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Catalog and Students of 1878-79

January 5, 1905, V. XXIII, No. 33

CHAPTER 74.

Catalog No. 8 of the school year 1877-8, with announcements for 1878-9, was again given to J.E. Fisher, editor of the Ada Commercial. The Faculty remained the same as the previous year, Lehr, Park, Maglott and Rutledge, now equal owners of the school.

During the last year we had added Eva Sisson as teacher of Mathematics and we made no mistake in employing her. She is remarkably strong in that line of work; in fact she is strong in nearly every line.

Prof. Pontius resigned and we employed Miss Anna M. Nation and J. Albert Davis to teach vocal and instrumental music. Mrs. Hattie Rowley had also resigned.

For the year '78-79 the instructors remained the same as the previous year with the changes above enumerated. We, however, dropped the name of Prof. Kidd, as he concluded that it hardly paid him to continue the work.

This year we changed the length of the terms and the date of the commencement exercises.

The Fall term of twelve weeks commences Tuesday, August 13, 1878. Vacation one week. Winter term of twelve weeks commences Tuesday, November 12, 1878. Vacation one week. Spring term of twelve weeks commence Tuesday, February 11, 1879. No vacation. Normal term of ten weeks commences Tuesday, May 6, 1879.

On the day and evening of July 9, 1879, there will be a Reunion of the Franklin Literary society of the Northwestern Ohio Normal School. Commencement exercises, Thursday, July 10, 1879. Contest between the Literary Societies on the evening of July 10, 1879.

It will be observed that commencement came on Thursday this year. Heretofore it came on Friday. We made the change to accommodate our students who came from a distance. Many could not reach home by leaving on Saturday and all wanted to stay for the contest. We also raised the tuition some. We charged as much for twelve weeks as we had been charging for thirteen and charged $8.00 for the Summer or Normal term of ten weeks. The contract between the Faculty of the Normal and the School Board stipulated that the Faculty should receive $2000 for the north half of the campus, or more exactly speaking, the land between Peach avenue and the center of the row of evergreens. The building to be erected was not to cost over $16000, the plans and specifications of which, together with proper heating apparatus, furniture and seating to be mutually agreed upon between the said parties, and to expend not to exceed the sum of five hundred dollars ($500) in addition for the improvement of the grounds, fences and walks on said premises and to expend a sum of not less than fifteen hundred dollars ($1500) for philosophical, astronomical and other necessary apparatus for the use of said school; the amount and kind of which was to be mutually agreed upon by said parties and to complete the building, ready for occupancy, on or before the 1st day of August, 1879; and lease said premises to the said H.S. Lehr, John G. Park, George W. Rutledge and Frederick Maglott, for the period of thirty (30) years from the 1st day of August, 1879 for school and literary purposes only. Then followed what branches the Faculty were to teach, the branches excepted, who should be eligible for examination when the examination should be held, the necessary grade to pass, who should do the examining, etc.

We reserved the right to divide the students entering from the village school between the literary societies. For certain reasons, which I may give later on, we feared that more from town would join one society than the other which might be detrimental to the school. The Board of Education had to keep in repair the foundation, walls, roof, walks, and all matters of like nature. We were bound not to teach in any college, seminary, normal or similar school for thirty years within a certain radius, I think it was a radius of 200 miles; and before taking possession we were to give a mortgage on our part of the campus for $4000 as a guarantee that we would fulfill our part of the contract.

The Fall term began August 13th. The assurance of a new building boomed the school. The increase in attendance was remarkable. Many people were incredulous as to my expectations and predictions. In the fall of '78 when excavating for the basement story, Mr. McConnell, who now resides in Kenton, but who was then assisting Mr. Dietrick, who was pike contractor and who had contracted to build the new Normal building, remarked that we would never fill such a large building with students. The same remark had been made in regard to the first building, but in two years we needed more room. The enrollment for the school year, 1878-9 was 695, while the previous year it had been 473, an increase of 222 nearly 47%. We were overflowing. We had to rent rooms in which to teach the Fall, Winter and Spring terms. I still had my office in Poverty Hall and taught my small classes in my office.

Many new students came in this year, more than any previous year and many old ones returned. I still recall very many of those who entered that year but as I look at their names in my file of catalogs I cannot recall the faces of all nor connect them with some circumstance which occurred in which they were concerned. I will name some of those whom I can recall the name the society to which they belonged. Two very excellent students entered the fall of '78 who graduated with the class of 1879. They remained but one year, although later Mr. D.F. Ward, one of the two, came to take post graduate work. Mr. Ward was not only a hard student and prepared good lessons, but he was a true gentleman. We had few students while I was president of the school that shared an equal degree of culture and refinement. He has followed teaching since leaving the Normal and is now and has been for some years, superintendent of the city schools of Lorain, O.

Miss Lillie Woodruff of Salem, O., was an equally fine and cultured student. She was known as the fine Franklin elocutionist. She was a favorite with both teachers and students. They were both Franklins.

This year brought some strong Philos, Harvey Brugger, who is a professor at Wooster University, J.W. Campbell, now on the Pacific coast. Many terms he edited the Philo Star. He was witty and wise. He had the wisdom not to be abusive although he at times was pointed. When he was to read the Star all would stay to hear it.

Our own John Davison entered the fall term of 1878. He was the same sedate, thoughtful, studious, dignified gentleman then as he is today. I never knew him to engage in any rough, unmanly conduct. As I now see him as a student in my rhetoric class and other classes and on the society stage, he appears to me to say to himself, "I cannot afford to waste time in foolishness." And now is an Encyclopedia of English Literature. He is a fine teacher and a gentleman.

Satie B. Darling, a real darling in fact as well as in name, entered this term, the Hord sisters entered, fine and handsome ladies; Lillie McKinney, of Lima, an excellent lady joined the Normal phalanx, meek Emma Melhorn, now Mrs. Rev. Cook, entered the ranks, and John Maglott, a cousin of Prof. Maglott, came that year. I think the fall term. He was an A No. 1 student in every respect. C.D. Sheedenhelm, J.L. Easton, Paul Ream, of Sommerset, Anna Ray, Zelma Snook, now Mrs. B.O. Elliot, G.T. Beatty, Nettie Burlison, Myrtie M. Clark, now Mrs. Bickel, Jennie Christopher, Ella Dawley, Albert C. Frey, J.L. Garvin, Lois E. Gardner, Emma Greer, Ella Greer, Ella W. Holmes, several Heeters, E.D. Johnson, C.E. Kircher, Mae Deming, Belle Armstrong, Belle Johnson, Mary Sheedy, now Mrs. C.H. Workman, Ida Branstitter, Ella Maud Crow, Allen Cook, May Deming, Ella Potter, now Mrs. Will Fahl and many together joined the Philos. What old Philo could ever forget the above named workers. Paul Ream, and E. A. Stone, Miss Snook, and lively George Beatty and Nettie Burlison, now Mrs. Douglass, of Chicago, Albert Frey, and Lois Gardner and the Greer sisters, and the Heeters and Kirchner, now the Rev. Doctor Kirchner living in Missouri. We still correspond. Received a letter from him yesterday. He once had the mumps and measles, both about the same time. And Mae Deming, now Mrs. McCoppin, student, librarian, teacher always kind and obliging.