Franklin's paper the statesman., 1912-02-03
HOUSTON'S IDEAL
NORMAL SCHOOL
Growth Of the Institution With
in the Past -Four Years.
LOCATED IN RICH SECTION.

Success of the Houston Literary and
Industrial College Under the Leader
ship of Professor F. w. Gross, Who
Believes In Efficiency Rather Than
In Large Numbers.
Houston, Tex.-To build up a great
school of agriculture and mechanic
arts as well as great in literary train
ing is the dream of Professor F. w.
Gross, principal of the Houston Liter
airy and Normal school of this place.
It is Professor Gross desire to build
up school great in effectiveness and
accomplishment rather than great in
size and the number of students. That
he is well on the way to attaining his
desire, in SO far as the Houston Liter
ary and Industrial school is concerned.
is attested by the great success of the
institution within the four years that
he has been at its head 1t is located
in section rich in possibilities.
The fame of Houston is as we'll earn
ed as it is well known. The possibili-
ties for the future are greater than
that OF any other southern city save
New Orleans. With the completion
and extension of the north and south
trunk lines running through Houston
from the lakes to the gulf and the
completion of the Panama canal. Hous-
toms present greatness will be only
scrap Of history to be compared with
the rapid strides and tremendous i'm
portance Of the Texas metropolis.
Professor Gross is simply taking time
by the forelock in maintaining that the
colored people should be prepared to
accept and appreciate all the good
things that will come to them as
pretty big portion of the population
OF that rich section. To understand
thoroughly all that comes to them for
these reasons it is the purpose of Mr..
Gross 10 train a small number OF
young men and women Of that section
to know and to do, and who is there
that will find fault with this plan:
Outlining his own plan. Professor
Gross declares it his intention to have
only school in the future that can
well accommodate 200 or 800 students
at the time. but to do such good with
them and for them that they will come
out well prepared as teachers and ar
t,sans
He points out the innumera BILE op
portunities in Texas and in the vicin-
ity Of Houston. where intensive farm
ing on a small scale. where the rails
ing of chickens. the care Of pigs. the
culture of bees and Of flowers will reap
rich rewards for the young man or
woman who can take up either of these
callings with an eye single to cater
ing 10 that immense and cosmopolitan
population
4 visit to Mr.. Gross work in Hous
ton. situated just beyond the city linn
It's strikes the observant at once with
the wealth OF opportunity that is be
fore him and of the bright future that
awaits his institution. Its growth in
the four years of his administration
bespeaks a more brilliant future, and
so well has the Institution grown that
now he can well afford to pay more at
tention to the matter of efficiency than
heretofore.
From three small buildings to six
Of various sizes, with a well equipped
trades building and an academic build
ing we'll suited TO the needs of the in
stitution, the Houston Literary and
Industrial college can very well take
care Of the number of students for
which it bids and to which number ii
Is satisfied in catering. The princi-
pa has selected his faculty with more
than ordinary care and is to be con
graduated on the amount of work he
is able to get ont of his teachers. Him
self the possessor of well earned rep
utItion as an educator and a man of
large ambition. he has in Texas
large number of supporters and Is re
garded by the colored people of the
commonwealth as a man of more than
the usual requisites of leadership.
He makes annual visits 10 large
number of institutions doing the same
kind of work. particularly the Tuske-
gee Normal and Industrial institute.
and Incorporates many of the ideas
gained during these visits in his own
work in Texas. All things being equal,
the Houston Literary and Industrial
college will In the years to come exert
even greater influence upon the peo-
pie OF the state due in large measure
to the farsighteduess and unusual com
mon sense exhibited by its principal