East Stroudsburg University - Stroud Yearbook (East Stroudsburg, PA)

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Dr. E. L. Kemp On July 3, 1902, Professor Ellwood L. Kemp was elected principal of the East Stroudsburg State Normal School. Dr. Kemp was born in Hamburg, Berks County, in 185 7. He attended the public school in that town until he was seven' teen. He had to leave school to work because his fathers health had been shattered by service in the Northern Army during the Civil War. He worked at several trades until the summer of 1877, when he learned of a teacher vacancy in the Orwigsburg school. He successfully passed the teachers examination and for two years taught in that position. It was during this time that he made the acquaintance of a Lutheran minister, 24 who encouraged him to prepare himself for col, lege. Mr. Kemp was then graduated from Frank, Iin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylv vania, in 1881 at the head of his class. After gradr uation he taught at Keystone State Normal School, which was located in Kutztown, Pennsyle vania. Later he was chosen president of Wichita University in Kansas. Just before going to Kansas he was licensed as a Reformed minister, having prepared himself privately, and while president of the University he supplied several mission churches. He remained in Kansas for about five years and then decided to return East. He brought with him his famous white pony, which later accompanied him to East Stroudsburg. He served as president of Palatinate College in Meyerstown before becoming vicerprincipal of the State Norr mal School in East Stroudsburg in 1893. The purchase of a fiveehundredrdollar manikin and additions to the library, plus a very large attendance, were outstanding features of 1904. The basketball team was state champion in this same year. Additional cars had to be put on the trains going West because of the flood of students going home at the close of school in June, 1904.

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CAKES HALL All previous records for attendance were broken in the school year 1901,1902. There were over five hundred students; every room was filled and other students were boarding in the homes of the local people. The chapel was used for recitation, and members of the faculty were very busy handling additional duties. Miss Eihe P. Merchant of Glouchester, Massachusetts, was elected to teach physical education. She had had a two'year course in the famous Sargent School of Physical Instruction. Mr. E. E. Kuntz, who was instructor in mathematics, was assistant in directing physical education. He also refereed athletic contests, one in particular when Normalis basketball team was defeated by the second team. Mr. Kuntz is now the retired supervising princir pal of the East Stroudsburg Public Schools. 23 In May 1902 work was begun on the new recitation hall. An appropriation of $27,000 was received from the state for the construction of the building which was to be three stories high. It was located thirtyrfive feet north of the mens wing of Stroud Hall, made of brick, and trimmed in cut stone. It was finished late in 1902 and later named Oakes Hall in memory of the Reverend Chandler Oakes. The eighth annual commencement exercises were held in June 1902, when one hundred and fortyeeight students were given their diplomas. It was announced that additional courses to be added the following semester would make the entire school course from two to three years in length.

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SHAWNEE LODGE In 1905 Dr. Kempis daughter, Gertrude, was married to Mr. Harry Templeton by Dr. Kemp. The wedding took place in the rooms which are now the Dean of Womenis offices. Miss Jennie Ackerman, principal of the Model School, was doing a fine job in that capacity, and in 1906 it was announced that Kindergarten classes were to be started. More room was needed for the everrgrowing Model School; so a new training school building was proposed by the Board of Trustees. As early as 1907 the trustees were examining plans, estimating costs, and deciding on a location for the new building. Before the building could be erected it was necessary to expand the limits of the campus. The original campus was bounded on the west by an extension of Ransberry Avenue 25 and on the south by a line that ran close to the side of Stroud Hall. On the southern side of the main building was a strip of land owned by SCV' eral people. To procure this land, Professor Kemp, through a real estate agent, secured op tions on the property. Dr. J. A. Singer secured enough trustee votes to guarantee the purchase of this land. The faculty cottage, which is now located back of Wayne gymnasium, was on the newly acquired land and had to be moved. It was moved on rollers and pulled by horses and later used and kept as the infirmary. Below this house and on the strip of land just purchased by the Board of Trustees was a swamp covered with dense underbrush. Dr. Kemp Cleared much of this land himself by hand; one of the rewards for his labors was a bad case of sumac poison.