Georgia Southern University - Reflector Yearbook (Statesboro, GA)

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PIONEER YEARS 1909 to 1914 ODESTLY stated hut my active connection w ith the First District Agricul- i J- tural and Mechanical School dates hack three years prior to my election as president of the school itself. Governor Joseph M. Terrell had promised Georgia to establish an Industrial or Farm School in each congressional district. 1 had a newspaper at Vidalia, which was in truth an educational defender. The legislature was slow to pass the hill in 1906. At Governor Terrell ' s request I made a speech before the joint com- mittee of the two houses. The bill later became a law. The Governor did me the kindness to name me a member of the first Board of Trustees. The spirit of the great men of Statesboro and Bulloch count v led to a gift of buildings and lands. We opened the school by wisely electing that scholar, patriot, and C hristian gentleman, J. W alter Hendricks, as the first principal. 1 ever held Professor Hendricks in highest esteem and as years have gone by I honor him more and more. His work was pioneer work. It was difficult to get a faculty trained for that special work, but he succeeded. It was more difficult to get a desirable student body. Designed for the farmer boys and girls the parents too often said, You cannot teach my boy how to farm or my daughter home econom- ics any better than 1 can. There was the problem. But the school did. Professor Hendricks called to his assistance real men and women whose worth and high character I shall cherish to my last days. Pardon my naming a few. [ want to place flowers before those go to their graves. Three great teachers, Professor Frank M. Rowan (who succeeded myself). I never knew a truer teacher than Rowan. The same is true of Otto T. Harper. Then a noble woman and I pause to pay her just tribute for her work among the girls in home economics. I refer to Miss Estelle Bazemore, who is today a national character in her field. These three worked with Professor Hendricks and with me during my stay from 1909 to 1914. Growth came before the state ever provided enough cash to support a school of any size. I was called to the presidency unexpectedly following the resignation of Professor Hendricks. By 1910 students came in such numbers that it taxed our capacity, faculty, and funds. We had to enlarge without due financial pro- vision. Noblv my faculty toiled with me. The size and character of the student body was a joy to me in my increasing labors. I thank God today for my boys

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came running with all his might to the principal to inform him that a general fight was going on in the boys ' dormitory where two professors, both single men, re- sided. The principal went with all possible haste and grabbed a three-foot piece of quarter round from a pile of debris as he ran. Sure enough the fight was on. The principal yelled in stentorian tones and brandished his stick. Whereupon every boy dashed for his room. The fight had been in progress in the hall. The two professors were stationed as sentinels while the principal went from room to room to investigate. When he left the boys ' dormitory for his own quarters, he carried a hatful of all kinds of pistols, most of which were finally thrown in the creek. A great effort was made by the faculty to teach the students good manners, good general deportment, and especially to guard against the use of profanity. The principal had delivered a lecture at the chapel along this line. A few days later he was walking in the corn field where four of the boys were plowing side by side engaged in animated conversation. The principal listened unobserved and heard the following from one of the boys, about grown: You boys remember about the professor giving us such a lecture about cussing. Well, I ' m going to quit. I don ' t expect to cuss another d — n bit. But with all this, there was a large element of serious boys and girls who came to the school. The fact that labor was paid for would enable some to pay all ex- penses and all of them to pay part of their expenses. Among many fine students that came to us from Screven county, one came desiring to work his way. As he left home, he promised himself never to milk another cow, a labor he had grown tired of at home. He introduced himself to the principal and stated that he wanted to work his way, as he had no money. The principal said, We are very fortunate just now to have a job that will pay all expenses. What is it? said the young man with beaming face. Milking the cows, said the principal. He took the job and did it well. He showed the stuff he was made of, and has made a success in his chosen w rk. The school grew but not rapidlv. The faculty bad more care as to the char- acter of the students, and a fine spirit of loyalty grew up among them. Some of the girls who first came to the school brought their dolls, and played with them, too. But they were as fine as could be found and have gone out to bless the world in many lines. During the first few years of the school, all of the work on the farm, in the shop, in the kitchen and dining room was done by the students under competent supervision. The school had only a small annual allowance from the State, but was able to live within its income because of strict economy, hard work in all de- partments, and supplies coming in from the farm. Money crops were also pro- duced and sold. Thus the school had its beginning in a time of great financial de- pression then called a panic. But when prosperity came, as it did come, and after the first principal had resigned, it was harder than ever to carry on the school as formerly. The students not only did not want to work, but they saw no great necessity for it. their parents did not want them to work, and soon the school began to enter upon great and serious changes. In closing, let me say that the first faculty had many hard problems to face and many serious difficulties to overcome, but they stood loyally together, and laid the foundations upon which others have been able to build more nobly. This same faculty had many great joys in watching students grow into serious minded men and women who have been an ornament to society and a credit to the school. Yours very truly, J. Walter Hendricks, First Principal, First District A. M. School. Statesboro, Georgia.

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and girls now useful citizens of several states. Some of the most useful men and women in Georgia today are graduates of our school during those years. T could ni it close this record without giving due recognition to the men who made my administration and the school possible. No school ever had a nobler or more unselfish Board of Trustees than ours. As president of the board, Hon. J. Randolph Anderson of Savannah never failed the school. Eve was truly the school ' s best friend. His board members were, lion. S. L. Moore of Statesboro, Dr. W. F. Peacock of Vidalia, Hon. J. R. Miller of Statesboro, Hon. Ben Alex- ander of Reidsville, Hon. J. 11. Evans of Sylvania, and Hon. A. W. Palmer of Millen. I can newer forget these men. they made possible the education of hun- dreds of farmer boys and girls in that good school. In addition to thorough training and valuable discipline our school by real ex- periment work in scientific farming did splendid work. )ur boys on the farms actually learned -oils and plant life and plant food. They actually bred corn, cotton, and other crops and saw proof of its value. It revolutionized farming in Georgia- I mean those district Agricultural and Mechanical Schools and the State College at Athens. They produced results needed at that period of Georgia history. I could write pages, but space prohibits. May heaven smile upon the school in its new and large field of work. E. C. J. Dickens, Lake City, Florida.