Longwood College - Virginian Yearbook (Farmville, VA)

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.