The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-11-24
SCHOOL DEDICATED
LAST EVENING
EVENT OF IMPORTANCE TO MAD
ISON STATE NORMAL
SCHOOL.
STATE OFFICIALS PRESENT
MODERN BUILDING FORMALLY
TURNED OVER FOR USE IN
TRAINING TEACHERS.

TURNED OVER FOR USE IN
TRAINING TEACHERS.
! With great ceremony the new
building on the Normal campus was
dedicated last night to the training
of teachers for the public schools of
the state. An elaborate program had
been arranged, augmented late in the
afternoon by the arrival of Gov.
Peter Norbeck and party en- route
home, and who had been induced to
stay for the occasion. Following the
formalities in the assembly room of
the model building, the Commercial
club rendered a reception to the out
of town guests in the gymnasium
building. A collation. of ice cream,
cake and coffee was served to the
music of a good orchestra. The oc-
casion is one to be remembered,
withal.
DR.. j. w. Heston introduced Vice
Chairman of the Board of Regents
August Freiberg, and instituted him
chairman of this occasion. After lis
tening to the Girls Glee club of the
Normal, he introduced Senator Hans
Urdahl, of Lake county, as one nav
ing most to do with obtaining the
new building for the department, and
eulogized the interest and singleness
of purpose of this representative.
senator Urdahl Welcomes.
Mr.. Urdahl deprecated his ability
as an orator, and, consistent with his
declaration, he confined himself to a
history of the difficulties and delays
encountered in authorizing and
building the new school. They were
for the most part difficulties due to
circumstances. He expressed himself
as being well pleased with the spirit
of coordination and cooperation
shown on the part of his colleagues
in obtaining the appropriations, but
due to the country's entry into a war,
the work was delayed. He welcomed
the distinguished visitors to our city
with an array of figures and histor-
ical facts.
Mr.. August Freiberg
Supplied the place on the program
assigned to President It. w. Dwight,
and delivered the address. He ex-
pressed a love and appreciation for
the broad state, having see it con
verted from unproductive prairie to
the granary of the north. The unan-
unity of the people was emphasized,
and he showed that this spirit also
held good in the legislative halls and
with the board of regents. He de-
plored jealousy which might be
shown by managers of state institu-
tions, and stated some of the rules
which the board adopted at its organ
ization. The state normals are in
separate parts of the state for terri
torial easons, aud to make ii more
convenient for the widely spread pop
ulation. No one of these institutions
may advertise superior educational
facilities to the discredit of another.
And while ii had been known that
trading of votes for different features
of the educational institutions had
been known in the legislature. Mad
ison had the support of the legisla-
ture as a whole in its possession of
this great state teachers school, and
the school has a great object to work
for, the speaker stated, and pointed
out the advantages of having an OBJ
ject for which to strive.
A Voice from the North.
State Superintendent N. C. McDon-
aid, of North Dakota, followed Mr..
Freiberg with an array of facts of
education in the country schools,
couched in terms of percentages,
which of themselves was an abject
supplication and crying demand for
better trained teachers and greater
facilities for schooling them. Mr..
McDonald's figures comparing the at
tendance of the country children
with his city cousins opportunities,
and the fitness of the teachers were
astonishing and convincing. So
small a per cent of attendance, so
short a school year, so few of high
school age taking high school work,
and so low a grade of teachers make
Mr.. McDonald's hobby of centralized
| schools a consummation devoutly to
be wished. In one school of this
kind he mentioned there were Ito per
cent of the pupils of high school age
in the congressional district compris-
ing the centralized district taking
high school work-the 10 per cent
overplus coming from another dis
trict. The prop and foundation of
American democracy is the little red
schoolhouse, the speaker inferred,
and no pains or sacrifice should be
allowed to stand in the way of foster
ing and development of this commu-
nifty center. The Ford and the COM
munity school has more efficacy in
making America a melting pot than
has any other two factors of our CIV
ilization. And the speaker showed
the results in communities of Rus
slams and Lithunians.
Easy Examinations.
State Superintendent of Public In
struction c.. H. Lugg declared that he
was ashamed of the low grade of
teachers he was compelled to certify.
He deplored the cry of more teach