Henry Ford Trade School - Craftsman Yearbook (Dearborn, MI)

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PAGE FOUR THE CRAFTSMAN FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1937 Text of William A. Simonds1 Talk Good Afternoon, Boys. As I was driving over here this afternoon from Greenfield Village, the thought occurred to me that all of us who have gath- ered in this rotianda are here largely because we serve the ideas and carry out the purposes of the same individual. For a brief moment, before we commence our talk, I would like to tell you a story. It is about a lad who en- tered high school in Detroit early in September, and when the principal asked his name, he re- plied: Henry Ford. Is that so? replied the principal. Well, that'8 quite a famous name around these parts. The lad straightened his shoulders quite importantly. That doesn't surprise me, he said. I’ve been delivering papers around this neighborhood for the last three years! As I was driving along, the thought came to me that while many institutions bear the name of Ford , very few bear both his names. We have the Ford car, the Ford Rotunda, the Ford Sun- day Evening Hour, the Ford News, and so on, but except for the Hospital and the Agricultural Institute in England, your Trade School is one of the very few to share the entire name. That fact, it seems to me, should stimulate you to enter wholeheartedly into the spirit of the school, as I am sur9 you do. You could give no better return to the man who founded the School, to the president who has watched over its progress, to the Board of Directors who govern it, and to the faculty who teach it, than to apply your- selves diligently and get every- thing possible out of it. Un- less you yourselves are success- ful in the particular work to which you direct your efforts, the School itself can not be successful. The purpose of our meeting here today is to commemorate the completion of twenty years of uninterrupted service by your superintendent. Later this month your school itself will come of age, I understand, when it passes its twenty-first birth- day; indeed, I am quite sure that it is older than most of you who are today enrolled among its students. It is impossible for us to consider the teacher without considering the school at the same time, for the two are inseparately linked together; and we might go farther and say that we cannot consider the teacher and the school without first considering the students. When the school was first organized back in 1916, the pur- pose was to make it different from the usual one, which was a cross between a technical col- lege and a school. In the old time trade school, boys could get a smattering of knowledge but did not learn how to use that knowledge. Mr. Ford's ob- ject was to teach boys to be pro- ductive, a thing that has been sadly neglected by so many of our schools of that day and since. Many boys need support; they must work at the first thing which comes to hand; they have no chance to pick and choose. Compelled to enter life untrained, they are unqualified to fill a post in modem indus- try. Three cardinal principles were laid down to guide the Henry Ford Trade School: first, the boy was to be kept a boy and not changed into a premature working man; second, academic instruction was to go hand in hand with industrial instruction; third, the student was to be given a sense of pride and re- sponsibility in hi 8 work, by working on objects of recognized Industrial worth. The school began with six boys. I will not attempt to in- clude a history of its progress or of the details which you know much better than myself. The fact that the man who was chosen to carry out these principles has remained at its head for twenty years is sufficient evi- dence that they have been car- ried out. And that brings us to a consideration of the man himself. Any man who in the course of his lifetime has had an op- portunity to be of service to hi8 fellows, seeks no thanks for that service. He finds gratifi- cation enough in the performance of it; it is he, if he be sin- cerely interested in his Job, who daily gives thanks that hia lot has been so ordered that it permits him to perform that serv- ice. For most of us, opportuni- ties of that kind come all too seldom. Many who would like to serve are prevented from doing so by the very nature of their tasks. Occasionally we are able to improve the status or by word of advice direct the course of one of our fellows into a more fruitful channel; but for the most part, we are limited. Any words of praise, like those of thank3, are equally un- necessary to one who serves his fellows. Every last one of us enjoys hearing that we have done a Job well, but compliments can- not take the plane of the inward sense of accomplishment that rests within the man himself. If he and his conscience are at peace, if he knows that he did the Job well, neither criticism nor praise can alter that inward feeling. It would be embarrassing to Mr. Searle if we were to recount here any tabulation of his work, or express an opinion of its merit publicly. If you are fa- miliar with the story of the school, you know how it grew from one room In 1916 to twenty- eight rooms in 1928; from 1,000 feet of floor space to 160,000, from 6 pupils to many hundred. These, however, are mere statis- tics that do not satisfy our de- sire to know more of the man himself and what these twenty years have done to him. When I was assigned to the pleasant task of reviewing his work, I took the liberty of go- ing among his instructors and students to seek their Judgment. They did not know I was getting material for this talk, neither did he. One of the things that im- pressed me most in these chats wa3 the common sense viewpoint with which he seems to meet the multiplicity of little problems arising daily. He frequently quotes Elbert Hubbard's eleventh commandment: Don't take your- self too damned seriously. That is perhaps one reason why no teachers' meeting has been held in over a year, while in some schools they are held week-

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1937 THE CRAFTSMAN PAGE THREE Supt. Searle Honored I can only say, now that I have tried it, it is accented with pleasure and heartfelt apprecia- tion of your thoughful act. It will occupy an honorable place in our home.......... In school business the em- phasis is sometimes placed too strongly on instructors and equipment. We instructors do not make the school. The stu- dents make and are the school. One of the chief reasons why this school has had so great success is the fact that here you as students are doing the A complete text of Mr. Simonds' and Mr. Cameron s talks will be found under a separate head. things that you wish to do. De- sire is the only motive that makes possible the greatest meas- ure of success and no man ever did his best work except for the Joy he got from the doing. Will power can drive us for short spurts only, but a consuming desire will carry us to the end of the road. Expressing a belief that he felt Mr. Searle had a helpmate who aided in keeping his outlook on life wholesome throughout these years, Frank Leach called Mrs. Searle to the stage and presented her with a bouquet of flowers. After the program Mrs. E. Y. Peterson, Mrs. J. H. Wolfe, and Mrs. G. A. Yerex, accompanied Mrs. Searle to the stage to con- gratulate Mr. Searle. Morning Services Marks First Anniversary Attended by more than 175 persons, the first anniversary of the Morning Services, held each morning in Henry Ford Trade School auditorium at 7 a. m., was celebrated by a special pro- gram Wednesday, September 29. Speaker on this program was the Rev. Lee Cecil. Vaughan Heard, student, sang a solo. More than a year ago, be- fore starting work in the morn- ing, a few students and their instructor, E. 0. Sanders, sat on tool boxes and studied their (Continued on Page 8) Nielsen Returns After Three Months in Denmark Milk instead of soda water is used as a coolant in same small tool shops of Denmark, related Willy Nielsen, alumnus, who returned recently from a visit to his homeland. Since Denmark is a dairy country and has more than enough milk to supply its population, the sur- plus milk is used as a coolant because of its great efficiency in keeping cutting edges sharp. While in Denmark, Nielsen was given the privilege of using a Ford Junior car by Ford Motor Co. of Denmark for a period of four days. The body of this car is comparatively small; power is furnished by a four-cylinder en- gine. Running at a maximum speed of sixty miles an hour, it uses little or no oil, ex- plained Nielsen, plus the econ- omy of using only one gallon of gasoline to forty miles of trav- el. Sandwiches are Plentiful In restaurants, said Nielsen, the menu consists mostly of sandwiches, sometimes as many as 150 different kinds. One can buy a complete dinner from automatic food machines, such as we use for candy and peanuts. The schools in Denmark are different frcm. the American pub- lic schools, explained Nielsen. The children attend school un- til the age of fourteen, after which they must serve an appren- ticeship. They cannot change their apprenticeship, regardless how hard they try. They are re- quired to learn the English lan- guage, although they may choose between French or German as a side language. Advanced in Diesels In Denmark they are further advanced in Diesel engines them the United States. All fishing boats have Diesel engines. Trains emd trucks are also e- quipped with Diesel power. The number one favorite sport of Denmark is soccer. Long distance swimming is second. In schools every student must learn how to swim. It is re- ported that persons sometimes stay in ocean water as long as 23 hour8. Adams Awarded Five- Year Scholarship Eugene Adams, graduate of the June class of '35, received on September 10 a five - year scholarship offered annually by Lawrence Institute of Technology to the graduate of Henry Ford Trade School whose scholastic record and work since entering this school has been most meri- torious. Although I applied for the scholarship, it came as a sur- prise, Eugene stated, but I will make the most of the opportunity offered me. He will attend mechanical engineering classes three nights a week. Eugene had been think- ing of taking a college course in engineering but could see no way to accomplish this. The scholarship, Eogene said, will make it possible to fulfill my plans. In making the selection, the graduates's records ih class, shop, and Apprentice School were considered. On this basis F. E. Searle, G. A. Yerex, J. H. Wolfe, officials; and E. H. Bailey, instructor, selected Eugene, one of the fourteen applicants. When Eugene informed his mother he had received the award, she was overjoyed at the opportu- nity offered her son. Eugene had been attending engineering classes in Appren- tice School but will discontinue in order that he may devote his time to the classes at Lawrence Institute of Technology. He graduated from the regular Ford Apprentice course last fall. Apprentice School at 5p.m. Classes in Ford Apprentice School are in session from 5 to 6 p.m. for the first time. These classes are held for the benefit of the employees of the suburban plants of Ford Motor Co., and those in the Dearborn plant who wish to attend classes, but do not quit work until 4 to 5 p. m. Apprentice school students attending at earlier hours will not be affected. Adams

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FRIDAY. OCTOBER 8, 1957 THE CRAFTSMAN PAGE FIVE ly. He explains it by saying that he has nothing to bawl out the instructors for. I think the men in this school know pretty well what is right, and what is wrong. he said. Why call them together and preach to them? A student who had graduated from the school recently wrote Mr. Searle a letter. In it he mentioned that he had been some- what of a devil while in the school, but one day he learned a lesson. He had thrown three pieces of scrap paper at a waste- basket and purposely missed the basket to irritate his instruc- tor. The pieces were still on the floor when Mr. Searle walked into the classrocm. He stooped, picked them up, and placed them in the wastebasket, but said nothing. The student added that this had made a lasting impres- sion on his mind. Another said that one of the things he has been impressed with in the school has been the sight of Mr. Searle in the school cafeteria, carrying his dishes from the table like any school boy. Another graduate, now in an office, had studied in th9 tool making course. How did that help you in office work? I ask9d him. It taught me to think, he answered. The instructors tell me that when a boy leaves the school, Mr. Searle calls him in- to the office alone, and there wishes him well. Such contacts, rare as they sometimes must be, are sufficient to inspire the young men with ideas of what one man may do for another. He is never too busy to re- ceive an idea from a student. If the boy is sincere and the idea worthwhile, he likes to hear about it. He may say No at first, but if the student has determination, (which he is try- ing to discover,) and has rea- soned out his problem, Mr. Searle will say: Let's try it out and see if it works. He will be the first to tell you that he has had to grow with the school, to learn about industry, what had to be taught and could be. He himself is one of the school's best students. Before he came to it he had no particular experience in indus- trial education. Today he is an authority; many vocational schools and departments of schools are based on his work or largely influenced by it. Text- books of the school were to a large extent written under his supervision and approved by him; now they are used throughout the world. Mr. Ford'8 idea that a boy can study profitably when he sees what he is doing; when his textbook is experience in prac- tical work, forms the foundation of the school. Carrying out that idea has been the superin- tendent's Job. As a result, we have seen the development of apprentices of industry as a whole rather than the one-time narrow study of one particular trade without a working knowl- edge of the whole. He urges that a boy obtain as broad a knowledge of Industry as possi- ble, specializing later. More than this, he insists that skill without character is worthless. When he received an honor- ary master's degree from his alma mater, Williams College, he declared that the honor was the Trade School's not his. In the final analysis, we should go for our Judgment of this teacher to his students. In their school paper, The Craftsman, recently appeared such an analysis, prepared by the boys in an attempt to de- scribe their superintendent with- out mentioning his name. Here is what they wrote: He is liked by many. He is neat, courteous, a lover of nature, and a strong upholder of all that is righteous. He is a deep thinker and displays a great amount of tact in bringing out his point. Although the greater part of his time is tak- en up and about the Trade School, he still finds time to pursue his hobbies, among which are gardening, flori-culture, and fruit growing. Tact, diplomacy, and natural humor are features which account for his popular- ity. To this, speaking in a hum- ble way for the organization in which I am privileged to serve, let me say to you, Mr. Searle, that our gathering here today is proof that industry is not too busy, too wrapped in its own concerns, too hard, to pause this afternoon and pay this trib- ute for the manner in which you have carried out your trust. No words of ours, of course, are needed to tell you that you have dons well. We know you would prefer to go along quietly and modestly performing your service without all this furore and hul- labaloo. But since it is the unanimous wish of your students, your faculty, your directors, and all of us who know you, to do this thing, on their behalf I now congratulate you on the twentieth anniversary of your work as superintendent of the Henry Ford Trade School. Good luck, and God bless you. Senior Wins Scholarship at Wayne Isaia Red Petovello, a graduate of the January class of '36, won a four-year music schol- arship at Wayne University, De- troit, September 13, by playing on the alto horn an excerpt from a symphony he had never seen. Out of 700 entrants,.100 were given scholarships. From these, a concert band is to be formed. Isaia'8 musical ambition was aroused when he heard the school band play. Although his father forbade him to take trump- et lessons, Red began taking lessons while in the eight grade at Melvindale High School, under the supervision of Joseph Vandervest. The only way he could practice was at the home of his schoolmate. One year later Red in- vited his father to come to a school concert and hear him play a solo part. This his father did and was delighted by his son'8 showing, but was not for- ward in his Joy because of Red's disobeying him. His father died in 1933. Red is now working for a Bachelor of Arts degree in music at Wayne, attending three nights a week. Now connected with a ten piece dance orchestra, the tri- ple tongueing of Red and his trumpet is very pronounced. His ambition is to become a teacher of music or a leader of an or- chestra. The Better your Vocabulary, the Better you will read.