Evening star., 1936-07-26
McGUFFEY LEGIONS
People of United States, for Century, In
spired by Teachings in Readers Pro-
duced by Famed Educator.

eagerly sought after by the lovers Of
rare and valuable books.
Equally surprised. no doubt, would
have been the struggling young college
professor, William Holmes McGuffey,
could he have foreSeen the gathering
of notable men from July II to l9,
1886, one hundred years later at OK
ford, Ohio, the scene of his first pro-
fessorShip, to attend the unveiling Of
a monument to him by the famous
sculptor. Lorado Taft, and listen to
speeches by Henry Ford. Mark Sulh-
van and others. in honor of the edu-
Gator whose small volumes became the
corner stone of American education in
nearly all of the United States outside
OF New England.
Between 1886 and 1900. it Is esti-
mated that half the children in the
United States used them. Sales have
amounted to 122.O00000 copies, and
translations have been made into
Spanish and Japanese.
William Holmes McGuffey was born
on a farm in Washington County. Pa,
September %. 1900. His Scotch
grandparents came to this country in
1774. His parents we're so poor that
they despaired of Williams obtaining
an education.
The story is told of minister, Rev.
Thomas Hughes. riding through
sparsely settled region, when he heard
the voice Of woman in tree-hidden
garden, praying that way might be
found for her son to obtain schooling.
Hughes had established the odd Stone
Academy" at Darlington, Pa, and
travelled by horseback through Penn
sylvania and New England, soliciting
funds for the school, every year. Tui-
ton was SO a year, and boarding pupils
paid rs cents a week. Arrangements
were made for William to go once
week to the academy. miles away,
this being as often as he could be
spared from the farm. Later he went
to Washington College, teaching school
at S8 a month to finance himself.
His first professorship after grad
uation was at Miami University, Ok
ford. Ohio, where he taught ancient
languages, and was later transferred
to the chair of philology and mental
science. While teaching there, he
completed studies for the ministry
and was ordained, at 20, into the
Presbyterian Church. He never held
a charge as minister, although in
frequent demand as a public speaker.
His degree of LII. D. was an honorary
one bestowed in 1889 by Indiana Uni
versity.
T ATER McGuffey was president Of
- Cincinnati College and Of Ohio
University, both of these institutions
failing for lack of funds. He was ten
dered the professorship of natural
and moral philosophy at the Univer.
sity of Virginia, and in the gracious,
scholarly atmosphere of that college.
"the Old Doctor" or old Cuff" as
he was variously referred to, spent
over a quarter of century, keeping
his classes alert with his verbal thun.
derboltS, and following his usual meth
cd, exemplified in his readers. of illus
trating each abstract statement with
concrete example.
The modern school system, bless
ing now taken for granted. was little
more than a rosy dream of the strug-
Cling young republic when McGuffey
was born. While there were colleges,
most of the elementary schools, which
lasted only few months year, were
great individual sacrifice.
McGuffey's own struggles for an
education turned his thoughts in the
direction of public education progress,
and he was probably Influenced also
by two great men Of his day-Noah
Webster, and Horace Mann, president
.(Coutinued on Seventh Page.)