Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-10-21
A Great Educator: Joseph McMurran.
BY ]. o. KNOTT.

1
ident OF an institution OF learning; but he
finally speaks from the Executive Man.
sion OF the United States as the great man
of the hour. He was great at Princeton,
and might have died there, known only
to few who had caught something OF his
spirit and told others OF his greatness.
But who would have believed their re-
port? And who will believe us who say
that Joseph McMunan was in all essen
tals great man, though he spent his life
in a small town, teaching for the most OF
the time in a small institution OF learning,
when not engaged in compounding and
selling drugs
The more see of life, teachers, educa-
tors and education, the bigger to me Mr..
McMurran becomes. In the US. Bureau
OF Education, from which point the ad-
vances as we'll as methods of the entire
educational world are seen in review, the
Shepherdstown teacher looms up as a
man who combined in himself practically
all OF the qualities OF the "ideal educator"
the world is now searching for.
Much has been said about Rumsey in
connection with ShepherdStown. We
should couple with his this other name,
for il deserves the place.
The u. S. Commissioner OF Education,
DR.. p. p. Claxton. in his conferences with
his bureau chiefs, frequently says that
educated men must move out OF the rut OF
knowing but one thing, and must be at
hume with many subjects. Specializing
has been carried to such an extent that
intellectual men have become lopSided.
Mr.. McMurran was many-sided teach
er. He taught mathematics as though he
had never taught anything else, and made
pupils love it in spite of inherent antag-
onismS. He could enable students to see
the poetry OF analytical geometry and
carry a delighted class successfully 10 the
end of the course.
With Maury's physical geography in
his hand, Mr.. McMurran called forth such
enthusiasm in his classes that an observer
might have supposed that the boys and
girls were reading Robinson CruSoe for
the first time.
In the realm OF history and English
literature this great educator evinced so
much "soul'' and discrimination that
though afterwards sat in classes taught
by Prof. Baskerville, OF Vanderbilt, DR..
Paynter, of Roanoke, and the magnetic
DR.. CuneIl, of Washington and Lee, none
OF them excelled the first named in their
power TO communicate TO pupils the
spirit OF the subjects in hand.
AS a linguist Mr.. McMurran was equally
at home. His Latin and Greek classes
came from his recitation periods with
something OF the atmosphere OF Horace
and of Homer about them.
One other qualification he possessed
not often met with. While not himself
an orator-he had neither the poise nor
the voice for it-he had, however, the
orators temperament. He knew what
would thrill, for he was capable OF being
thrilled. | do not know whether the
humorous or the pathetic predominates
when think OF those "orationS" he was
accustomed TO give through his boys.
He would assign subjects TO those who
were selected ior rostrum duty at COM
mencement time. The poor fellows, un-
used 10 producing connected discourse,
and particularly on abstract themes, would
make sorry work Of il all. But these
crude and disjointed manuscripts were
submitted to be "edited" by the head OF
the institution so as 10 be fit for the pub
lie. When they c,me back from the hand
OF the master am sure no one recog-
nized the new production as the thing
that was handed Mr. McNuran 1t re-
turned complcIr aod.esS Of from ten 70
fifteen iru'cS U le .h i- i7-
St a,es p-.i. G. : MS r.,'. ,.r.. ID ~
this lenus Who cCulu in happy moments
coudense and Illustrate the matter Of the
subject, so that the "orationette" had
unity, finish aud fervor.
| recall one Of this sort in particular,
delivered by the late E. Rush Turner, on
Enthusiasm" and which closed with a
most beautiful reference TO DR.. c. W..
Andrews, who had died during the year.
The very words OF the speech linger in
my mind to this day. II if were possible
for these fragments 10 be gathered into
one volume, am sure not only Shep-
herdSiown but the great outside world
would be amazed at their beauty and
their insight.
recall also that one boys candor
nearly upset the composure OF Mr.. Nc
Murran. A very poor manuscript had
been handed in on "The Responsibilities
of Educated Youth" The manuscript
came back with the announcement that
the editor could not think in the lines
that the student had followed, in which
event the editor had written an entirely
new speech. The boy thus had two
speeches, with the words: Use the one
you like best" It's useless 20 say which
was selected for the fostrum. But when
at practice before delivering the orations
the one on Educated Youth" was given
along with others, Mr.. McMurran, doubt
less TO make the boy who was deliver
ing Mr. McMunan's own oration feel
comfortable, said q, that IS good
speech" The boy replied with warmth:
"Yes, Mr.. McMuran, / think so, too y
1t is probable that among the excep-
tional qualities of this educator none man
ifested his greatness more than his loyal
rt.-4 GleA