Bridgewater State University - Alpha Yearbook (Bridgewater, MA)

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I2 OFFERING Fortieth Anniversary of the Principalship of Albert G. Boyden, A. NI. HE Bridgewater State Normal School has been acknowledged as stand inff at the head of the Normal schools in the United States This people of this good old town but from outsideis educators and public men not connected with this school. Allusion is made to this testi- mony not for the sake of boasting, but simply for giving the reason for the uniform sentiment which the writer has heard for the last thirty years on many occasions, and which educational papers of this and other states have expressed again and again. The principal of this school for the last forty years has been Albert G. Boyden. A Albert G. Boyden was educated in the home, on his grandfather's farm, in his father's blacksmith shop, in the district school, the State Normal School, and by private tuition. At the age of fourteen years he decided to be a teach- er, strongly desiring to go to college but could not get the funds. He gave his evenings to study, determined to do what he could for himself. At twenty one years of age he had good health, good habits, his trade, and he had taught a district school three winters. U He entered the State Normal School at Bridgewater in 1848, taking the regular course and an advanced course. After his graduation he taught a gram- mar school in Hingham during the next winter, received the appointment of of assistant teacher in the Bridgewater State Normal School and held the posi- tion three years under the distinguished founder of the school, 'Nicholas Tilling- hast, was principal of the English High School for boys in Salem for three years , sub-master of the Chapman Grammar School, Boston, one year, first A'-. i O 0 1 o - if 7 D . O ' testimony does not come from the faculty of the school, nor from the assistant again in the Bridgewater Normal School three and one-half years under the able tuition of the second principal Marshall Conant: was appointed principal of the school in August 1860, and the same year received the de- gree of A. M. from Amherst College. r Mr. Boyden was a diligent student both in school and under private tuition, and while he was assistant in the Normal School he was called upon to teach nearly all thc studies of the course, and to make careful study of the principles and method of teaching. He started in life with the determination to do every- thing intrusted to him to the best of his ability, and has never sought a positon as teacher. llc has been president of the Plymouth County Teacher's Association, of the Massachusetts Teachers' Association, of the Schoolmasters' Club, of the New England Normal Counsil, vice-president of the American Institute of In- struction , secretary of the National Council of Education, president of the Old Colony Congregational Club, editor of the Massachusetts Teacher, and author of numerous educational addresses.

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OFFERING I I ADELAIDE REED. Grade IX. Bridgewater Normal School, 1865. Taught in schools of Pembroke, Kings- ton, Abington, Malden, Newton, Somerville. Teacher at Bridgewater since 1897. MARTHA M. BURNELL. Grade VIII Gorham Normal School, Me., 1887. Special course at Bridgewater Normal. Taught in schools of Concord, N. H., and Chelsea. At Bridgewater since 1895. I - HANNAH E. TURNER. Grade VII Bridgewater Normal School, 1878. Teacher in schools of Bridgewater, Digh- ton, Somerville. Returned to Bridgewater as teacher in the Model School, 1895. NELLIE M. BENNETT. Grade VI Bridgewater Normal School, 1888. Courses at Summer School. Taught in schools of Middleborough. Returned to Bridgewater. 1896. ,IENNIE BENNETT Grade V Bridgewater Normal School, 1886. Courses at Summer Schools. Teacher in schools of Middleborough. Teacher at Bridgewater since 1898. MARY L. WALLACE. Grade IV Bridgewater Normal School, 1893. Teacher in schools of Rockport and Malden. At Bridgewater since 1895. A SARAH W. TURNER. Grade ffl Bridgewater Normal School, 1878. Teacher in schools of Dighton, Taunton. Came to Bridgewater, 1897. SARAH E. PRATT. Grade fl Bridgewater Normal School, 1869. Experience in schools of Kingston, Bridge- water, Melrose, Malden, Newton, Somerville. Returned to Bridgewater as teacher in Model School, 1897. FLQRA M. STUART. Grade I Bridgewater Normal School, 1889. Courses at Summer School. Teacher in schools of Fairhaven and Newton. Returned to Bridgewater as teacher, 1890. ANNE M. WELLS. K'z'7za'efgfarZe1z. Kindergarten Training Class in connection with Mrs. Quincy Shaw's School, Boston, 1889. Post-graduate work with Miss Fisher in Boston. Taught in schools of Brookline and Hartford. At Bridgewater since 1893. FRANCES P. KEYES. As.s'z'.vZam' Kz'1zde7garz'e1z. Mrs. Aldrich's Training Class, Springfield, 1888. Taught in private kinder- garten in Springfield, and .public kindergarten in Hartford. At Bridgewater since 1895. .

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OFFERING I 3 He has been invited to take charge of Normal schools in other states, with larger compensation, but has preferred to remain in Bridgewater, that he might carry out his plans for the development of this school. Mr. Boyden graduated under the first principal of the Bridgewater Normal School, taught three years under him, and three and one-half years under the second principal. He had, therefore, all the chances possible of imbibing the inspiration of those two good men, and of becoming acquainted with the whole work of the Normal School. He acquired facility in teaching in the various subjects, since he was called upon to teach nearly every branch in the course of studies during those six and one-half years. This, together with four and one-half years teaching in Grammar and High Schools between the first and second periods at the Normal School, besides the studies pursued under private tuition with the special object of extending his knowledge, gave him a compre- hensive view ofthe whole field. That he made good use of this opportunity, that by tireless work he added richly to what he had acquired, that he kept alive to the ever increasing demand of the times, and always in advance of the educa- tional agencies around him, is now our pleasant duty to show by examining his record of forty years' service as principal of this School. As our guide we lay down the following proposition. The principal of a Normal School must have these three qualihcations : he must have an excellent character, he must possess high executive ability, he must be an educator, rep- resenting the best thought and methods in educational matters of the times. That Mr. Boyden is a good man is abundantly shown by his early determi- nation under untoward circumstances to get an education which would fit him forteaching, by the fifty years of his life which he has passed at Bridgewater, by the testimony of his fellow-citizens, his assistant teachers, the authorities of the State, and the thousands of graduates from this school since his administration. The great executive ability of Mr. Boyden is most clearly shown in the ma- terial upbuilding of the school, and in the discipline which he has introduced for the management of the school. Here his firm conviction, strong will power, tact, power to grasp the subject in hand and master its details, perception of the hour and ceaseless effort till those needs are met, are clearly evinced. Mr. Boy- den was appointed principal in 1860. The school building was then a plain wooden structure, forty-two by sixty-four feet, two stories high, and was consid- ered a fine and well-equipped building for that time, although the whole plant, land and all, did not cost more than ten thousand dollars. ln our times we would be astonished to see such a primitive establishment for the preparation of teachers. It must be borne in mind, however, that at that time the people of this country, and even the people of Massachusetts, did not see the absolute need of trained teachers, and so the legislature had to be approached very deli- cately when any large amount, for instance one thousand dollars, was to be asked for necessary repairs or supplies. The school had to endure all sorts of attacks and criticisms. Like an infant, it was exposed to, and assailcd by all