The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-07
Charles Duncan Mc'Iver
ny CHAMLES WILLIAM DADNEY.
Presfdent 81 the University 81 Ciscin natl

smpiified the sterling qualities OF the
race, devotion to liberty, respect for
law, and love for education. LEAH and
| true were these Scotch ancestors, de-
cided In their convictions on all ques-
tons OF church and State. not too toll
Grant. but charitab bic withail, fearers
Of God and fearing nothing else; sup
porters Of schools and churches ever
| since the days OF Knox-though they
had few slaves. responding to the
call Of the State in her hour Of need
and then going bravely to work to
rebuild the waste places in the dark
years that followed WAS worth
much to be born of such stock and in
| such = community. Amid the simple
and orderly influences of this Chris
tan homo. in attendance upon the
private school and the church. in the
daily performance Of the various hard
sAbors that belong to every hearty
farmer boy, and In the association of
men and women like his parents and
OF girls and boys like himself. Charles
McIver spent the first eighteen years
OF his life. Here was implanted that
love for man and that Intelligent and
sympathetic appreciation of the needs
OF country people, which fitted him to
become a successful leader in the
cause of popular education.
As the family means were narrow
and there were other children to be
educated. young McIver earned part
and borrowed the remainder OF the
money to meet his expenses at the
State university. l remember him at
college. a seeA Latin a and Greek
scholar. jolly. popular youngster. al
ready a leader among the students,
who could bat the best ball and make
more noise than any other fellow on
the field.
Graduating from college in 1881.
he took q place as an assistant teach
err in a private school in the town or
Durham. the birthplace Of the Amer
lean Tobacco Trust He won such re-
cogniton by his enthusiasm. his skill
| in handling boys, and his executive
ability that the next year he was
made principal Of the school. North
Carolina was just in the beginning
of the movement for public schools
and a campaign was started for
| local tax for a system of graded
school In Durham Though It was
contrary to his interets. II was char
acteristic OF the young man that he
Joined this campaign and made his
| first public speeches for the school tax.
DR.. Calvin II. Wiley. the progressive
State superintendent, was attracted
by him and gave him place in the
recently established public school at
Winston, from which he soon went
az principal to Raleigh. the state Cap
i itol This experience and the teach
| ings Of Wiley and Curry decided him,
and declining attractive offers in bus
mess, he went to work to prepare
himself for the profession OF teach
ling. Summer schools We're sought
schools in tho North visited. and the
advice of educational leaders taken
with the result that, almost before we
knew it. he had developed Into a
powerful educational worker. Larger
salaries for better teachers. longer
school terms, and systematic organi-
zatlon were his first themes. Realiz-
Ing that the elementary school would
always be taught by women and thai
the country girls who must be the
mothers and teachers, were win
out facilities for education. he started
single handed a campaign for a. STATE
Normal and Industrial college fol
women. which he carried. after few
wears to a successful issue. The leg
islature gave him In 1891 the monel
for the new. college and McIyer Was
of course, made president. Now h'
was In his element. busy and radiant
ly happy erecting school buildings ant
organixating a faculty. and between
times travellngover the State ant
lcoliecting the girls. His slogan was
Universal education necessity
woman the universal educator. thars
fore, the education of woman tn
Foundation Of human progress" A
soon as this college was we'll estab
lished, he commenced a campaign 10
public schools in all the counties
With one of his colleagues In tho COL
lege. he preached the gospel Of uni