CHAPTER XXII THE SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS : HIGH SCHOOL A statistical report issued by City Manager Edgar E. Parsons conveys the information that 12,987 students are enrolled in Springfield-10,312 in public schools, 1,796 in parochial schools, 125 in business college and 636 in Wittenberg College (now 1,220), besides 4,000 pupils enrolled in Clark County outside of Springfield. In round numbers there are 17,000 students, beside the great army of adults who keep up the habits of study. Bef ore the Civil war there was an inclination toward the private school among the well-to-do families—regarded public schools as a form of charity—although when Nathaniel Pinkered opened school in Springfield there had been no tax levy for that purpose. Samuel Smith's school was among the early select schools in Springfield, that first church erected in 1810 serving as a schoolhouse as well as a house of worship. At one time Reuben Miller, who was an unusual character, and James L. Torbert had private schools under the same roof that were independent of each other. Both taught only advanced pupils, Torbert advertising special instruction in English grammar. Only a hallway separated their school rooms, and there is no record of how they adjusted playground difficulties. Mrs. Ann Warder, a pioneer Springfield woman, brought an instructor from Pennsylvania to teach her own children, and some of her friends were privileged to send their children, and later Mrs. Warder engaged in teaching more advanced pupils, having as her assistants Mr. Lewis and Miss Armstrong. Miss Eunice Strong was another. who had private school in Springfield. Miss Parsons was associated with Miss Strong as a teacher. A Mr. and Miss Elliott and Reverend Presbury had their day and later came Allen Armstrong and Miss Mary Harrison. Miss Hannah Haas taught for many years and a sister, Miss Catharine Haas, and among the primary teachers were Mrs. Lowndes, Miss Lavinia Baird, Misses Laura and Virginia Miller. Miss Baird taught in her own home, accepting children who were unable to pay tuition. She was prompted by the need of doing good in the community. The missionary spirit does not act so strongly in all teachers. Other private teachers were : Miss Vicory, Miss Peet, Miss Emma Way, Orin Stinson, Mrs. Anna Foos, Mr. Cadwallader, Mr. Buchanan, Miss Minerva Aldrich, Miss Gunning, Miss Smith, Mrs. Woodward, Mrs. Donohue, Miss Finley, Rev. Pingree, William Wilson, Miss Ebersole, Miss Doolittle, Isaac Lancey, James Wilson—they all conducted "pay schools." Some of the pay schools, especially those taught by ministers who sought this method of increasing their exchequer, incorporated the Bible in their course of study. Others who had private schools were Miss Matilda Stout, Mr. McWilliams, William Reid, Jane Reid, Rev. William McGookin, Rev. John Rowe. Miss Anna B. Johnson continued that line of educational work in Springfield until the Seminary property on East High Street was acquired by the Springfield Young Woman's Christian Association. The names of J. Allison Smith, Rev. J. F. Sawyer and Enoch C. Dial are found in the list of private educators. While - 175 - 176 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY teaching in a seminary, Mr. Dial was a member of. the Springfield Board of Education. Some of the private schools were personal enterprise without much thought of the future, but along in the '40s there was more effort toward organization. There were boarding schools for both sexes. In 1844 Rev. Moore opened a boarding school for girls that was noted for its examinations and for its literary programs. In 1848 Rev. Chandler Robbins opened Greenway Institute, which was a boys' boarding school, a counterpart of the female seminary. The number of pupils was limited, and it was a requirement that they board at the school. The plan was adopted by the professor in order to counteract what he deemed a serious error in the ordinary modes of education. Mental discipline was too of ten attained at the expense of health and morality. Human happiness depends not so much upon mental acquisitions as upon physical health and moral character. Mr. Robbins later became identified with Springfield public schools, and Greenway Institute was later utilized as the first public hospital in Springfield. MEMORABLE YEAR, 1850 While Cincinnati had graded schools in 1836 and Akron in 1847, it was not until 1850 that such plan was undertaken in Springfield. An act known as the Akron law was extended in 1848 to incorporated towns and cities, and in 1849 it was further embodied in a general law allowing any town of 200 inhabitants to organize and conduct graded schools. The city records show that in 1850, two Springfield citizens were appointed as managers of the public schools. While they had been private enterprises supported in part by subscription, there was also an apportionment of public funds, but disbursed without. much supervision. Almost anyone could qualify as a teacher. There is more red tape connected with it now than at the middle of the nineteenth century. The private schools must have been conducted in private property as are other business enterprises today, since in March, 1851, it was decided by vote to "build two schoolhouses for the purposes of common schools," and by February, 1853, two lots were purchased and in January, . 1854, contracts were let for the buildings. In April, 1855, the first board of education was named, as follows : Chandler Robbins. Joseph Brown and C. H. Williams. Because of the German popula tion instruction in German was arranged, although the time came when, because of propagandi, it was not so popular. Provision was also made at the beginning for the education of negroes in Springfield. SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT The first superintendent of common schools was F. W. Hurt. The principals were John Fulton and Daniel Berger, with R. W. Morris and Samuel Wheeler as assistants. In the course of a few years Chandler Robbins, who had conducted Greenway Institute, became superintendent. From that time on the office was discontinued and members of the school board performed the duties in connection with the different principals. It is a noteworthy fact that Springfield was granted a city charter in 1850, and that an educational awakening began at that time. Although the office of school superintendent was aban- SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY - 177 doned, it was not long until one was employed for part time teaching and the rest of his time given to supervision. In this class were : Charles B. Ruggles, Allen Armstrong, John F. Reinmund and Charles H. Evans. When J. A. Jackson became superintendent of. Springfield schools his entire time was given to it. Since 1875 the office has been filled by W. J. White, A. E. Taylor, W. H. Wier, Carey Boggess, John S. Weaver, Mr. Boggess a second time, and since 1917 Superintendent George E. McCord, who had been teacher in high school for some years. The board acquired property. in 1869 that had been transferred in 1841 to the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was controlled by the church body as long as a school of high grade was maintained there, finally reverting back to Springfield. It was in the Y. W. C. A. building which was erected by popular subscription on land belonging to the public schools system. The original school on this site was organized in 1835 by Milo G. Williams, who remained at its head till 1841, when the control passed to Chandler Robinson. It passed from Robinson to the Ohio Conference March 7, 1842, when a denominational high school was incorporated and Mr. Robbins was succeeded by Rev. Solomon Howard, representing the conference. While the Ohio conference managed the school, its superintendents were : Reverend Howard, Rev. John W. Weekly, E. G. Dial, Esq., Rev. W. J. Ellsworth and Rev. J. W. Herron. In succession these superintendents managed the affairs of the school until 1869, when the property was leased to the Springfield Board of Education for public school purposes. The building was used for two years by the high school when it again passed into private control, schools for advanced grades being conducted there in succession by Mrs. Ruth A. Worthington, Misses Longwell and Talcott and Miss Johnson, already mentioned as occupying it when the property was acquired by the Young Woman's Christian Association. In 1849, Rev. Jonathan Edwards founded a select school for young women that prospered, and in 1852 a charter was secured for it. For a time it was housed in the First Presbyterian Church, later acquiring property on the site of the Northern School, which, in turn, had been the site of the original cabin home in Springfield. This school received the moral support of the Presbyterians of Ohio, and had a season of great popularity. While it was founded by Jonathan Edwards, when it was installed in its own property it was managed by John A. Smith as a denominational school for girls. In 1854, the control was assumed by Rev. L. H. Christian, who two years later was followed by Rev. Charles Sturdevant, who assumed the indebtedness of the institution and operated it alone. In 1857, Rev. James L. Rodgers purchased a half interest in the school, and five years later he owned it all. In 1871, it was acquired by the Board of Education, and thus the Springfield Female Seminary became Northern School. Wittenberg College, which came into existence in the period of so many private schools, is still in the educational field. MODERN HIGH SCHOOL While Springfield school history goes back to the log school house with puncheon floors, slab benches without backs, and windows glazed with oil paper, since 1911 the high school has been housed in a splendid new building on South Limestone Street that is patterned after the Con- Vol. I-12 SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY - 179 gressional Library in Washington. The Junior High School on West High Street occupies the building that for many year served. as the home of the high school in Springfield. It is still a community center for the schools outside of Springfield, and the public school clinics are conducted there. When the new high school was in process of building, Superintendent McCord was then a science teacher, and he was commissioned by the Board of Education to inspect the building, and see that nothing of inferior material was used in it. Since 1917, his responsibility has been to know that the right kind of training is given in it. The young idea is taught to shoot under his supervision—the firearms being of the most approved workmanship. There is every facility, and since Superintendent McCord witnessed the installation of the equipment, he is capable of directing the use of it. It is a far cry from the clays of the quill pen to the room equipped with modern typewriters in the business department ; from the utter lack of charts and maps to the present day equipment, and Superintendent Wier once said : "The ethics of the school room and play ground were taught by the lecture system. It was often illustrated by wood cuts executed by a species of free hand movement, that sometimes developed into an etching in white and blue bordering on black, and applied epidermically. For the proper development of the subject, a secluded corner of the basement served as the dark room for bringing out the details effectively," and according to published accounts, the doctrine of "laying on of hands" is still recognized ; within one year there were ninety-seven cases of corporal punishment. However, the urchin who gets himself "paddled" now has a champion on the Board of Education in the person of Mrs. Clara A. Fry. In the November election, 1921, Mrs. Fry and Mrs. Helen B. Garver were elected members of the Springfield Board of Education. In 1897, Mrs. Henrietta G. Moore was a member, and Springfield club women f eel that the franchise is worth while in the recognition thus secured for women. They sit on juries as well as on the school board. When Mrs. Fry and Mrs. Garver met with the board, Mrs. Fry remarked : "I noticed in the annual report that there were ninety-seven cases of corporal punishment in the high school last year. I do not think it is necessary. I am not in favor of it." Superintendent McCord replied : "I am not in favor of it, either, but sometimes nothing else will do ; some of them need it." The women members of the board have been active in its business affairs, requiring some business formalities not always observed, and they do not hesitate in casting dissenting votes. The meetings are held in the office rooms of the building, and with women on the board competitive bidding is the plan when patronage is given out by the Springfield Board of Education, a news-writer saying: "The ladies are trying to save the town a little money." It was in the purchase of typewriters that the women first "locked horns" with the male members of the board. While Mrs. Fry went on record as opposed to corporal punishment, Mrs. Garver established the competitive bidding precedent. A Springfield club woman remarked : "The women members are to be reckoned with on the Board of Education." While the Springfield school board thought it was building for the future when planning its splendid high school building, within ten years the crying need was more room. While the contract price for the building was $270,000, an additional appropriation of $70,000 was made, and 180 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY the investment reached $340,000 without furnishings, and in the office of Superintendent McCord is some of the furniture from the old building. With an auditorium seating 1,160 persons, and modern equipment in all of the departments, considerable money was. spent for furniture. Under Smith-Hughes conditions much equipment is manufactured 'by students in the manual training department. When Superintendent McCord submits a design, the furniture is manufactured in the building. An old account says : "These were the days of quill pens with the teacher as maker and mender. While making his, rounds of inspection and correction, the teacher was wont to fix the damaged quills passed up to him. A good pen knife with proper edge and temper was, therefore, an essential in the equipment of the master. His skill and speed in the art of pen-cutting counted for much in his qualifications. He would thrust quills into his hair till some one wanted them. He would make quills and write copy," but Superintendent McCord delegates all those minor details to others. Children are coming and going, and by shifting the hours of attendance, they are accommodated. There are 292 teachers, forty-eight in high school and 244 in the grades. High school teachers must be college graduates, and they must have experience elsewhere. Preference is given to, outside teachers because they sometimes bring new methods. The high school teacher must have the A. B. degree two years' experience, although the experience may be gained as a grade teacher. Grade teachers of ability are, advanced to high school positions when they have the requisite 'qualifications. Junior High School teachers must have college degrees, and hold state certificates, thus high school teachers may be employed anywhere in Ohio. All grade teachers in Springfield must be graduates of, an approved high school, and must have two years normal training. Many local graduates teach in the grades. NAMES OF SCHOOLS While the Springfield High School is without further designation, the grade schools are : Bushnell, with eight rooms.; Elmwood, with eleven rooms ; Emerson, with sixteen rooms ; Fulton, with twelve rooms ; Garfield, with eight rooms ; Gray, with thirteen rooms ; Jefferson, with eleven rooms ; Henry L. Schaefer Junior High, thirteen rooms ; Highlands, twelve rooms ; I. Ward Frey, thirteen rooms ; Central Junior High, twenty-four rooms (old high school) ; Lagonda, eight rooms ; Lincoln, eleven rooms ; McKinley, eight rooms ; Melrose, one room ; Northern, nineteen rooms (old Springfield Female Seminary) ; Northern Heights, twelve rooms (old county infirmary) ; Snyder Park Junior High, fourteen rooms ; Southern, eight rooms ; Warder Park, thirteen rooms ; Washington, fourteen rooms ; Western, ten rooms. While a few names suggest locality, others, commemorate individuals both of local and national ' repute. Sometimes special favors are thus acknowledged, grateful recognition being small recompense. The Board of Education, superintendent of schools, business manager, clerk and truant officer have offices on the ground floor of the high school building on South Limestone Street. While there is street car service, the Board of Education has provided Superintendent McCord with an automobile in which he visits the different schools. In 1921, the high school enrollment reached 1,360, with an 182 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY average daily attendance of 1,212. With an enrollment of 697 in junior high schools, and with 7,608 pupils in the grades, the superintendent has 10,000 pupils under his direction, and the automobile. serves an excellent purpose. The superintendent is working under twentieth century conditions. The Junior High School receives pupils in the seventh and eighth grades, and it has been demonstrated that pupils having advance high school training are apt to remain and complete the high school training. The old idea that high school education was a luxury enjoyed by but few is thus overcome, and its privileges are shared by some who would otherwise leave school when completing the eighth grade. A noticeable feature—there are as many men as women employed in the Springfield High School. While the classical schools were the fore-runners of the present effective high school system in Springfield, and courses of study were sustained in moral philosophy, chemistry, and ancient languages—rhetoric, criticism, mathematics, elocution, piano, melodeon, French and German, the teachers of that period would be nonplussed by the outlines of study pursued in public schools in Springfield. Bible was a text book in the classical schools, and Superintendent McCord retains it, notwithstanding the agitation against it. The teachers read from it at pleasure in the daily routine of service. While there were substantial educators, there was not much sentiment for a high school course of instruction until 1873, when C. H. Evans was at the helm. When high school was inaugurated, sessions were held in the office of Dr. Isaac Kay and in the Congregational Church ; today an immense army attends the high school sessions in Springfield. The course of study contemplates twelve years in public school, and including junior high one-half the period is spent in high school, if the pupil is able to make the grade as planned by the Board of Education. There are two attendance officers—one a vocational officer, and attendance is compulsory until eighteen years of age ; the officer must know why a child is absent, and the industrial situation does not offer much difficulty. Manufacturers understand the situation, and child labor is not used in competition with educational opportunities. The war labor shortage made some difference, children wanting to work when fabulous wages were paid in the factories. Sometimes there is work for children, when men do not have employment. Women find employment when men are idle, and in some homes men get children ready for school while women work in factories ; the vocational officer knows about it. In high school all teachers do departmental work, and there are supervisors in the different departments. Teachers specialize in language, mathematics, science—and the pupils come to their rooms. Their study periods are passed in the auditorium assembly room, where a supervisor of study is in attendance. The industrial features claim much attention in the Springfield public schools ; much expense is saved to the Board of Education by having work done by pupils, and the self same pupils are mastering a craft while doing it. Nothing is done competitively, and while the Typographical Unions are not favorable to school printing, the students are not apprentices. A master printer is in charge of the department. Modern shops of all kinds are installed in the basement, and teachers are practical men from the factories. When a good workman with teaching ability is discovered, he is offered a position in the industrial department of the public schools. 184 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY The high school molders and iron workers make their own equipment, each student spending one and one-half hours in manual training. This industrial feature holds many boys in school who would enter factories without completing their high school studies. When the pioneers needed some article of equipment they made it themselves ; the boys in manual training do the same thing. The Smith-Hughes law provides for the education of the hand as well as of the head, and the boy with manual training opportunities becomes independent—does things for himself. The pioneer necessity was followed by an era of buying everything, but the pendulum has swung back again ; the boy makes what he wants instead of buying it. The study of economic conditions reveals the f act that the boys who enter manual training come from the homes of working men rather than professional people. Business and professional people live in certain localities, and children from such homes take the classical instruction, while boys from the homes of laboring men consider industrial advantages. The different homes furnish children of different inclinations, although sometimes the professional man comes out of the industrial environment ; the mechanic springs from the professional or business atmosphere. It is the duty of educators to supply the necessary technical training whatever the home influence ; the boys learn theory, and practice is acquired later. The industrial experiment in Springfield was installed in 1917, and has proven satisfactory. Girls are given similar advantages in domestic science and needle work, but the race question enters into it and some girls are deterred because Negro girls are inclined toward the household arts. It is an elective course, and girls learn millinery as well as cookery. A spinning wheel stands in one of the sewing rooms, and the girls are thus brought f ace to face with the changed conditions surrounding the lives of their mothers and grandmothers. Fruits are canned, and while the girls are learning how they are also learning why—and that constitutes domestic science. While mothers know how, they do not always know why, and thus the next generation will be superior as homemakers and housekeepers. The arts are taught, and basketry has its appeal to most young girls. The school cafeteria has demonstrated its economic usefulness, and with a man and his wife in charge there are no flirtations. While nearby children go home for their dinners, those remaining are served in three sections so there is no rush in the dining room, and- food is supplied at cost. In order to encourage the use of soups at the noon-day luncheons, the price was reduced from 5 to 2 cents, thereby encouraging them to have something warm rather than the cold dishes available. In some cities the question of validity has been raised where high schools serve lunches ; a suit has been brought in Cleveland to test it. In some of the Springfield schools because of unusual living conditions, lunches of milk and wafers have been served free, the number availing themselves of the privilege surprising the board. One criticism has been offered that too little attention has been given to what should constitute the child's diet, and adults have no knowledge of comparative food values. The pioneer mother who understood balanced rations had very little illness in her family, while other families had sickness all of the time. Domestic science is overcoming that difficulty. When women plan their menus intelligently digestion is better, and correctives are 186 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY unnecessary. Along with the better English agitation should come a better understanding of dietetics. As early as 1906, the Springfield public schools engaged in the sale of Christmas seals in the warf are against tuberculosis, and precaution is taken against contagion of whatever the nature. When children enter school at six years of age, boys average a pound heavier than girls, and they are half an inch taller. Statistics show that girls make better averages in their studies than boys. It was under the direction of Superintendent Boggess that clinics was installed, and pupils are advised in medicine and dentistry ; special attention is given the eye, ear, nose and throat at the free clinics. While the clinic was instituted for the benefit of those who are unable to.pay for professional service, the children of well-to-do families avail themselves of the privilege. There is always a waiting list with clinics every morning and one afternoon ; two doctors and one dentist give part-time service, and two nurses give full time to the work of the health department. The nurses visit the different schools, and when necessary they investigate home conditions. In most instances parents show a willingness to cooperate with them. The modern schools have rest rooms provided, and health questions are considered. While there is some opposition to vaccination, the doctors perform that service at the clinics. A typical monthly report filed for January, 1922, shows 366 clinic cases attended to, with 297 carried over from December; eighty-seven new cases with twenty-f our cases discharged, and 332 cases left over for February. Nurses and doctors visited 166 class rooms within the month, giving seven talks and making many examinations. The doctors examined 805• students, and the nurses 111, and they discovered 670 defectives. There were eleven dental clnics with an average of ten pupils receiving attention. Forty-one children remained out of school from want of clothing, and 257 cases were investigated by the attendance officers ; some had passed the age requirement, and others returned to school under compulsion. Through the business office of the public school an immense volume of business is transacted—a million dollars in receipts and disbursements every year, and an auditing committee goes through all the details. The public school is a vast, industrial center, and business methods are necessary in operating it. Superintendent McCord has surrounded himself with supervisors, teachers and executives, and organization is everywhere. apparent. Athletics are duly recognized as elsewhere mentioned, and when teachers have given a lifetime to service they. are placed on a pension list, the system becoming uniform in. Springfield September 1, 1920. While, a number of teachers receive pensions, some have taken employment elsewhere and thus receive both salary and pension. When a teacher has served thirty-six years, the pension relieves him of further teaching service. It is known as the State Teachers' Retirement System, and those planning to take advantage of it contribute four percent of their annual salaries toward it, thus establishing a savings account for themselves. Every question that comes up for consideration anywhere is sure to come up in Springfield, and with parent-teacher cooperation it seems that all are amicably settled. While not all finish high school, many who do attend college, and with Wittenberg available they obtain a liberal education without quitting Clark County. With day and night school, a liberal education is a possibility, and with Wittenberg and numerous . 188 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY other colleges at hand, Clark County young ,people are availing themselves of the splendid opportunity. Ohio leads the country with f ortyone young men having availed themselves of the Cecil Rhodes scholarship, and Springfield and Clark County rank high in the number of high school and college graduates. RIDGEWOOD SCHOOL The Ridgewood Select School was established in 1919, to fill a need recognized by many parents in Springfield. While it only serves a limited number of children, it admits of individual attention. It is not a commercial enterprise, and profits above expenses are applied on building and equipment. The principal is Miss Marthena Winger. She is assisted by teachers who specialize in Kindergarten, French, music and physical culture. The limit is sixty-five pupils and a sufficient number of teachers are employed to insure personal attention to each child, which is impossible under average conditions in a crowded school room. The Ridgewood School is located on North Fountain Boulevard, and is the result of the plans and efforts of those interested in the project. It admits both boys and girls from kindergarten to the fourth grade, inclusive, the course of study being planned to meet preparatory requirements. Nature study is related to the seasons, and the school gardens are cared for by the children under the personal direction of a teacher. Physical training is given daily, and chapel exercise is of a nature adapted to the understanding of the children. Children from different parts of Springfield attend the Ridgewood School, and the experiment is satisfactory to those promoting it. CHAPTER XXIII   WITTENBERG—THE COLLEGE AND SEMINARY The epigram : "A bigger and better Springfield through a greater Wittenberg," is reversible ; it reflects the attitude of the city toward the college, and of the college toward the city. There is no apparent lack of loyalty. There is college sentiment afield, and Wittenberg day is observed in many communities. The annual report of the Synod of Ohio says of Wittenberg : "The outstanding institution on the territory of our Synod," and the dean of another institution of learning exclaims : "Of all the colleges of the state, not one has a better balanced faculty than 'Wittenberg; it stands out strongly among the faculties of Ohio colleges." This sketch of Wittenberg is adapted from an earlier one written by Dr. B. F. Prince, who as president of the Clark County Historical Society, is supervising editor of this history : Springfield and Clark County. In 1865, he graduated from the college, and one year later he became identifield with its faculty. Since he is the senior member, and has spent more than half a century in its service. Dr. Prince is sometimes designated : "The Grand Old Man of Wittenberg." As early as 1830, there was a sentiment for a Lutheran institution o f learning in the West—then Ohio and Indiana. The Evangelical Lutherans realized that if they were to maintain a permanent footing, they must meet the educational need ; while the church advocated the education of the masses, the immediate need was the training of ministers. They wanted a centrally located institution. While the first effort was in the interest of Germans, they soon recognized the many who were relinquishing the German and learning the English language. While their first thought was instruction in theology, they soon included the laity who sought scientific knowledge ; they wanted an education fitting them for the channels of business and trade. When the Evangelical Lutherans were planning a college, Wooster, Canton, Xenia and Springfield were under consideration. Rev. Ezra Keller, D. D., who was representing the Pennsylvania Ministerium as a missionary and visiting churches in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, was a young man of zeal and ability. He was recognized as a theologian and as a practical preacher. The country was filling up rapidly, and as a man of vision Doctor Keller recognized the importance of training young men for the ministry in the territory where their activities were needed. There was need of leaders both in church and state, and the church must educate them ; it must educate both the ministry and the laity. LOCATED AT WOOSTER When the Lutherans were considering a college, it was the prevalent feeling that Doctor Keller should become its president ; he was active in church and community affairs. When the Wittenberg fund amounted to $10,000, a school was opened at Wooster in 1844, although Doctor Keller, who then served the Lutheran Church organized in 1841 in Springfield, thought of it as the logical site of such institution. It was - 189 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY - 191 farther south and west, and nearer those who would be attracted to it. While the Lutherans had little money, they had hope and great expectations. On March 11, 1845, Wittenberg College was chartered by the State Legislature and located at Springfield. While Doctor Keller accepted a call to the faculty, it was not as president of the college. When the college opened at Wooster, there were seventeen students enrolled in the classical, and four in the theological department ; it was not then co-educational. Two of the divinity students, David Earhart and Isaac Culler, were licensed by the English Synod, and they entered the ministry with one year's training ; the others, David Harbaugh and Adam Helwig, transferred to Springfield. After the college had received its charter and a campus secured, some preliminary work was necessary ; while "the groves were God's first temples," Wittenberg campus needed some improvements. It was always a beauty spot—the handiwork of Mother Nature, yet Father Time must accomplish something before school was opened there, and building began on the campus the second year Wittenberg was in Springfield. IN THE LUTHERAN CHURCH While the First Lutheran Church of Springfield was unfinished, it was utilized by the college. When school opened November 3, 1845, there were five students present the first hour with f our more enrolling later in the day. There were seventy students the first year Wittenberg was in Springfield ; there are now more than fifteen times that number of young men and women in the college. While it is strictly a denominational school, not all who study in Wittenberg are Lutherans. A recent survey shows the following denominations matriculated : Adventist, Baptist, Catholic, Christian, Church of Christ, Christian Science, Congregationalist, Episcopalian, Evangelical, Friends, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, Moravian, Presbyterian, Reformed, United Brethern, United Presbyterian, and sixteen students who have no church affiliation. While the Lutherans are in the majority, Wittenberg is a community educational center. When Wittenberg first opened its doors in Springfield, dormitory privileges were furnished in the unfinished church and in private homes ; some of the students furnished their own rooms according to their own ability. They used heating stoves for cooking, and sperm, corn oil and lard were used for lighting the rooms. The Simon family undertook boarding students at the rate of 87 1/2 cents -a week, but they soon raised the price to $1.25—now the price of a single meal in Springfield. The simple life then prevailed in Clark County and the rest of the territory served by. Wittenberg College. Wittenberg College campus includes about fifty acres—hills and dales, and climbing the hills of the campus and the hills of difficulty are alike invigorating, and Doctor Keller was indefatigable ; lack of funds did not deter him. The people in the Great Miami Valley were prosperous in material things, and the Pennsylvania Ministerium was gratified with results ; it has supplied the missionaries who awakened the religious interest, and one of them had aroused an educational interest. While others organized churches, it had remained for Doctor Keller to organize Wittenberg College. Within a few months he secured the necessary cooperation in Springfield and Clark County, and all along friends have 192 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY taken care of the finance ; men and women leave their money to Wittenberg. It has always had the confidence and support of Lutherans, and they give their farms toward its endowment. Its charter provides for theological and scientific education ; the classes and the masses are educated at Wittenberg College. A MAN OF VISION While Doctor Keller had the necessary vision, he did not possess the necessary physique ; his strength was not equal to the manifold duties required of him. While he had offered his service as professor of theol- RECITATION HALL, WITTENBERG COLLEGE ogy, because of the pressure of financial and administrative duties, the Board of Directors soon imposed upon him the duties of president. The college was already established, and housing it was the next problem confronting the board. Building started on Wittenberg campus in 1846, and for the first forty years in college history, what is now Myers Hall was Wittenberg ; the name Myers has been attached in honor of those who refitted it, making of it a dormitory accommodating more than 100 students. While it requires climbing to reach it, a happy group of students finds economic shelter there. In the spring of 1847, Doctor Keller assumed full financial responsibility ; the builders must proceed with the construction, and they must be SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY - 193 paid ; he would trust to the future. He was the minister in the local Lutheran Church, and he. was now president of Wittenberg College. The duties were too exacting and numerous for this frail man ; the responsibility reduced his strength, and he f ell an easy prey to disease. In December, 1848, Doctor Keller contracted typhoid fever, and in his weakened condition his, system offered little resistance. On December. 29 he died and a grave was made for him in the northwest corner of Wittenberg campus. The spot was dear to him in life, and on New Year's Day, 1849, he was laid to rest there until the opening of Ferncliff Cemetery when his dust was transf erred ; his mortal remains still overshadowed by Wittenberg College. They said of Doctor Keller that he was a Saint in the House of Israel. He had endeared himself to all who knew him, and in the midst of his usefulness he had been stricken from them. DR. SAMUEL SPRECIIER While Doctor Keller's death produced profound sorrow in the community, the work he began in Wittenberg College was not allowed to stop ; he would not have wished it. In June, the Rev. Samuel Sprecher of Pennsylvania responded to the call of the board and assumed the duties as president of Wittenberg. He proved himself the right man, having both executive ability and being an excellent teacher. Doctor Keller had been popular, and the work of his successor was more closely scrutinized because of it, but he soon demonstrated his capability both . in the college and the seminary ; the board had made no mistake in choosing him to administer the affairs of the institution. An admiring writer exclaims of Doctor Sprecher : "His was the master mind that lived in regions of broad expanse of thought and Christian philosophy, and which he opened to delight those who sat at his feet as learners." When Doctor Sprecher came to Wittenberg there was unfinished work. There was an unfinished building and there was money needed to complete it. While it seemed an impossible task, within two years he had accomplished it, and in 1851 the first class graduated from the college. It numbered eight members, four of them: ministers, two lawyers, one physician and one entered upon a business career. While half the original class entered the ministry, at the present time with 1,500 vacant pulpits in the United States, and with one in eight Lutheran pulpits vacant, effort is now being concentrated toward securing students for Hamma Divinity School. The college is making a drive to induce Vol. 1-13 194 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY more young men to enter the ministry. Father and son banquets are being held throughout Wittenberg territory, with gratifying results. Hundreds of men and boys attend the banquets, and Wittenberg films are used by field secretaries, the films showing campus activities and arousing much interest in the college. For many years Wittenberg College struggled for its existence ; while it had slender means at hand, endowments came later, and its history shows how much may be accomplished in awakening ambition without lavish expenditure of money. Finance has always been a pressing question, and when needed most of it has always been forthcoming. While cheap scholarships were offered as an inducement, they proved a disappointment to the board. When Doctor Sprecher went into the field to secure the necessary funds, he also interested Lutherans in the endowment plan ; he was building for the future. Coming to the presidency of Wittenberg College in 1849, and remaining at the helm through the strenuous days of the Civil war, Doctor Sprecher fully demonstrated his efficiency ; the people then used the word ability. There were not so many psychologists floating around discussing efficiency. When the Civil war came on it reduced the attendance and the resources of the college. Wittenberg students went to war in such numbers as to call forth the commendation of the United States Government; twice since then has it contributed the flower of its student body to the call of their country. While the Spanish-American war did not attract so many, Wittenberg rallied to the call when soldiers were needed in the World war. The college was founded while the Mexican war was in progress, and three wars have drawn recruits from it. Doctor Sprecher remained as president twenty-five years, and a high grade scholarship was established and maintained by him. He was the embodiment of high thinking, and he was an inspiration to others. DR. J. B. HELWIG When Doctor Sprecher resigned as president in 1874, Rev. John B. Helwig, D. D., served in that relation for eight years. He was an earnest worker and built up the institution. While he was president, Wittenberg became co-educational and young women were admitted to the college as students, rendering a more extensive and flexible curriculum necessary. The school was in better financial condition, and when buildings were needed they were provided ; a building era ensued. The necessary labor connected with the administrative duties weighed heavily upon President Helwig. In 1882 he resigned, not wishing to assume the strain of building responsibilities. Some men have capacity for one thing, and Dr. Helwig knew his human limitations ; he was not a builder. DR. S. A. ORT The vacancy in the president's office was filled by the promotion of Rev. Samuel A. Ort, who, for two years, had filled the chair of theology. He assumed his duties immediately, and soon secured the necessary building funds. By April the following year construction was under way ; however, the building designated as Recitation Hall was not ready for occupancy until September, 1886, there being delays from various causes. When finally completed, this building meant much to the 196 - SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY faculty as well as the whole student body. It has an auditorium and affords better class room facilities. The money for building it was raised mostly in Springfield and Clark County. It is a community center used for many things. The chapel meetings and lectures are held in this auditorium, and to many college visitors it is Wittenberg. In the meantime the field of instruction was broadened ; in science, the opportunities became more practical and extensive, there were new methods of study, and students themselves became investigators. They were inclined to find out scientific truths—were learning to think things out for themselves. "Think for thyself one good idea, yet known to be thine own," and Wittenberg students were learning that, "It is better far than fields by others sown," and thus education was serving its highest purpose. Better working facilities were followed by better results, and Wittenberg had become a prosperous school. After the women were admitted the attendance increased, more non-resident students being attracted to the college, and the housing problem became acute. When children quit their homes for an education, the parents want to know that they are comfortable and in the right environment. FERNCLIFF HALL In June, 1887, the board decided to construct a suitable building for the co-eds ; it was necessary to provide for the young women within a reasonable distance from the college. Mothers want to know the influences, surrounding their daughters, and Ferncliff Hall, just outside the campus, was ready for occupancy in 1888 ; it was opened in September of that year. Since then applications are made in advance, and many young women must find other accommodations ; the fraternities and sororities help to solve the housing problem in the neighborhood of the college. Social life is under college supervision, Miss Grace Clark Webb coming as the first dean of women. She has charge of disciplinary work, having assumed her duties in March, 1922. She shares responsibility with Dean C. G. Shatzer, who has been disciplinarian of the college. SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY - 197 However, it is said that morality standards are higher among college students than in any other group of corresponding numbers. It has been said, "American colleges are the best expressions of democracy that we have in this country," and the question concerning the faculty is : "What kind of men and women will be produced under these conditions?" HAMMA DIVINITY SCHOOL It was in 1889 that the cornerstone was laid for Hamma Divinity Hall on the Wittenberg campus. In 1890 it was opened, and "supplied a long felt want," as it enabled young men to pursue special studies in preparation for the ministry. The teaching force was enlarged, and the building offered many advantages. It was named in honor of Rev. M. W. Hamma, D. D., who endowed it. but in December, 1900. it was destroyed by fire. The college had attained to a point where it could survive losses better, and in 1901, Hamma ,Divinity Hall was built again. Seminary features. have been incorporated, and the course of study appeals to would-be ministers. The legacy left to the seminary by Rev. Charles Stroud enables it to offer the best possible course of instruction in theology, and while it has an excellent faculty, it suffered an irreparable loss in the death of Dean D. H. Bauslin recently. For years he had been at the head of Hamma Divinity School, the seminary branch of Wittenberg. Death came to him in Bucyrus where he had gone to conduct the funeral services of an old friend. THE ZIMMERMAN LIBRARY While it is elsewhere mentioned, there is an excellent working library accessible to Wittenberg College students. It is housed in a stone building occupying one of the most commanding sites on the campus, and is a gift from John L. Zimmerman commemorating his brother, Rev. Joseph Clark Zimmerman. The library affords a restful nook, and a glimpse of the sunset rewards the tourist for visiting the spot at eventide. It is a quiet place to commune with master minds, and became a reality there in 1891-2, with Miss Grace Prince as librarian. Until it had its own building, the books constituting the library had different custodians, no one giving full time to the care of them. DR. J. M. RUTHRAUFF After eighteen years as president of Wittenberg, Doctor Ort severed that connection with the college ; in 1900 he offered his resignation. Doctor Ort was promoted from the faculty of the seminary to the presidency, and returned to it, occupying the chair of theology in the seminary and of philosophy in the college. While he was president the institution was prosperous, but he desired to be relieved of so much responsibility. When Doctor Ruthrauff was installed as president in 1900, he was relieved of the duty of teaching ; the previous presidents- all had given much time to pedagogics, but as business manager he immediately began advancing the finances of the college. The growing needs of the school required an. executive to give all of his time to financing the institution. The Rev. J. Mosheim Ruthrauff displayed commendable zeal, but his labors were destined to short duration. With suddenness that SPRINGFIELD AND CLARK COUNTY - 199 falls to few men, death summoned him and again there was a vacancy in the presidency of Wittenberg. DR. CHARLES G. HECKERT It was one year from the time of the death of Doctor Ruthrauff until Wittenberg named his successor ; in the meantime Doctor Ort was acting president. In the spring of 1903, Dr. Charles G. Heckert, D. D., who occupied the chair of English and logic in the college, was elected to the vacancy. He accepted the honor under condition that he continue teaching until the annual commencement time, and his wish was granted by the board. For fourteen years Doctor Heckert had been an instructor, and he knew the requirements of the presidency. While he entered upon the duties without needing a period of tutelage, he wanted to remain with the class until it left the college. When Doctor Heckert entered upon the duties of the presidency, he displayed the same loyalty to the entire college that he had shown to his classes. It was at a time of great material prosperity, and under the Heckert regime Wittenberg advanced in many ways. Through his earnest efforts the Carnegie Science Hall was secured, and it was fitted up with the most approved equipment. The building stands as a monument to Andrew Carnegie, and to Doctor Heckert. He died December 7, 1920, and after having given many years as professor and as president, he planned to give his accumulated fortune to the college. Under the terms of the will his widow was to hold the property her lifetime, and then it would revert to Wittenberg. She is a business woman, -and realizing that property was then at a very high rating, she relinquished her claim, accepting an annuity, and thus more money was added to the Wittenberg endowment' fund. While Doctor Heckert was president, he was always alert and about the last thing that actuated him was a financial drive that secured $2,000,000, and $500,000 of the amount came from Lutheran churches. The Synod report says : "Hamma Divinity School is having the best year of its history, and is the seminary for the young men of Ohio who enter the Christian ministry. We are under obligations to support it." Since Doctor Heckert graduated from Wittenberg in 1886, and from Hamma Divinity School in 1889, and had since been connected with the faculty until he became its president, it seems fitting that he should endow it with the money that had come to him from. it. As the sixth president of Wittenberg College, Doctor Heckert left the indelible impression of a strong, wise and effective executive, the Synod report saying further, that under his applied energy and business management he prepared Wittenberg College for the progressive movement that has awakened our churches to the value, power, possibility and achievement that properly belongs to our beloved Wittenberg. And this further tribute from the Synod report : President Heckert was more than a scholastic executive or institutional administrator ; he was a living citizen. He recognized his obligation to the community ; he paid the same- with an energetic, sacrificial devotion of himself to his civilian duty. He won the admiration and confidence of those who formed the bone and sinew of Springfield's public and community life. In his duplex position—collegian and civilian, he rapidly expended the forces of his physical vitality, and hastened the termination of his life.