The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1913-03-28
D THE DEAD HAND" IN EDUCATTON 1I

Mr.. Chairman. Members of tn enid
die Tennessee Teachers Asscoia-
ton, Ladies and Gentlemen:
1 count it a privilege to greet you
upon this occasion, because there is
no other body of men and women
anywhere to whom it is greater pleas
ure to speak than to a body of
teachers. / regard the teachers pro-
fession as the great profession, for
it is the largest factor in giving to
the people the great boon Of educa-
ton. Again, it is a pleasure to be
with you tonight because of the per-
sonnet of this Association. I congrat-
ulate Middle Tennessee upon its
teachers. And these words come from
years of personal contact with many
Of your number, for ] take pride in
the fact that my first experience in
a Summer Normal and my first eX-
perience in a State examination were
had here in Nashville some thirteen
years ago.. Although opportunities for
training and work elsewhere have
filed most of the intervening years,
] was glad when the call came to
return to Sunny Tennessee"
l come to you tonight to discuss
the "Dead-Hand" in Education, but
the expression, "Dead-hand," has as
much reference to the "Dead-head"
and "Dead-heart." The words dead
hand" have been applied to legacies
and requests, usually of money, which
dying donors have left to benefac-
tors. Over and over again in the
development Of educational and phil
anthropic institutions, it has happen
ed that some will of a donor long
since dead has so limited the use of
the money that the gift begins to
serve az a hindrance rather than a
help to the cause for which it was
originally given. ,
There is a college up in Pennsyl-
vania for orphan boys. The value OF
original gifts for it has increased
with the years, but instead Of an in
creased usefulness the cause of the
boys is being injured by the condi-
tons imposed in the will Of the
founder upon the trustees in expend-
ing the wealth.
This condition of property in trust
is known as the "dead-hand," be-
cause future generations are ham
rered in their use Of funds by the
will and idea of some donor long
since dead who could not .foresee the
changed conditions which have
arisen.
Now, in the transmission of intel
lectual and spiritual property from
generation to generation, WORKOUT
or Anticipated ideas are often adhered
to, long after their originators are
dead and their usefulness has di.
minished. Thus progress is ham.
pered and the people harmed. In the
field of education, we may often
flguratively speak of the "dead-hand'
from the past. in this case it Is not
g legacy Of money that often binds
us, but a legacy of dead ideas, OF
dead views, conceptions and prac.
tices about the aim of education
about educational methods, about
the organization and content Of edu
cation.
why SuUulu Tue ain Oh the GreeKS
in education influence the aim we
have in our educational efforts to
day, unless the Greek aim harmonizes
and helps the purposes of our life
today? OF what value is the content
of Roman education, unless It has
educational values for our children
and our youth of the present timei
Why should the methods of Comenius
or of Pestalozzi control the methods
of the scbool-room today unless
those methods are effective in devel
oping the thinking power and knowl.
edge of the children of our time
Why should we as teachers follow
the principles worked out by Her.
bart, unless Herbartian principles car
fin1 their application in the educa.
tional needs OF the hour? WHY
should ne theories of Froebel, with
their influence of play attitude oil
children in the kindergarten, SC
permeate all of our dealing with chill