Gorham State College - Hillcrest / Green and White Yearbook (Gorham, ME)

Page 13 text:

KX mx-- ly' .-.,,.. Q .QM x i i N , I,-X . I N- N x . .X QW e I 1 vr F if 1 ' 'I 'I ' . A, L .. ' ,' mghw-U ggi? t f K' 5 'i V ' 'n if 'v'JL9'Hf4- L+., I Y X ,--2, .. , L -N Hon. WILLIAM WALLACE STETSCN William Wallace Stetson, born at Greene, Maine, 1849, passed his early life on the home farm where he attended the district school. He continued his educa- tion at Monmouth Academy, Edward Little Institute and Monmouth College, Illinois. At the age of fifteen he began teaching in the district schools of Maine. In 1868 he went to Illinois where he taught in district, normal and high schools. He returned to Maine in 1884 and in 1885 was elected to the position of superin- tendent of the Auburn Schools. He had an enviable reputation for executive ability, a broad grasp of what should be taught and great fertility in devising methods of instruction. He was noted not only for being abreast of the times on educational subjects but as an explorer in new fields. Though his school work made up a busy and useful life, upon taking up his residence in Auburn he allied himself with every effort to increase the prosperity and advancement of the city. Possessed of intense patriotism himself, he aroused that feeling in his pupils. The flag waving over the Webster School was the first flag to float over a school building in New England. His influence over the pupils was far-reaching. They felt there was someone back of the teachers who cared very much what they did, how they progressed and what sort of young citizenship they stood for. ' Mr. Stetson was a writer and a public speaker. He grasped a subject with ease and expressed his ideas with clearness. His words of inspiration to his teach- ing force will never be forgotten but will dwell with them as an uplift to do better work. In 1895 Mr. Stetson left Auburn to become State Superintendent of Schools, a wider field in which his interest and ability were far-reaching and made for the upbuilding of finer and better conditions educationally throughout the State. L-S . -:5 fr ..-U r- 1- -L -' v. - l ' If'- ' , ' Aff' f.e,, 'F e ' e ' mmf' . If L' F 1 ' ' l 'Y -.351-gf ,' . g'rw .f, . .YY f Page nine ima--A-'1'1:3'L w-'V-fs--H- ' '1-.:J

Page 12 text:

'W 2 ffl 'Leif GREEN a.,..1iWHlITiz The following skctrh of Hon. Nathan A. Lure was wriltr by two pupils of Gorham Normal School, lllisscs Joseph-inte and Charlena Rollins, '25, HON N A LUCE MAINE EDUcA'roR One of Maine's State Superintendents of Schools long to be remembered is Nathan A. Luce, born in Newbury, in 1835. His life story will interest the students of Gorham Normal School as he was a close friend of Mr. William I. Corthell, its first principal, and was present at the opening of the school in 1879. When yet a young boy he attended Colby College, then known as Waterville College' It was the custom to have the long vacation in the winter so that the students might earn money by teaching. Mr. Luce found it work to his liking and what was better still his pupils liked him. They were incited to study under his guidance when often they had taken no previous interest. just before the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 he married Miss Margaret Hunter. As he was 'not considered strong enough for service as a soldier he did war work in the provost-marshal's office in Belfast, Maine. ' After finishing his work there he took up teaching again as Principal of Freedom Academy, and by his zeal and enthusiasm made himself known asf one of the best principals in the state. f This recognition led to his being made supervisor of schools for Waldo County. He was called from that work to Augusta as assistant state superin- tendent of schools. Then he made his permanent home in Vassalboro that he might be near the seat of his work. While acting as assistant he conducted Teachers' Institutes in various counties, a work that did much to stimulate teachers and school officers to try for better things in the Maine schools. He remained assistant superintendent for five years, then became state superintendent which position he held for fifteen years. It was owing to his efforts that the Normal School at Fort Kent was established. Mr. Luce worked for years for the abolishment of the district system and finally succeeded in winning public opinion to his side so that it was legislated out of existence. When he retired from the superintendency his friends thought he was going to give his time to gardening, reading and writing-that is give up public work. But as state superintendent he became interested in the educational problem f the unorganized townships of Maine. So for several years he had those und - 'li'- f-e-1','i E if lg ll P care, visiting them and selecting the text books to be used.. By his advice ndX f .15 counsel he not only helped the girls and boys of those sections, but directed pglwgx A , slit. VM Jill' ...X rf parents as to the wisest course to pursue. W Finallv the long trips for this work became too hard for him and he ga e-a V I -,-- 3' fy his time to the work of state examiner, making out the examinations, corr 16,3 , v' X them as they came in, besides keeping the records of the examinations and promotion of those taking them. This was the work that he did to the very ast. For a period of over fifty years he was actively connected with educational work in the state. It was in the spring of 1923 that he went silently to his, haven of rest. Not only Vassalboro mourned the loss of such a dear and valuable man but everyone throughout the state. We must not forget that although Mr. Luce was a very busy man he had time to appreciate his love for the woods, fields and flowers. Many times with his family he took long trips into the woods and over fields coming back laden with wild liowers. His liower gardens were a joy and delight to everyone. Mr. Luce was a man whom the people of Vassalboro were very proud of and when his work here was completed and he answered the call from above, every individual from the youngest to the oldest mourned for him. . N ' page eight -mg. 'iimk -t.. 2 -4. 1' ' . ess-

Page 14 text:

DR. PAYSON SMITH llr. Payson Smith. C'ommissioner of liducation ot Nlassachusetts, is very glad to he counted among the loyal friends of tiorham. llr. Smith, a native of Blaine, was horn in Portland in 18713 and secured his early education in the puhlic schools of l'ortl:md, later attending Xlestlmrook Seminary and Tnlts College. llis educa- tional work was hegun as teacher of lireek at Westhrook Seminary. lle later became principal of the high school in Canton and held superintendencies in the Rinnlorcl-Mexico 'llistrict and in fluhurn. In IWW he was appointed State Superintendent of l'uhlic Schools of Blaine. lt was in this capacity that he was tirst brought into close contact with the tiorham Normal School and hecame an earliest supporter. A fter serving his native state for ten years as State Superintendent of Schools he was appointed to his present position as Qfonnnissioner of liducation for Massachusetts. llr. Smith has served as president of various state and national educational associations including: The lllaine Teachers' .-Xssociation, The .Xmerican lnstitute of lnstruction, The Massachusetts School lXlasters' fluh, and The llepartment of Suimerintendence ol the National liducation .Xssociatioir lle has heen called upon to serve also on educational commissions including the National ftllllllllSSltlIl on lilementary liducation, the Commission on the Length ol Elementary lidncation, and the Survey lloard ot the New York City Schools. llr. Smith has received honorary degrees from Tufts, llates, llowdoin, University of Blaine, and Rhode Island State College. fmyt' len