Longwood College - Virginian Yearbook (Farmville, VA)

Page 25 text:

entire Civil War before attaining the twentieth year of his age. Retnrning home, he at once entered activelj ' into mercantile pursuits, ranking among the largest dealers in leaf tobacco, with offices and warehouses at Petersburg, Burke- ville, and other points in southside Virginia. He served several terms as mayor of his to- vn, and was president of its leading bank. He was elected to the Virginia Senate in 1883, and was nominated for president pro tern, of that body. Before the expiration of his term as State Senator, he was elected a member of the Fiftieth Congress from the Fourth Virginia District, and is now (1909) a resi lent, with his fiair children, of the City of Washington, D. C. Me. 11. M. il-vxLY, Iiiehniund, Va. ■■ ' Mr. W. W. IIkkbekt, Alexandria, Va. Rev. James Xelsox, Farmville, Va. (See account of present Board of Trustees.) ' ' Neither photograph nor inforinrttion could be obtained.

Page 24 text:

Cavalry, of Gen. John McCansland ' s brigade. He was twice wounded ; first in a skirmish near Luray, and later in the battle of Fro nt Royal. In that fight he was captured and sent to a hospital in Baltimore, being subsequently sent to Fort McHenry. At the time of his exchange, in February, 1865, he was a prisoner at Point Lookout. He was on his way back to the Confederate army when he first learned of General Lee ' s surrender. He died January 23, 1907, having throughout his long life commanded universal respect and esteem. ■ Peof. Lutheb Rice Holland was born in Campbell County, Virginia, 18.38, and graduated at Roanoke College, Va., 1859. He was a teacher in that College for several yeare following the War, and after that Superintendent of Public Schools in Roanoke County. So efficient was he in this capacity that he was appointed Secretary of Public Instruction under Dr. Ruffner, and upon the retirement of Dr. Ruffner was offered the Superintendency of State Schools, but declined on account of his failing health. He subsequently served as Superintendent of Public Instruction in Roanoke County, and died in Salem, Va., in the year 1892. He was upright in all his dealings, and faithful in every official position — a gentleman and a Christian. Mr. L. a. Michie was born June 26, 1836. He attended the Pike Powers school in Staunton two or three sessions, then went to the L niversity of Virginia, pursuing the academic course from 1855 to 1858. He enlisted in the Confederate Army, was taken prisoner at Hatcher ' s Run, and confined at Point Lookout. He was appointed Superintendent of Albemarle Schools in 1882, holding that position four years. The rest of his life was spent as a prosperous farmer. He died of apoplexy, July 21, 1906. Hon. William E. Gaines, second son of C. J. and Mary E. Gaines, was born August 30, 1845, on his father ' s farm near the home of John Randolph, Charlotte County, Virginia. He enlisted in the Southern Army in the month of April, 1861, as a member of the Charlotte Rifles, a company organized at Charlotte Courthouse, Va., afterwards attached to the Eighteenth Virginia Infantry, Pickett ' s Division. He Avas engaged in all the battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia from first Manassas to Gettysburg; after which he became a member of the Staunton Hill Artillery, another Charlotte County company, with which command he took part in the defense of Fort Fisher, ] . C, during the memorable siege of the winter of 1864-05, and in the last great battle of the War, fought at Bentonville, ' N. C, April, 1865, surrendering with Johnson ' s Army, with the rank of Adjutant. Thus he served during the A photograph could not be secured. 20

Page 26 text:

William Henry Ruffner To Dr. William Henry Eiitfner, its first President, the State Female Xornial School owes as much, perhaps, as to any other man; for he it was who started it on its successful career. This was the first normal school established in the State, and to Virginia, at least, it was something of an experi- ment. The School was fortunate in having at its head at the beginning a man of broad culture and wide exj)erience. Dr. Ruffner had been State Su])erintendent of Schools for twelve years. He came to his task, therefore, thoroughly acquainted with the public school and its needs. He had founded the system, he had studied the schools, visited them, and labored for them as no other man in the State had done. He knew the needs of the teacher as well and Low to meet them. His experience enabled him to map out for the School courses of instruction to suit conditions with which he was thoroughly familiar, while his learning made him mindful of its scholarship. Dr Ruifner was peculiarly fitted for the position. As mentioned above, he had been State Superintendent from 1870 to 1882. This office had just been created and he was the first to occupy it. His task as Siiperintendent was no light one. He had had no experience. He knew absolutely nothing of the details of ]iublic school work — in fact, there had been no public schools in the State up to this time. He had to set to work and devise the whole system; besides, he had to ])r(itect the school funds, carelessly diverted into other channels; in addition to this he had to educate the masses to an intelligent conception as tn what the public school would mean to them. So thoroughly established is the system to-day we can scarcely realize the difficulties he had to encounter. First, until 1869 there had been no real system of public schools. There had been sinue meagre provision for the poor white children of the State, but this savored of ])aui)erism, and the schools were not regarded with favor. Besides, he had to provide for two distinct races, which of course greatly increased the difficulty ; moreover the War between the States had depleted men ' s fortunes and had left them too poor to be taxed for the schools and too proud to patronize them. A less resolute man would have succumbed. N ot so. Dr. Ruffner. With only thirty days ' notice he made an outline for the system of piublic schools which proved so satisfactory that he was asked to prepare at once a school bill.