Elmira Free Academy - Torch / Sagoyawatha Yearbook (Elmira, NY)

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I I 4 CHAPTER V. PRIN. STEELE'S ADMINISTRATION, 1866-1872. Prin. Steele began his difficult task March 1, 1866, with a policy of extreme severity, as he deemed the case demanded. Gradually he relaxed, and after a time revived self-govern- 1 ment developing it into a system that became famous far and near, and attracted many visitors to the school. His methods, being in' advance of the times, were much discussed by educators. The following are some features of his govern- ment. Students attaining a creditabie scholar- ship had their names placed upon an Honor Roll, in order of rank, as First Head Scholars or Second Head Scholars --tho' that was not a very scholarly use of terms. To these students were given certain duties and certain privileges. No teacher remained in charge of the study room 3 thus one teacher's full time was saved. Monitors ' had served in the place of teachers, under Mr. Wellington's rule, but all supervision was now dispensed with. To summon classes from recita- l tion rooms, large bells in each second-floor hall were rung vigorously by Head Scholar boys at the proper times. Classes were dismissed to recitation rooms by Head Scholars, who went forward in front of chapel desk and tapped the desk bell for Seniors, juniors, and Sophomores in succession. The Seniors of highest rank performed this service, ifin chapel 5 if not, the next lower. If no Senior of honor rank were in the room, the duty fell to the highest junior, and so on. If a teacher happened to be at the desk for an reason, the teacher sent the classes, but the service was usually performed by the honzr student. With these duties went privileges. Senior honor students had their choice between studying in chapel or in the office on the second floor, the boys using the principal's office, the girls, the lady teachers'. Studying in the princi- pal's office to-day is not exactly a reward of merit, but conditions were different in those days, when the principal's time was spent almost entirely in the class-room. Junior honor students used the offices just above these, on the third floor. Sophomores---the entering class- some- times had tables and chairs in the front end of the third floor halls, sometimes they used the basement. Of course, abuse of these privileges usually resulted in lowered standings the next month, loss of honor rank involving loss of privileges. The system worked, in the main, exceptionally well. It was maintained during Prin. Steele's administration and that of his successor, Prin. Monks, aggregating about twenty years. ' During Prin. Steele's term, the faculty was increased to four. One of the teachers, Miss Hattie Marshall, assisted Dr. Steele in the preparation, especially the illustration, of many of his text-books, most of which were written while he was at the head of E. F.A. Prof. Steele made fame and fortune by his fourteen weeks' courses in Chemistry, Physics, Geology, and other sciences, also by his Barnes's U. S. History, so-called because written for the A. S. Barnes and Co. publishing house. All these books are well known to students attending E. F. A. during the seventies and eighties. Miss Mary Harriet Norris, another teacher during Steele's administration, is now Dean of the Northwestern University, and celebrated as an author. One of her books has Grover Cleveland as hero, another has its setting in the Chemung Valley. Shortly after assuming control of the school, Prin. Steele introduced Calisthenics with dumbbell drills. This proved too tame for the fellows, filled with the spirit of the late war, and an Athletic association resulted. This died out later and new associations have been or- ganized several times in the subsequent history of-the school. The original association secured a barn already standing at the rear of the Academy, and remodelled it for a gymnasium. Prof. A. Wellington Norton, an assistant teacher, later principal of No. 4 School, deserves the credit for this undertaking. With the sanction of Prin. Steele, the work was done by the young men of the school, under Prof. Norton's direction, the material being purchased with money sub- scribed by students. The building had a floor of saw-dust and was well equipped for a gym- nasium in those days. Outside was a trapeze and rings, which were in constant use at recesses and before school. The gymnasium stood until the building of the second Academy 1891 Owing to the waste of time during the first six months of 1865 --'66, no class was ready for graduation in june 1866. 1866 1866

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-A V an-.1...,3 .5 we t . t 1862 1863 1865 delightful woman, to whom the writer of these pages makes grateful acknowledgment for many interesting details of the early days. George Raines, son of the pastor of Hedding Church, left school with that first class. His special aim was preparing for college, and in so doing he neglected some requirements for graduation, but the Class of '62 always regarded him as one of them. Later he became a brilliant lawyer and Senator at Albany. The custom of holding Re-unions of former students originated the evening of the first Commencement day. This became an annual event and a very pleasant feature of Commence- ment week. In Prof. Monks's time, possibly earlier, besides the summer Re-union, another was held at the Christmas season. A literary program in which alumni were given prominent places was held in chapel. Following this, until the over-crowded condition of the school necessitated narrowing the aisles, it was the custom for couples to promenade through the broad aisles encircling the chapel and crossing it at right angles through the center. Refresh- ments were served in the Debating Club Room. For many years the Seniors conducted the Christmas Re-union and the juniors the june Re-union. Thus each class had charge of two. The receipts from the refreshments were devoted by these classes to beautifying the interior of the building. Several of Artist George W. Waters's paintings, costing from 200 to 250 dollars, were thus given to the school. Book-cases, statuettes, rostrum desks and chairs, clocks, etc., were presented in the same way. The encyclopaedia case in the present library was such a gift, and the case in the office was presented by the class of '82. The last June Re-union was held June 24, 1892 in the Masonic Temple, as the present E. F. A. building was in process of erection. Mr. J. Sloat Fassett gave the main address on this last occasion. The Christmas Re-unions continued for eight years longer, the last one being held Dec. 27, 1900. For several years, however, these had been called Senior receptions, and admission was by ticket. Any graduate was entitled to a ticket, but many objected to asking for one, so the attendance dwindled. For many years the Re-unions failed to serve the purpose for which they were doubtless intended, as the older alumni rarely came. They were usually re'-unions of not more than four or five at most, of the recent classes. In the winter of 1862-'63, the country being in the midst of the Civil War, the Academy Cadets, a military organization with regular dri ls, was formed. Charles R. Pratt was cap- tain, Roscius Morse, jr., First Lieutenant, H. C. Morse, Orderly Sergeant, Manfred Davis, Second Sergeant, Henry V. Ransom, drummer, and a young man named Burgess played the fife. Prin. Wellington was the judge Advocate of the Court Martial. At the ilune Re- union of 1871, surviving members of the company presented the Academy with an a bum con- taining photographs of the cadets. Former Captain Chas. R. Pratt made a very graceful pre- sentation speech, and Prin. Wellington accepted the gift for the school, in a felicitous manner. Unfortunately all trace of that album seems to be lost. The Class of 1863 contained but one member, Miss Sarah T. Haskell, now Mrs. Zera Compton of this city. Quite a long program by under graduates was given at her Commence- ment, in addition to the graduate's essay on the Blessing of Dullness. The exercises were on the afternoon of july 24, 1863. Supt. Bement, the successor of Mr. Schofield, announced that a class of eleven or twelve was preparing for the next graduation. The Class of '64 did number eleven, as did also the Class of '65. jul 21, 1865 was Principal Wellington's last day at the head of E. F. A. He retired from his office amid the protests of students and patrons. He was an inspiring teacher. After more than forty years, students retain interest in subjects he taught them. He was untiring in his efforts to help and encourage ambitious students, giving them outside time both early and late. Many of his progressive methods were afterward revived and made famous by Prin. Steele in conjunction with the latter's original methods. Self-government was encouraged to a high degree, tho' not systemized to the extent that it was later under the Steele regime. To retain for nearly a half century the enthusiastic loyalty and love of his students is a recog- nition of worth that must gladden the heart of Prof. Wellington. The chronicler has been es- pecially struck with this devotion on the part of every former student of his with whom she has talked. Only two years ago, his surviving students, led by Miss Eliza Bement and the late judge Chas. R. Pratt, made elaborate plans to bring Prof. Wellington back to Elmira from his Chicago home for a sort of jubilee visit, and keen was their disappointment that his health would not permit the journey. Perhaps a kinder fate will make possible his presence, next September, at the semi-centennial of the school for which he did so much. . CHAPTER IV. PRIN. TIMLOW'S ADMINISTRATION, 1865-'66. V With the retirement of Prin. Wellington went also Miss Phillips and someofthestudent body. The students had so idolized Prin. Wellington that they resented any onels taking his office, and the incoming principal, Mr. G. W. Timlow, was the innocent victim of their mis- directed energies. For six months riot ruled in the Academy. The lady teachers were treated with courtesy, but the lawless condition of the school nevertheless made their positions un- pleasant. February 23, 1866, Mr. Timlow's resignation was accepted and on the same day Mr. Joel Dorman Steele was appointed to the principalship.

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1867 1867 1869 1869 1870 1871 1871 The first class graduated under Prin. Steele was in 1867. This was also the first class to use the terms Valedictorian and Salutatorian for Commencement honors. Chas P. Thurston was the first valedictorian and Henry R. Redfield salutatorian. These terms have been used ever since. In a large part of Prof. Monks's administration, however, instead of being, as originally and now, applied to the students ranking first and second in scholarship, regardless of sex, the valedictory was given to the one ranking highest among the young men and the salutatory to the one ranking highest among the young women, though the latter's standing might be much higher than the former's. On the 30th of October, 1867, a preliminary meeting was held to plan a literary society open to both sexes. As a result, on Nov. 15, 1867, the Lyceum was established. Its purpose was cultivation of literary taste by composition, declamation, and reading choice literature. There were thirty-eight charter members, among them Dr. Steele, Prof. Norton, J. Sloat Fassett, H. S. Brooks, Clement Bainbridge, Jacob Schwartz, Adele Gleason and Emily A. Nel- son, names well known to most Elmirans. The motto chosen was Stratum supra stratum. For twenty years the principal of the Academy was president of the society, and several mem- bers of the faculty were usually in the membership. Prin. Steele continued president until Jan.25, 1872,when,going on a leave of absence, he resignedfrom the presidency. Prof. Monks was elected Jan. 30, 72 and continued until he left the Academy, June 1887. Officers were elected three times a year, serving one school term. The meetings were held Monday evenings in the northwest room of the basement, which the society fitted up as a cosy club room. Prof. Monks took great interest in the society and the Lyceum continued in a flourishing condition, doing excellent work, as long as he remained at its head. When Mr. Lovell became principal, the control of the Lyceum passed entirely into the hands of the students. Arthur booth was the first student president, elected in September, 1887, As the students were unaccustomed to the management of such a society, it gradually ran down. The last minutes were recorded April 19, 1889. Thus passed the first literary society of E. F. A. In 1869, the Adelphic Debating Club was organized. John R. Joslyn and C. Carroll Fitzhugh had moved to Elmira from Mt. Morris, N. Y., where in 1868 they had been charter members of an Adelphic Debating Club. They organized one here with the same name and for a second time became Adelphic charter members. There were nine others. It is interest- ing to note that J. Sloat Fassett and Jacob Schwartz were charter members of the Adelphics as well as of Lyceum. George W. Knox was its first president. Many of the famous business and professional men of Elmira have been members of the Adelphic in former years. Con- spicuous among them are such men as John B. Stanchfield, Edgar Denton, Judge Walter Lloyd Smith, Boyd McDowell, Casper Decker, Alex. Eustace. David M. Pratt, Harry Bogart, and Thomas F . Fennell. The list might be indefinitely extended. As a society open to all the young men, it drew the best talent of the school into its membership. It is to be regretted that in December, 1895, the constitution was revised, making it a secret society and thus narrowing it into a clique and defeating the purpose for which the Adelphic was organized. There is no occasion for secrets in a debating society. There should be no reason why any fellow of the school, whether a fraternity man or not, might not be privileged to belong to the historic old debating club. Until 1902, the meetings were held in E. F. A. Now the club rooms are at 206 East Water Street. The Class of 1869 was the first to hang a class picture upon the walls of E. F. A. They set a style that lasted until classes became very large in the late nineties. Jacob Schwartz was valedictorian of '69 and Will Ayres salutatorian. Our honored townsman, J. Sloat Fassett, was the brilliant valedictorian of the Class of 1870, and Clement D. Bainbridge, later an actor of repute, now living in Elmira, was salutato- nan. Soon after the beginning of the fall term of 1870, James R. Monks, A. M., a graduate of the first E. F. A. class, later of Union College, was added to the faculty to take exclusive charge of the college preparatory students. The next fall, five students entered various colleges well-prepared and admitted without condition. In September, 1871, there were thirteen students in this class. This was the beginning of Prof. Monks's long and valuable service to E. F. A. In Prin. Steele's report to the Board of Education for the year ending June 28, 1871, he mentions the custom of impromptu compositions. Whether it was established that year is not clear. This custom was continued until the inadequate accommodations of old No. 6, in 1891,whenthe second buildingwas being erected, rendered it impossible. It was not revived later. One period a week, in rotation, was devoted by all students to the writing of a composi- tion on one of several themes announced at that time. Subject matter must be drawn from one's own knowledge or experience, there was no opportunity for investigation. At least two pages must be written within the alloted period. These impromptus were divided among the faculty for marking until 1888, when the English department was separated from the history. After that, all these weekly impromptus fell to the lot of the English teacher. The system was an excellent one for the students, but a heavy burden upon one teacher. In 1870-'71 a girls' debating society called the Philorhetorian was in existence. The date of its origin is uncertain, as is also the date of its disbanding. The society met Thursday afternoons after school, in the same room as the Adelphics, whose meetings at that time were 'Thursday evenings. Later the Adelphics met Fridays. Six or seven years after this, another