The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-31
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

I am embarrassed to know whether to
write about the city of Florence or the
normal school, or President Henry L.
wilnngham. All three are worth a story.
I reckon 1 will begin with the school
and leave the others for a later time. I
saw the school under the disadvantage
of rainy day, and as willingham in
sisted on showing me the buildings and
the grounds and persistently walked me
through the farm between wet corn rows
and other damp and growing things, 1
came away with cold that is a daily re-
minded that when the dead of the insti-
tuition makes up his mind to have his
way it's a foolish pupil, teach, or trus-
tee who strives to block him.
The location of the school is ideal /
do not know of any college that has a
finer natural setting. The main build
ings are hid in beautiful grove, the
kind of friendly oaks which caught the
poetic fancy of Secretary Lane, when he
was in north Alabama, and those in
charge of the grounds have had the good
sense not to try and improve on nature
by putting in a whole lot of little dinky.
man-arranged flower beds and shrubs.
They have been content with the way
the Great Gardener made it and left it
for His chiidren's JOY
Florence has long been a leader in edu-
cation The Presbyterian Synodical col
lege was established in 1852; the Flor
ence Wesleyan university in 1856; the
Baptist University for Women in 1889;
the State Normal college in 1872. AT
present the latter is the only college in
the city, or as to that. in the immediate
section of the state
Many have forgotten it, but the late
j. B. Hawthorne gave up his pulpit in
Atlanta and went to Florence to estab-
fish great university. The ruins OF
the magnificent buildings erected are
now seen on the outskirts of the city
The fire completed what was from the
start an unhappy venture. DR.. Haw-
thornes great vision failing of realza-
ton, he went back to the pastorate, but
to his dying day his failure at Florence
was a source of grief.
The college building proper has stood
for years as one of the educational land
marks of Florence, and while not strictly
UP to date, has an air Of age which is
most pleasing, for it looks like it is no
mere mushroom growth that has sprung
UP in a night, but is rooted in the soil
and the very life of the community To
me it is far more pleasing than many
new buildings with far greater achitec-
tural pretensions.
The dormitory for women is really a
gem, 1t is modern and yet hasn't the
varnish-like freshness that SPOTS so
many public buildings in America by
making them look too new and garish
do not know who designed and built
1t, but whoever it was, l take off my
hat to him. The building will stand for
years as monument to DR.. Powers.
But he could not have erected it with
out the aid of the Hon. Emmett ONeal,
who was then governor, and a band of
faithful Florentines who went down into
their pockets to piece out the states APP
preparation.
I wrote something recently about the
home-like air of our city library, and as
l went into the library at the Florence
Normal 1 felt like dropping in chair
and losing myself in book. The room
was what the English call comfy" 1t
looked more like home library than
a public one, and more than this cannot
be said in its favor, and so l leave it.
At Florence a great deal of empha sis
is placed on agriculture in practical,
helpful cooperation with rural commun-
tiles throughout north Alabama This
work is carried on through Prof ]. T.
Mckee. who also is in charge of the
eight-acre school garden in the rear of
the woman's dormitory, which affords
excellent facilities for teaching practi-
cal agriculture to the teachers who are
to be the active leaders in rural COM
munity life The garden is a prize VIM
ner. l would have enjoyed going through
it much more if the sun had been shin
ing.
l was greatly interested in the training
school of seven elementary grades in
which 175 children are taught as practice
work for the senior class. This training
school is to the normal school just what
a hospital is to medical college. Critic
supervisors teach the seniors how to
prepare each lesson for teaching Grad
yates from Florence go to their teaching
work feeling that they have had sure
enough practical experience.
came back to my work with the
feeling that DIR. Willingham had a place
of responsibility and that he was using
his opportunity to the fullest by
making the Florence Normal a store
house of power and frem 1t as base
was sending out stimulating educational
currents into all parts of the state.