are civil or useful in creation" Fox
had also made the suggestion that q
school should be established to teach
the languages together with the ma
ture of herbs, roots. plants and trees" :"
In 1857 the Morning Meeting" OF Lon
don advised that Friends Of Estate"
should subscribe to the founding OF >
College of Industry and that meet
ings should establish schools for in
struction in French. in languages and
sciences. and in connection with Ia
established by John Bellars. This
meeting also advised the training OF
teachers. This was a fine heritage
both in the matter Of material equip
ment and in the way of educational
ideals. Had they Immediately follow
| ing generations of Friends proved
| obedient to the educational visions OF
their founders, the cause Of education
would have advanced wonderfully.
Quotes Or. MasiII.
! But these good educational seeds had
/ been sown where there was not much
earth and although they straightway
! sprang up. they largely withered away.
/ In explanation Of this parable I would
use the words of DR.. Magill. a former
president Of Swarthmore college. who
saws: We see Friends at the time Of
their origin influenced by a number %
educated leaders. who had enjoyed ths
benefit OF a full collegiate and univer-
sity training. As this earlier genera
ton passed away. and Friends began
to depend upon schools of their own,
and teachers Of their own training.
who had never enjoyed the benefits OF
| the higher education. a dearth Of teach
ers who were properly qualified intel
| lectually for their work was the natn
raj result. AS a consequence through
the first part Of the eighteenth centu-
~. there was a manifest decline of ed
ucation among Friends, as compared
with the communities by which they
were surrounded. So that two centu-
"a Cornell. well nigh reyolutionizei
American education by founding a
University in which. following Fox'a
general idea, he expressed the desire