Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-07-27
IN SOUTH
President Denny Gives His Views
On This Subject
GROWTH DURING PAST DECADE
Virginia Pledges Greater Effort To
The Work

The work
The following communication from
the pen OF President George n.
Denny of Washington and Lee Uni
versity, appeared in the school sec
ton OF Sundays Richmond Times
Dispatch
app eciatc the invitation and the
opportunity to furnish the Times
Dispatch a brief paper on The
South and Education. 1t is an in
spring theme. 10 fact, nothing in
our national life has been more sig
nifcant or more impressive than the
progressive movement in education
in the South in the past decade. 1t
is a record of sold achievement.
We are passing through 4 period
of educational reconstruction. The
universities and colleges are being
reOrganized, and in many instances
practically rebuilt. They are be-
ing adjusted and readjusted to mod
ern needs and modern demands.
Young men and young women are
crOwding into them. We are today
graduating from Washington and
Lee as many young men as there
were in the entire student body
Quarter of century ago. TIE en-
dowment is three times as large;
the income has quadrupled; the
new plant and equipment, in scope
and in quality, outclass the old.
This is typical of many of the col
legeS. 1t is an expression of the
educational renaissance through
which we are passing. 1t is one of
the most hopeful and significant
signs OF the times
High School Movement
More Signi fcant still is the phe-
nomenal progress of the high school
movement in the South. This is not
the place to quote statistics 1t is
true, however, that a larger num-
Der of high schools have been organ
lied in the South in the past de-
cade than during the entire half
century preceding. The high school
is the peoples college," and no
man can estimate the value of this
movement upon the future civiliza-
ton of our section. Every first
class high school, planted in a rural
community, becomes a centre of in
fluence and OF immeaSur able benefit
to the masses of the people. 1t is,
indeed, "a city set upon a hill
Eqally as significant is the organ
iZation of normal schools, in which
Virginia has been doing he: full
duty. pause to say that in this
matter she has done nothing more
than her duty. No school system
can be fruitful unless there is an
ample supply of trained teachers.
We have never had such a supply
in Virginia. DR.. William Henry
Rutfner, the great educational pro
phet of our Common wealth, fully
realized that there could be nc
sound system of primary education
without ample provision for the
training of teachers. His great
mind conceived the plan and launch
ed the splendid organization al
Farmville, which has for many years
been benediction to the State The
, chain of normal schools now being
organized will do more for primary
, education in Virginia than anything
, that has ever been done in our his
tory.
A Significant Fact
Another significant fact in our
educational expansion and develop
ment is the rapid progress of the
agricultural and industrial move
ment IN the South. This is mat
ter of first Importance. The South
is less understood than any other
section of the country. We owe i
- to ourselves to develop and to eX
plot our vast resources. We arr
, well started on the way to do this
, Industrial schools, trade schools
manual training schools, agricul
: tural schools. farm demonstrations
and various other agencies are di