Eastern Michigan University - Aurora Yearbook (Ypsilanti, MI)

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Er. Banivl ntnam prepare a short article on the life and work of Dr. Daniel Putnam, there came a revival of the memories of his influence, class room incidents, personal characteristics, and a score of events connected with his successful career that have exerted a power in shaping the characters of thousands of students who have been con- nected with him. Because of his pure and simple life, Dr. Putnam still lives in the hearts of his colleagues, his friends and his students. He still lives because of his pure and sweet character, his rich and rare scholarship, and his exceeding power as a teacher. He possessed the ability to form char- acter as he imparted knowledge. I knew him for many years and had the privilege and opportunity of seeing all sides of his character, as he grew into power of manhood and declined into ripened age, and the reader of the Aurora can do no better than to pause a moment in his work and learn a lesson from the life of this good and rare man. The soul's immortality consists, in part at least, of the memories of the expressions of the life, in the words spoken and in the deeds done. Because of his poems, the poet never diesg the painter's pictures will convey the message of the artist through all generations, and the thought expressed in the exquisite carving is communicated to everyone through all the ages. The soul lives and speaks after life-when the spirit has joined God. For has not that soul by means of pen or brush or chisel or word. become something material, which in turn may be trans- formed through the lives of others, into eternal influences EAR AURORA:-With your letter asking me to and forces. Dr. Putnam was such an artist. As he, from day to day, during all the years of his service in the Normal Col- lege, came in contact with the best young life of the state of Michigan, his soul came in contact with that of the student, a responsive chord was touched, and a life was changed. This student, in turn as a teacher, has formed other souls-and thus the influence has grown. Will it ever cease ? Dr. Putnam was a man of sterling worth and character. His strong and pleasing personality impressed one of this. As we met from day to day, I could feel the power which he always held in reserve. He stood for good things and in the face of all opposition would stand for right and jus- tice. He was a christian gentleman of the grandest type. No one can ever forget the sweet benediction of his prayer in chapel, or the graciousness of his manner and sincerity of purpose in his daily life. I was always impressed with the breadth of his scholar- ship. But fewmen had read more widely than he, nor had used this knowledge more extensively as a means of retine- ment and culture. He was a student of a type who, taking one thing ata time, by patient investigation, soon comes to be a master of it. His knowledge of the school affairs of Michigan made him an authority, while his contributions to philosophy and pedagogy stand as lasting monuments to his learning and industry. He was a great teacher. He was great in his chosen profession because of the remarkable power which he pos- sessed of inspiring his student to do something worthy, and then he put heart into his teaching. In his classes there was always an absence of a dead formality so characteristic of new knowledge getting, but you felt the presence of the

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f'?-E, Daniel Putnam

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true teacher. The testimonies of thousands of his students would speak in one accord with this and I doubt not but that he did more to shape the teaching methods in the pub- lic schools than any other man. Dr. Putnam was a man of loyalty. He was always loyal to his religion and his church. He was loyal to the school, his colleagues and his students. He was loyal to his state and city, and, above all, he stood loyally all through his life' for the uplift of humanity, the good of mankind, christian scholarship, true moral character and the nobility of teaching, believing that only through educa- tion is it possible for man to come to a realization of the perfect harmony of the good, the beautiful and the true. As such, I knew and loved Dr. Putnam, and it is my conviction that the readers of my letter, who were fortunate enough to have been associated With him, would gladly subscribe to these sentiments and sign their name to my letter as Hrs FRIEND