Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1924-05-15
SPRING TERM "A T.S
CLOSED ON FRIDAY
Large Crowds Present at Annual
commencement Exercises. DR.. A.
I. Allen Delivers Address.

The Appalachian Training School
closed its spring term on Friday the
9Th. On Thursday evening the High
School senior class gave a play which
| very large crowd attended and grea
tly enjoyed. On Friday morning at
Ii O'Clock came the closing exercises
! for the Normal departr,c ., . when five
graduated, four young ladies and
one young man. The exercise was op-
, ened with prayer by Rev. NJ B. Woos
ley pastor of the Boone Methodist
Church and after the singing of the
school song, "The North Carolina
nllls," which every A. T. S. student
learns and enjoys, President B. B.
Dougherty in few well chosen words
introduced DR.. A. T. Allen, State
Superintendent of Public instruction
Mr.. Dougherty began by saying: Ga
ol2s and gentlemen, we are exceed
--lg glad to see every one of you
| here on this commencement day. 1t
is to me, real genuine personal
pleasure to have with us today the
efficient, progressive and beloved
Superintendent of this great state,
Dr. A. T. Allen, who will now deliver
the commencement address:
Mr.. Allen said: Ladies and gen
tlemen. | am glad to be here could
not refuse the invitation of your
president-your distinguished presi-
dent-for we have been bound to-
gether for number of years with
the strongest ties of friendship. | am
deeply interested in all that goes on
in this institution. have just now
learned why your president wanted
me here. 1t is far
me here. He has conferred the Doc
tors degree upon me. ct is far bet
ter to be one in reality than in name
only)." DR.. Allen then turned to
the Normal graduates sitting on the
rostrum. He impressed them with the
| Important fact that hitherto they had
fbeen depending on the state, but
! from this time on they must depend
on themselves and help the state to
carry on the great work in which
they are engaged. Then speaking to
the audience he gave brief history
of public ducation in our country,
and finally in North Carolina, stat
ing that from 1920 this state has
stood for equal rights and privileges
in education.
He then outlined his ideas of a
public system of education which
were not fewer than eight months
school each year, an increase in the
equalizing fund to help poor counties
which agreed to do their best to
help themselves, each county pro-
viding the school buildings on an
equalizing basis, the standardizing of
grammar grades, improving the high
schools, and that all the children in
the state should have all of the
wealth of the state behind them to
give each child the same educational
advantages. This speech was consid-
cred by those who heard it one Of
the most important delivered here at
any time.
After the address the President
| presented diplomas to Mrs. Sue Guf-
fey Arrowood, Misses Carrie Jane
Herman, Lacy Landreth and Kath-
crime Noel, and Mr.. Graydon P. Egg
! gers, stating that each one had pre-
sented fifteen or more standard high
school units and two full years of
Normal College work. DR.. Allen then
presented them with certificates sta
ting that graduates of this College
were entitled to either grammar
grade or primary certificates class
B. DR.. Rankin of the A. T. S. faculty
presented other certificates to num-
Der of others who were entitled to
certain grades of them.
At 2 p. m. the high school gradua-
tes gave their usual program. Misses
Nellie Coffey and Ruth Cottrell Civ
ing the Salutatory and the Valedic-
tory addresses respectively, 4S GER
tificates of graduation were delivered
by President Dougherty and he said
in conclusion that 239 high school
students and 125 Normal College
students were enrolled during the
term and that during the year more
than 1000 students from all parts
of the state had studied here. He
further said: "The outlook is gooo
for the summer. Already big sum
mer school has been enrolled anG
others are coming in daily, applying
to rooms in the dormitories and ovel
two hundred in all, and quite a mum
!, Der have applied for board in town
l