Central Washington University - Hyakem / Kooltuo Yearbook (Ellensburg, WA)

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response was made by R. B. Bryan, Superintendent of Public Instruo- tion. Mr. Bryan in liis speech stated that the establishment of a tate .Normal School at Kllenshun? was largely due to the untiring el forts of Senator E. T. Wilson, then of Ellensburg, now of Tacoma. Jhp principal address of the evening was made bv E. (’. Hewett, LL.I of Normal, Illinois, a prominent educator of that state and a fi icnd ol Principal Barge, who had made the trip west for that purpose. There was a large and enthusiastic audience present indi¬ cating the local interest in the school. Enough high school graduates and teachers of experience entered the school to form a senior class of thirteen members, eleven of whom were graduated at the end of the first year. I he training school of the first year was limited to one room and was composed of children of the first grade with .Miss llose M. Bice as model teacher and supervisor. The members of the senior class first observed the teaching done by Miss Rice, and afterwards taught under her supervision. While the training school was limited to one grade, the opportunity was good, as Miss Bice was an excellent teacher and well understood child life. The school started without a library, and with a very limited rS a PP a ™ tus - Professor Barge put his private li ' brarv in f the S h ' S | 7 T V ,ll V tudent8 and duri K the ear I yes-ears of the school few boohs were Ik. ught in addition to the text books It was the policy of the state to furnish free text books, for a number FIRST HOME OF THR NOR MAI,

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FORMER PRINCIPAL BARGE PO£C 11.

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first dormitory of years. Later the students were required to furnish a small portion of the texts, such as it was supposed they would need most after leaving school. Now they are required to furnish nearly all the text hooks used. ...... There were enrolled during the first year eighty-six students, representing twenty-five counties of the State, ranging in age from sixteen to fifty-eight years, the average age of the graduating class being about twenty-three years. While the course has been extended gradually, as the vears have gone by, the average age of graduating classes has diminished. This is a result of a larger number earning directly from the high schools. Two literary societies were formed during the first year ot the school, known as the Crescent and the Eclectic Literary Societies. These met for literary work on Friday afternoons and sometimes on Friday evenings. The evening sessions were open to the public. Each society has had a somewhat varied life of usefulness. Undoubt¬ edly both have lieen productive of mueli good, yet there 1ms been at times a question in the minds of some of the faculty as to whether literary societies in a normal school are desirable. In 19111 an extended enquiry into the history of such societies in normal schools of the United States was made, with a view to obtaining reliable data for a conclusion in the matter; but the reports received were as varied as the history of our own societies. Membership lias always been optional with the exception of one year. During that year membership wns not only compulsory, hut it was arranged that the number of members in each society ho as nearly equal as isissihle. Each society worked under the siqiervision of a member of the faculty. The writer of this sketch remembers a public debate between the two societies. Four members were chosen by each society to represent it. 13.