Florida State University - Renegade / Tally Ho Yearbook (Tallahassee, FL)

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MEMORIAL TO DR. CONRADI A few (lays ago, tliere jiassed I ' rom anion j - us a great man. Dr. Conradi was a scholar. If he had not turned aside to administrative work, he could and, I believe would, have been known as a scholar of distinction. He was a teacher with marked gifts. In addition to ripe scholarship, he brought to his teaching the essential attributes of good sense, enthusiasm, pro- found integrity, and a sincere personal interest in his students. He loved to teach and in his early years here found time for it. His students of those days have told me he was a great teacher. In the annals of our State, he will always be known as the wise leader, under whose guidance our College rose from its modest beginnings to a position of national renown. On the campus he will be remembered as Presi- dent for his insistence upon having a strong, well- trained faculty; for the confidence he placed in the faculty in leaving them free to do their work with- out meddlesome interference; for his readiness to give friendly consideration to the problems not only of the faculty but also of students; for the seasoned wisdom he brought to the solution of those prob- lems; for the support he lent to every worthy project of faculty or student groups; for his un- ceasing emphasis upon the primacy of spiritual values in the education of youth; for the vision that was his in planning and building a great institution of higher learning. His attainments of themselves, I think, would entitle him to the name great . But his greatness did not essentially consist of them. Rather, it is to be found in the personal qualtities which made his external accomplishments possible: the qualities of mind and heart that composed the character of the man. He was modest. No one who knew him well would have wondered at this. But there was reason for wonder. The self-aggrandizement; the seeking for outward signs and symbols of power and place; the insolence of office; — all these things which appear in so many who hold positions of prominence, seemed to be entirely foreign to his nature. I can think of nothing in his life which had the least savor of self-importance or self-display. He was understanding and kind. Many of us on the faculty, I am sure, would testify gratefully to his kindness to us. But, in a special way, it will be the thousands of students who have passed through these halls that will think of him as a wise and kind friend; as one who understood the heart of youth, and who sympathized with their hopes and ambitions. He was patient and courageous. I speak of these to- gether because in him, patience and courage seemed to be complementary to each other. By patience, I do not mean his readiness to listen to complaints which so often were only petty. It was something much larger, something I can think of only as a willingness to wait for truth to emerge from behind the clouds of error and wrong. For in the long years of his service as President, there were, perhaps inevitably, peri ods of trouble and anxiety, when truth and sometimes even personal honor were at stake. At times like these, his patience was sublimated into faith in the right and the assurance that truth would triumph in the end. And his faith gave him the courage to stand by the right at any personal cost. [81

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iU The design of the Florida State College for Women flag was adopted by the student body in convocation on November 28, 1944, following a contest in which several designs were submitted. The design officially adopted by the student body was a modification of the design submitted by Eunyce Bloodworth Maura. The first completed FSCW flag was publicly presented in the parade celebrating the inaugura- tion of Governor Millard F. Caldwell on January 2, 1945. It was carried by Geraldine Farnsworth in the color guard of the FSCW band, beside the Stars and Stripes and the flag of Florida. The flag, with its three golden torches on a background of garnet, is a symbol of the spirit and ideals of the college, to be carried and displayed on all occasions of dignity and ceremony. It was dedicated by the student body, the alumnae, and the president of the college in a formal ceremony in April of 1945. [7]

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Modesty, kindness, patience, courage — these, I am persuaded, are elements of a noble spirit, and marks of true greatness. And Dr. Conradi was a noble spirit, and a great man. He lived for all that is true and good, and he loved everything that is beautiful. As he grew older, he became more mellow, more gentle, and more sweet in spirit and our admiration for him grew into a deeply felt reverence. In these latter years, his presence about the College was a benediction. The active part of his life was rich and abundant. It was a good life. I know he would not have had it any dif- ferent from what it was. And as was fitting, his life in retirement was peace- ful and happy. The days of his years were a good deal more than three score years and ten. Yet he was spared the labor and sorrow which, we are told, are the portion of those who remain beyond the allotted time. Except for the closing days, he was free from physical pain. He lived quietly with his devoted daughter and the little grand- son he adored. He was near the College he loved, and to the students and friends to whom he had devoted his life. And when the end came, it came quickly. He passed away without prolonged suffer- ing, and with none of the lingering which almost certainly would have brought anguish to him, and distress to those who loved him. And so, his life ended as he had lived it, beautifully. Nothing is here for tears ... no weakness, no contempt, Dispraise, or blame, nothing but well and fair And what may quiet us in a life so noble. — Dr. Dodd a: ' M ■3 ' J. W tt- [9] :