Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1920-10-08

| lecture tours that brought him into
every state in the northeast and north
niddlewest. He was one Of the editors
of the Echo des Deux Mondes", then
official organ of the Alliance Franchise
At the University of Chicago Prof.
de Visme was the first to introduce
the direct method of modern language
teaching, of instruction in the language
itself
Pounds Own School
Each summer vacation the profess
sor returned to France to still better
perfect himself in things French. He
had likewise improved the opportuni-
ties afforded by two leaves of absence
from his teaching duties to make more
extended stays for purposes of study.
1t was then that he first planned the
founding of a French school for Ameri.
cans. In 1912 he resigned his position
at the University, not that Of assistant
but an assistant professorship to
which he had risen after the first few
years of his work there He had con-
sdered the opening of his school in
this country and of importing from
France the teachers required. But
circumstances led him to alter his
original plans and he decided definite
ly to locate at Soisy-sous- Etiolles in
the deartment of the Seine ct Disc,
near Paris. The famous chateau there
was chosen for the school and in
September 1912 it was finally opened.
His first pupils were Il young men,
undergraduates at the University of
Chicago who had followed him from
America, For two years he restricted
his courses to Americans only rnll
his many friends there persuaded hum
to admit native bows also Increased
by addition Of primary department
the school grew in but a few years to
its full capacity of 30, with a large
waiting list. Its pupils included the
sons of some of the oldest families in
France The professors method of
teaching was novel He used what he
considered the best in the American
and French systems of instruction
One of the innovations he introduced
was open air classes. Whenever the
weather permitted Rotations were
held in the park Not a few of the
youths who entered his school were
more or less delicate in Lealth. The
out of doors classes improved them
so well that in a short time the
reputation of the little school grew
and its methods are now initiated by
three similar institutions The indi- |
vidual method of instruction, with |
fewer studies, and more intensive APP
plication to these few, likewise found |
imitators In Europe the distance be-
tween professor and pupil had been
bridgeless. Professor de Nisme chang |
ed that order of things and substitu-
ted for the rule of strict supervision |
the American method of permitting |
the student to enjoy individual re-
sponsibiity He lived with his pupils |
and was in direct contact with them
in a manner unknown i'll other French |
schools He has not resigned the presi-
dencv of his school in France but still |
takes an active interest in it.
Returns to Middlebury
In the summer of 1914 the professor
was asked by President ! NJ. Thomas
of Middlebury College to leave his
school for a few months and come to
to direct the French Sum-
mer School He came and began the
local vacation school that has grown |
from the requirements of PARK of the
Battell cottage in 1914 to the necissi-
tating ten different houses for its 200
pupils i'll the season Just passed. Pupils
from 81 states in 1920 with an already
large advance registration for 1921 at
test the fame that has attended the
success of the institution The faculty
included member of the French
Chamber of Deputies and several
Others of proven achievement in
French letters.
With the present scholastic year
was naugurated the permanent French
School, in which those desiring to
train for the teaching of French
ere taught in an atmosphere typiCally
French. No other language is permit
ed in the school than French 1t is
he only school of its kind in America
and has already attracted the atten-
non OF some OF the foremost eduCa-
-ors in the country. Seventeen pupils
nave enrolled for its courses with sew
rial on the list for next year
In 1906, July, 3, Professor de Visme
married Mile. Alice AzeGne de Visme
n Paris. They have two sons, Rene
BORN in 1908 and Eric born in 1910.
n June he was joined by his family
md now they have moved into perma-
lent quarters i'll the Maison Fcancaise.
The grandfather of Nine de Visme
md her brother were both knights of
he Legion of Honor, the latter being
IGNORED with a posthumous decoration
or exceptional valor at Verdun where
II the performance of military duties
lie lost his life.
REV. GILBERT E. CADY n
Rev Gilbert L. Cady, brother of !