New-York tribune., 1909-10-29
CON VOCATION OPENS
by McKeIway-Nor-
NAL College Dedication.


Albany Oct 2s-st. Clair MeKelway, of
Brooklyn, vice-chancellor of the Regents Of
the university formally opened the forty
seventh University Convoeation of the State
in the Senate Chamber of the Capitol to-
night after prayer had been offered by
Bishop William Croswell Doane. Delegates
were in attendance from various educa-
uonal institutions throughout the state.
Sessions will be held tomorrow and Satur-
day. Mr.. McKelway said in part;
There is one thing which l would merely
suggest and which / hope will be more
than suggested by the writers and the
speakers during our various sessions II
Is the theme OF Industrial education. There
are many thousands. girls and boys. who
leave our public schools early TO adventure
on trades or business. There is too little
place IN our public schools for manual or
mental instruction or suggestion IN the
trades. If more of such instruction could
be given, or If the preparation for such
instruction outside Of our schools could be
improved within our schools, then prepara-
tory education would mean more to many
OF our young pupils than IT means now.
90 not know that the trade unions
would permit this to be done. 1 am con-
vinced IT would be to their interest to
permit it, and that il would strengthen the
hold which unionism. so called, in the
trades and Industries would have upon the
schooling with usefulness. II would remove
from u;ionism the charge of selhshness or
Ihberality. 1t would relieve unionism of
the imputatiOn OF narrowed moDopolyisTn.
1t would unite the cause of skilled labor
WITH the aspirations of the earnest youth
or worI5foIk.
do not know enough of the policy or the
philosophy Of unionized labor to speak with
authority concerning 1t. but / do know
that the number of families of humble
means who would have their children ac-
qulre the rudiments, at least. of effective
and skilled arts and crafts in the public
larger
OF uniOnism favors; and that the larger the
capacity Of the schools to establish good
understanding between themselves and
unionism, the better for skilled labor and
the better for education conducted through
taxes by the state
DIR. lie Baron Russell Briggs, dean of the
faculty OF arts and sciences of Harvard Col
lege and president of Radcliffe College, ad-
dressed the assemblage on THE American
College and the American University
feature of tO-day's programme was
the dedication of the buildings of the State
Normal College in Western avenue, with
addresses by Governor Hughes, DIR. An
drew S. Draper State Commissioner of Ed
ucation, and st. Clair McKelway. William
j. Milne, president of the college, presided.
The buildings We're erected by the state
to replace the old college building in Will
lett street. which was burned in 1905.
Governor Hughes referred to the fact
that it was in Albany in 1884. that the
first normal school was established, and
said that the institutions new home was
one Of the results of long continued effort
to provide. under the care of the state, for
the education of teachers. He continued:
l am one who believes in the dignity of
the vocation of the teacher There Is no
class of men and women in our commun-
itv who as a class are deserving of high
er honor than those who, with proper in
tent understanding
mission, are deVOting themselves to the
instruction Of our youth. l rejoice to-day
that we are as a state making better
provision for the training of our teach
ers.
1t is of primary Importance that those
engaged to teach should be conversant with
their subject and able to communicate
information. But the teacher is not in the
best sense a successful teacher who merely
must be inspired. l would rather have a
teacher who knew little and was gen
uine man, than a teacher who knew much
and was not genuine man.
The Governor emphasized the Importance
OF the study of civics.
Dr. Andrew S. Draper. who delivered the
dedfcatory address. sketched the history of
the college in its sixty-ive years OF exist
ence, and pointed out the reed in the
states educational system of better train
ing for teachers in the secondary school
system.
The ceremonies were attended by the
Regents of the university, several principals
of state normal schools and other we'll
known educators.
Postmaster James B. McEwan, Republi-
can candidate for Mayor OF Albany, was
appointed by the State Board Of Regents
to-day as a trustee of the State Normal
College, to succeed,W. Bayard Van Rensse-
&c