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

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1 , uni: 5 - in w' S. Ji I if N 1875 In the fall of 1875, Miss S. Cornelia Norman joined the Academy faculty. She had previously 1878 1878 1878 1880 1887 been teaching in School No. 1. The coming and going of all teachers of the school it would be im- possible to chronicle, but Miss Norman was no ordinary teacher and her advent is worthy of notice. In June 1878, appeared the first number of the HE. F. A. Record, an eight page paper of considerable interest. Frank Fishler was its first editor. It was published semi-annually at first, the second number coming out December 19, 1678, the Commencement day of the only Christ- mas Class in the history ot the school. In the Personal column one item reads: Our alumni list records six M. D's. That number has been many times multiplied since. The Record be- came an annual later, but its career was compara- tively short. The June Class of '78 was the only one to be graduated on the four years' course established in 1874. It was the Hrst class to hold its Commence- ment exercises outside of the Free Academy build- ing. Park Church was the place chosen. Com- mencements continued to be held in various churches from that date until 1888, when the Lyceum theatre was secured. A December 19, 1878, the Christmas Class of '78 was graduated. This was a unique Com- mencement, the only winter graduation in Academ- ' ' ic history. The decision to return to a three years' general course made it necessary to reduce the number of classes, and the Christmas Class therefore stands alone as the one class graduated onia three-and-a-half years' course. Their Commencement took place at the First M. E. Church. june 21, 1880, some students of the Academy, whose names did not appear upon the paper ---perhaps wisely published a paper called The Mirror, a four-page sheet containing caustic criticisms of the management of E. F. A. and decidedly personal roasts upon some members of the faculty. The editors, in two paragraphs in different parts of the paper, took pains to except Misses Norman and Nelson of the faculty from any adverse criticism. The student body,as a whole, did not approve the tone of The Mirror and the nature of its reflec- tions. Naturally the faculty disapproved. Hence it became another illustration of the first shall be last. On the same day, the UE. F. A. Record for the year came out. Its editors that year were William E. V. Kemp and Cassius I-Iibbard. Its tone was very different from that of its rival. . For the first years of the eighties there seem few distinctive events to chronicle. Prin- Monks's methods were fully established and the machinery of the system moved smoothly- The retirement of Prin. Monks, in June 1887, was a cause of deep regret to the school and alumni. His infiuence in the school had been a particularly happy one. All students had a profound respect for his intellectual attainments and for his opinions. His bearing was dignified, but gracious, and his manners polished. In his students, also, he tolerated no manners but those of ladies and gentlemen, and he inculcated these more by example than by precept. Seldom did he speak severely, but on the rare occasions when it was necessary, the few in- cisive words of scorn with which he scored an ill-bred act made the offender shrivel into a pygmy in his own eyes as well as in those of his schoolmates. No such babyish tricks as char- acterize students of some High Schools were ever seen in E. F. A. during his administration, although the average age of students was about the same here as elsewhere, and then as now. His leaving was a serious loss to the school and marked the passing of the old regime. I

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short lived debating society was started by the girls, but both its name and its history are wrap- ped in obscurity. At the time of the Commencement in '71, there were several rizes given by public spirited citizens. These continued for three years, until, some dissatisfjaction with the award- ing having arisen, the donors thought best to withdraw them. The Arnot prize in mathematics, given by john Arnot, jr., consisted of two gold medals for the best results in an algebra examination given by the teacher. H. W. Foster and Loula Fassett won these medals in '71. The Hall spelling prize was a Webster's Unabridged Dictionary contributed by Chas. Hall for the best speller. Emma H. Beers and Mary Turner tied for first rank and a dictionary was given to each. ' The Diven composition and elocution prize was established by George M. Diven. He donated 70 dollars for books as prizes each year. These were awarded on the results of two prize exhibitions. The first awards were as follows: Oratory, 1st prize, Fred Dundas, 2nd prize, Henry Flood, Composition, 1st Senior prize, Ella Beecher, 2nd Senior prize, Mary Turner, 1st Junior prize, Josie Bullard, 2nd Junior prize, William P. McKnight. Junior and Sophomore Recitation and Declamation prizes: Declamation, 1st prize, William P. McKnight, 2nd prize, Alex. C. Eustace. Recitation, 1st prize, Hattie Hart, 2nd prize, Lizzie Thurston. In '72-'73 an English Literature prize was added to the foregoing list. 15 dollars in was given to the student attaining highest rank in a written examination in English Literature set by the teacher of literature. No record was found of the donor or o the winner. In all cases, these prizes were awarded at Commencement, though the successful competitors were sometimes announced at the close of the exhibitions. On January 13th, 1872, Prin. Steele was given a leave of absence for four months because of the pressure of his literary duties. January 29th, Prof. Monks was appointed Acting-Principal during Prin. Stee1e's absence. On June 25th, of the same year, the Board of Education declined to accept Prin. Steele's resignation, granting him six months further leave and requesting him to withdraw his resignation. He never returned to E. F. A. aslprin- cipal, however, although the Board waited until July 14, 1873, before appointing Acting- rin- cipal Monks actual Principal. A Principal Steele's administration had done great things for the progress and reputation of the Academy. That fact, coupled with his literary fame, made the Board very reluctant to release him. As has been shown, he brought order out of chaos, made the Academy an illus- trious example of self government, and established many worthy customs. Moreover, he was an exceptionally able teacher, commanding the respect and admiration of his students, and was a great organizer. For many years the school bore the impress of his strong personality. CHAPTER VI. PRIN. MONKS'S ADMINISTRATION, 1872-1887. Prin. James R. Monks kept the Academy up to the standard established by his predecessor. W In his '73 report to the Board, he emphasized the fact that no teacher in his school was called an a assistant , each in her department was supreme authority, a preceptress of a special department, thus adding dignity to the position. Their com- pensation was also better than it is to-day, though the requirements now are much higher than then. There were five departments in '73, history and literature being combined in one. In February 1873, Prof. Steele's collection of geological specimens was purchased for 450 dollars. This is an unusually line collection for a High School to own. It has been added to some- what by later instructors, Miss Herrick contributing a collection made one summer in Ithaca. Un- fortunately, under the present regent's regulations in science the collection can be little used. In September, 1874, the course of study was changed from a three to a four years' course for x all students. Previous to that, the general course N had been three years. College preparatory students 1 had been graduated at the close of the third year, I on the general course, returning for a fourth year and a second diploma. . books 2' U 1871 1872 1872-' 73 1873 1874

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CHAPTER VII. PRIN. LOVELL'S ADMINISTRATION, 1887-1895. Prin. Monks was succeeded by Mr. 1887 Herbert M. Lovell, a Comell graduate. He did not adhere to all the traditions of the school. Teachers now took charge of the study room, but students were still allowed more liberties than in many High Schools. His first Commencement, june 28, 1888, 1333 was held in the evening in the Lyceum theatre. Thereafter all Commencement exercises were in the Lyceum until 1904, when the burning of the theatre made it necessary to find another place. Only the classes of '88 and '89 held their exercises in the evening. At the Reunion, june 29, 1888, an 1338 Alumni Association was, for the first time, established. Officers elected for '88-'89 were as follows: Pres. john B. Stanchfield 1st Vice-Pres. Dr. Henry Flood 2nd Vice-Pres. Boyd McDowell 3rd Vice-Pres. Henry Redfield Cor. Sec'y. Harry N. Hoffman Rec. Sec'y. Frances D. Guion Treas. David M. Pratt. An Alumni Association was a highly desirable organization, but this one did nothing but elect officers. The following year, at Reunion, the second election was held, resulting as follows: Pres. George Hull 1st Vice-Pres. B. S. Chamberlin 2nd Vice-Pres. Harry N. Hoffman 3rd Vice-Pres. W. C. Peebles Cor. Sec'y. William C. White Rec. Sec'y. Frances D. Guion Treas. Theodore M. McKnight. Again 110 definite work was accomplishedby the association. At the Reunion in 1890, at which jacob Schwartz, the brilliant lawyer, had given an address on A Modern Problem, the ballot resulted as follows: Pres. Jacob Schwartz ' Vice-Pres. Boyd McDowell Sec'y. Mrs. Theodora Norton Joerg Treas. M. Louise Godfrey. President Schwartz appointed the following executive committee, H. C. Mandeville, George McCann, A. Welling Wyckoff, Mrs. Chas. Roach, Mary E. Eaton. President Schwartz died before the next june Reunion, and no effort was made to keep up the organization, so the officers elected in '90 never had successors until 1909, when the association reorganized. In the fall of '88, the growth of the school necessitated a distinct English department. 1888 Previously it had been ccmbined with the history. The faculty was increased by an En lish teacher to take exclusive charge of the new department. Some idea of the later growth of the English department may be gathered from the fact that to-day there are four teachers devoting their entire time and four others giving half of their time or more to English. In that year, '88-'89, all students were required to take the regents' examinations in all Academic subjects. For some time previous, it had been optional. From '89'to the present, the regents' examinations in allsubjects have been required. At first, students were graduated on a local mark obtained by averaging regents' marks and class standing, but later, the regents' diploma was necessary to obtaining the Academy diploma. In '89 the Lyceum literary society died out. The same year the Athanaeum Debating 1889 Club was formed as a rival to the Adelphics. It flourished until 1892, when it united with the Adelphics under the latter name, as the Sophomore Adelphics and the Sumnerfea mixed club- Q had done before. There was at this time another club, known as the Elmira Free Academy Scientific Society, which continued through 'i9. No records of its organization are accessible, though mention of it is found in '88. ' In May of 1889, Arbor Day was celebrated. 'Ihis was not, in the Academy, observed every year. A few yearsglater its annual observance was establishedkand during Mr. Evans's I w.2ff,1'?ff9-