The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-08-16
PROF. G. F. WERTS CHOSEN.
VIII Be High Scheol Principal
Teachers Chosen-Mr. Douglas
Letter to the Board.

! At a meeting Of the board Of trus-
I tees of the city schools held on Mon
day night Prof. Clarence F. Werts
was chosen principal Of the high
! school to fill the vacancy created by
the resignation of Richard S. Douglas,
OF Wooster, Ohio, and Misses Ona
Spillman. Of Charlotte. and Rosalyn
; Summer, of NeWbcrry, were elected
/ teachers to fill vacancies in the corps
! OF teachers.
! Prof. Werts is a native OF NeWberry
county, and a graduate of Newberry
college. with the degree Of B. S.. in
the class OF 1900. Following gradua-
ton he went to EhEharGt, to take
charge Of the schools there, and was
later III charge Of the schools at .Wag-
ner and at EpWort:. For the past
several years he has been superir-
terdent of the school at Iva, in An
Gerson county Prof. Werts is broth
er of Mrs. J. NJ Kibler, of this city. He
is devoted to his profession, and the
schools which he has taught since his
graduation ten years ago have been
very successful.
Miss Rosalyn Summer is a daugh-
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. Jno A Summer, Of
NeWberry She graduated at Eliza
beth college, Charlotte, in the class of
1908. She has taught at Little MoUn-
tain for the past two years, and was
reelected for another term, but will
accept the position here
Rev. E. J. Gregg was elected prin-
cipal of the Hoge school (colored), to
succeed Rev. B. Levister, who resign
ed to accept position in the colored
college at Orangeburg.
Mr.. Douglas Letter.
Following is the letter of Richard
S. Douglas to the board, rendering his
resignation:
Wooster, Ohio, August s, 1910.
Board of School Directors, Newberry,
S. c.
Gentlemen: When I was informed
! that as board you had elected me to
become principal of your high school
for the coming year I felt grateful to
you, and was much pleased at the
thought of becoming a teacher in a
Southern school. I did not apply for
! position in your school because I
anticipated any trouble about getting
a position as teacher in my own State,
but when heard that you wanted a
teacher 7 sought the position eagerly
because I had a desire to come into
contact with Southern people, and
Southern ideas. I had heard much
that was praise-worthy about South
ern honor and chivalry, and this was
corroborated by my acquaintance with
students in the University of Wooster
from the South, and, particularly, by
my acquaintance with a gracious lady
of North Carolina, who is matron of
the homes here for foreign mission
ary children. She is a frequent visi-
tor in our home and We think that
she has no superior either in the
North or South
I had, therefore, pleasant anticipa-
tons Of having pleasant and prof.
table time among you, and had deter
mined to give, professionally and So
cially, the best that is in me, and to
get as much as possible Of the best
that is in your section of the Sunny
South" but as "the best laid plans
of mice and men gang aft aglee," my
intentions are frustrated and my
dreams have vanished.
The reasons given by those opposed
to my becoming principal Of your high
] school I shall not discuss at length.
T do not think that they represent the
feelings of the best men and women
of the South. And am sure that
some of them are out of harmony with
the Christian spirit, and / know that
some of said reasons misrepresent my
social tastes, and are not compliment
tary to my conception of the fitness Of
things
; My alma mater needs no defense
against the small gibes hurled at her.
Her standing among the best colleges
in the country, and her catholic spirit
are too we'll known to suffer any loss
by the pen of man who is opposed
to a graduate of a Northern school
becoming teacher in a Southern
school, because he was graduated from
a college whose doors are open to
colored man. The University OF Woos-
S1 n