Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-17
CONWAY SLATED
FOR ASSISTANT
SUPER|NTE NDENT
/, H, Wagner Said to Have
Decided Upon Head Of San
Ia Fe County School System
for important Office,

Rumor at present current in Albu-
querque is TO the effect that J II.
Wagner recently elected state super
intendept Of public instruction, has
decided to recommend the appoint
ment Of John V. Conway school super
intendent Of Santa Fo county, as his
assistant upon .hls accession to the Of
flee on January ] next
Under the law the superintendent
Of public instruction can not name his
assistant, but can only recommend to
the governor the appointment of the
one whom he desires 10 Elm the office.
In view Of the close relations between
the superintendent and his assistant,
however and the fact that the super
ntendent is personally responsible for
the affairs Of the office the recon-
mendaton is invariably followed as
matter Of course, and it is taxi
en- for granted that If Mr. Conway is
recommended by Mr. Wagner his APP
pointmont to the office by Governor
elect de Bgca will follow as matter
of course Especially is this true in
the present case in view Of the grow
ing tendency to take the schools out
Of politics and in view of the eminent
fitness of Mr. Conway for the position
for which he is said to be slated.
Johnnie Conways Work
Johnnie" Conway, as he is famil-
iarly known by his friends all over
the state, has made record of
achievement as an educator of which
any man might well be proud, and
his appointment to the office Of as
sistQnt state superintendent would be
hailed with delight by school men in /
every county In New Mexico. A hu- |
man dynamo for energy he combines |
high ideals Of education with a sym /
pathetic appreciation of the needs and |
of the mass OF the people I
10 an extent that gives him rare value .
rs practical leader in educational
work in New Mexico.
When he came to the office of SUI
Of the schools of Santa I.
Fe county Mr. Conway found a con-
Hilton that was nothing less than APP /
FALLING Not only was there dense
apathy on tho part of the rural popu-
alton Of the county as to the need of /.
but the poverty Of the peoa
lc was such that il seemed a hope
ess task to undertake 10 interest them
n anything which took tho children
,way from the work of assisting to (
the family Such school
iouses as there were outside the
owns were the merest novels, poorly
lighted. unsanitary and wholly lack
ng in the first elements of modern
chool construction
ArOusing Interest.
Tho first work that lay before Mr
conway was TO arouse the interest Of
he people Of the county in the sub q
pct Of education. with what tireless {
nergy and enthusiasm he devoted s
imself TO this task, how he went J
mong them, argued with Them and Z
nally brought them to see that their {
wn salvation and that of their child In
en- lay in the growth of schools t
mong them is one Of the stories that O
lucators love to tell in recounting the i
EDUCATIONAL development of New Mex il
%.
Then came the matter of building II
ow and better schoolhouses-by no n
leans an easy one but presenting no b
lstacles that could not be removed o
Y zeal and enthusiasm, and this Mr. r.
onway not only had In abundance Il
nj was able TO inspire in others The II
Dor people were TOO poor to stand a
y levy and q bond issue was equally r.
It of the question. II was necessary b
get them to 30 TO work and give Ia
what they had to provide new b.
uldings in which to give their child ~
n an education.
How much Of Mr Conway's official b
larry has gone in heading subscrp-
IN lists TO build new schools in his
unity only he knows. and he will not
H. But his example inspired others
give, and those who had no money
We what they had-lahor, materials
ything that could be Of use in erect IN
& new buildings A'
To Extend Influence. "'
The result is that the schools of "'
nta Zee county from being among OF
e worst in New Mexico, are today ul
long the best. not only as to at nj
odance and buildings but also as 20 IN
q standard Of teachers, which has "
On raised us an other standards in ~
3 county have been raised. And
,se who have seen the change y"
ought about declare that there is 40
~ one answer Johnnie Conway %
II is with the belief that there are -
Ter communities in New Mexico VI
ich can be similarly improved by ~,
influence of Mir. Conway that '''
ool men generally receive with de-
lt the announcement that he will
made assistant state supcrntend- O.,
They feel that what he has done ~,
Santa Re county he can do in the ~,
te at large, and they welcome the ~,
'ortunity afforded him to extend w
enlarge his influence, which has w.
n cNerted to such good purpose
ong his own people and in his own ~ ~
me- ''o