River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-01-06
-on Freeman H. Lord, resident re-

HON freeman II. LOTu, resident re-
gent.
Mr.. Lord was appointed to fill
vacancy caused by the death of DR..
Edward Ballard who had served as
regent for only short time From
this time, 1896, until he voluntarily
resigned. Mr.. Lord was an influence
on the Board that cannot be over
estimated. The last few years of
his service he was President of the
Board and for many years promi-
nent member of the executive COM
mittee. He is a man Of strong con-
victions, excellent judgment and
possesses genius for dealing with
men and managing details. He took
great pride in the schools and was
always faithful to the trust imposed
in him by his co-workers and by the
public
The actual not the fanciful-
need of the schools was ever upper
most in his mind. He aseked moth
ing for his own school that be was
not willing to grant to one Of the
other schools under like conditions.
He stood first, last and all the time
for sound financial policy in the
management of he schools He was
quick to see the real needs of the
normaIs and voted uniformly. when
there were funds at the Boards dis
posal. to meet them On the other
hand he understood the view point
of the tax payer and consistently
opposed WaSteful and eXtravagant
appropriations. He opposed the ap-
preparation of money for alleged
improvements whose benefit seemed
remote or conjectural. When he be-
came a member of the Board the
finances were in a demoralized con-
dition and an unnusal deficit stared
the Board in the face. When he
resigned from the Board the finan-
cial situation had completely chang
and surplus had taken the place of
the deficit. To Mr.. Lord, more
than to any other member of the
Board, is the credit due for bringing
about this desirable result.
AS evidence that his financial poll
cy was generous as we'll as just it
may be stated that during the writ
er's administration of the school as
President of the faculty, Mr.. Lord
co-operated in establishing one ex-
pensjve department in the school,
the Manual Training, installed in
1902, and helped take the initiative
in another, the Domestic Science,
the introduction Of this wasnot com
pleted until after Mr. Lord resigned
and Mr.. F. d. Ensign had been ap-
pointed in his place The latter.
with his usual progressive spirit,
gave valuable assistance in getting
the department into successful op-
Grafton
Besides favoring the inauguara-
ton Of new departments Mr.. Lord
favored the separation of the Sci
ence work into two distinct depart
ments and the enlargement of the
scope of the instruction in Agricul-
ture by establishing school garden.
On the recommendation of the
writer he secured an appropriation
to enlarge the usefulness Of the
library by the employment Of
trained librarian.
In fact, Regent Lord was not only
a balance wheel on the Board to
prevent that body from tangIing it.
self up in costly school frills,- the
chief cause of the rapidly growing
discomfort with all state managed
schools, but he was a calm. we'll
poised, local factor ever Ebert for
breakers likely to damage the school
craft and possessed of sound judg-
ment and good advice as to the best
way to pass through them.
Everett, Wash.
May 25, 1914.