The Colorado statesman., 1912-01-13
STATES PART in EDUCATION
GROWTH OF PRAIRIE VIEW NOR
NAL AND INDUSTRIAL COL
LEGE LARGELY DUE TO THE
INFLUENCE AND WISE MANAGE
MENT OF PROFESSOR E. l..
BLAcksHEAR - TEXAS GIVES
LIBERAL AID.

south toward negro education. it must
be admitted that in recent years SEN
timent has gradually changed in favor
of giving to the children of the race
better chance to improve their condi-
ton. Practically every southern state
makes some provision for education
beyond that afforded in the public
schools Tennessee is the latest state
to make such provision; the last leg
islature providing handsomely for the
commencement of the state normal
school in Nashville.
In Texas, where more than in any
taken advantage of the opportunities
offered and have begun to make rec
ords for themselves, the state has been
very liberal In his recent trip through
Texas, Dr. Booker T. Washington re-
peatedly called attention to the matter
of providing educational facilities.
Texas leads all other states, and there
are more colored high schools in Texas
than in all other southern states COM
bined
The Prairie View State Normal col
lege has been in existence since 1879.
1t was established primarily for the
training of colored teachers. Later un-
der the Twenty-sixth legislature the
name was changed to the Prairie View
Normal and Industrial college and
placed under the supervision of the
board of directors of the A. and NJ.
college Its work is conducted practi-
cally along the same lines, with the,
possible exception of the fact that
more pronounced Industrial work Isl
done.
Prairie View is best known to the
public by reason of the fact that Pro-
fessor E. d. Blackshear, well known
educator and leader, has been its head
for Is years, and that much of its
real and substantial growth is due
to his wise and efficient management
While the Texas school under the man.
agement of Professor Blackshear has
done good work and has made its in
fluence felt, all over the southland
there is no getting around the fact
that it would have done much better
work. borne much better fruit, have
been able to do more real and substan-
tial good with more commensurate
appropriation. None of the schools in
the south get what they deserve or
what they need when the work they are
expected to do is taken into account
The same may be said of all the
state schools, whether for white or
black. In the first place, the legisla-
t,,r oil II
to whom the needs of the young people
so far as an education Is concerned are
paramount. Then, again, the state
treasures are not always In condition
to take care of the needs of those in
stitutions for a future period. The
best that can be done frequently is to
take care of the growth that has taken
place instead of making provisions for
the future. For example, time was
when appropriations were made for
the usual accommodation of $50 or per-
haps 500 students. Suddenly. in face
of this provision, which was then ade-
quate, the student body suddenly jump
ed to about 500, due to an educational
awakening that spread throughout the
south among the colored people.
Churches, fraternal organizations and
newspapers were crying out the need
of education, and the response in the
increased enrolment that taxed facil-
ties in all the colored schools was
startling.
The appropriations by the recent
legislature seek to remedy that situa-
ton within the next few months, and
a new mess hall, capable of accommo-
dating a thousand students, with an as
sembly hall above, Is now being plan
ned by Professor Terrell, the head
of the mechanical department A
new dormitory for girls will also be
erected during the year which will
greatly increase the facilities and re-
lieve the overcrowded condition. That
students are willing to come 10 ar in
stitution and suffer overcrowded coudi-
ticls means much of tribute to the
work done.
The need, however. in Texas is
greater than in any other state in the
Union. While there are church schools
and private schools in nearly every i'm
portant center in Texas, the students
are crowding into them also. and there
is no other state school in the country
that has a larger or better appearing
set of students. Good work is done In
spite of the congested conditions. and
the class of equipment that most OF
our schools have to Sut up with. 1t
must be borne in mind that state
schools are handicapped often with
the burden of the state name-that is
to say. that an institution owned and
controlled by the state cannot so read
lily receive aid from the generous pub
lie as other schools. the presumption
being that the state is amply able to
maintain them whether II he G, or