Illinois State Normal University - Index Yearbook (Normal, IL)

Page 14 text:

QJY i if i. ,s - 1 M ,V -. It Im assi were to education. Therefore it required much effort to keep up the reputation of the school and also to make it worthy of a high reputation. One of the Worthy facts in the history of that institu- tion during those trying days was that members of the faculty, both men and women. worked in the spirit of hearty union. Une of the expedients to which we resorted for enlarging the intluence of the school and for increasing its numbers, was the holding of a summer school during t-he long vacation period. This enterprise was under- taken heartily and without compensation by members of the faculty, and was carried on with great eiliciency. No one was more helpful in this enterprise than was Prof. Ilewett. Une of the results was that owing to the rather impaired state of his health he felt willing to enter upon a change of occupation for a year, and for the year be- ginning in September, 1868, he was granted a leave of absence. But at the end of the year he could not resist his desire to be once more in his old work. The ell'ect of the etl'orts of those years was very manifest. The total attendance of the normal department for the year 1862 was only 152, but for the year ending June, 1871, the at- tendance was 464. There was also a corresponding increase in the attendance in the model school. Dr. Hewett held the position of Professor of History and Geog- raphy in the State Normal University until January, 1876, when he became president of the same institution. This ollice he held until 1890. During these years the institution continued to grow in num- bers and inlluence, and his work as President was acceptable to the Board of Education and to the friends of the school. His standing as an educator was recognized also by other institutions of learning. In the year 1878 the degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon him by Shurtleli' College. He had received the degree of A.lNl. from the old Pniyersity of Uhieago in 1863. He is the author of a num- ber of books, intended for the use of schools, including a work on Pedagogy and Psychology, and a series of Arithmetics. He was at one time president of the State Teachers' Association of Illinois, and has also held oltice in the National Educational Association. For some years previous to his death he was one of the editors of tl1e School and Home Education.77 In August, 1857, Dr. Hewett was joined in marriage with Miss Angeline N. Benton, of Lee County, Illinois. Two children were born of this union, Mrs. li.. H.. Reeder, in the year 1860, and Paul, in the year 1870. Mrs. Reeder is the wife of Prof. K. R. Reeder, 31.X'l'llll.lDA .lox-UNNA 1si1z11ss.x4'1llcn.-'Clnfl.dill.wlfr lifvs. llf- I'll1lllffl'1lllliN IHIIII4' fu '.'Ni. fF1.0YlJ l'iRI.XN. io

Page 13 text:

applied for a school, but always found himself sought for by those who wished good teaching. But he began to feel the need of a fuller preparation for the teacheris work. And so after continuing for two terms in teaching, he resolved to enter the Bridgewater State Normal School. At that time that insitution was in charge of Nicholas Tillinghast, a most worthy man and elclicient teacher. Mr. Hewett entered that school on the 26th of March. 1851. I was at that time an assistant teacher there, and the examination of the candidates for admission was in part assigned to me. It is hardly necessary to say that he passed the examination. His preparation had been thoro. His work in that school was eminently satisfactory to his instructors and to the worthy principal. Mr. Tillinghast was not long in discerning the qualities of the new student. He took careful note of the young manls thoroness, and of his simple desire to blind the truth, so that when Mr. Hewett came to leave the school he went forth with the advantage which an excellent reputation gave him. In fact, the coming together of these two men was the meeting of two puritans. Their ideals were much the same. They both viewed life from the same uncompromising standpoint. On leaving the Normal School the young man was employed as an assistant in the high school at Pittsfield, in Massachusetts. But he remained there only one year. Mr. Tillinghast had kept in mind his excellent qualifications, and when the service of an assistant was needed in the Normal School, the position was offered to the young man from I'ittsfield. Here he labored four years. But the compensation paid at that time to assistants in that school was low. And so at the end of his four years he became principal of a grammar school in the city of Worcester. Hen. Hovey, the lirst principal of the State Normal School of Illinois, was at that time in need of help. In some way the qualifi- cations of Mr. Ilewett became known here and a position was offered him, he entering upon his duties in 1858. .He had the distinction of being connected with this institution for a longer pe1'iod than any other teacher, except Dr. lllctlormick and Dr. .Iohn IV. Cook, of DeKalb. When I was elected principal of the State Normal in 1862, I was pleased to find that my old friend, Mr. Hewett, was one of the instructors. .During my connection with the school I felt that he was contributing very largely to the success of our work. Those were strenuous days for this institution. The people of Illinois were giving much more thought to the subject of the Civil War than they 'il WI' '!7'll1f'!l fIIN l.'fflffof-mf. -Vl2nNoN Bnvisn. Ullfm- Hill' fulfils, .ll4ll'I'llN.7, Hmm M.xR13l's lin.xm.icY. I Eflgfiic a lle 9 .ei ' fu.

Page 15 text:

the present superintenilent of the Orphan Asylum in the city of New York. This institution has been in operation more than a hundred years, and is well fl1l'l1ISllG4.lXVlt'l1 means,an1l excellently managed. Paul diefl in infancy. Mrs. Ilewett, who was a most estiniable wife and loving mother, fleparteil this lil'e November 21, 1895. Un the 31st of August, 1898, Dr. Ilewett was marrieml to Mrs. Helen E. Paisley, of Normal. She has been to him a I'aithI'ul help- nieet. Especially rluring the latter ilays ot' his life has she minis- tered to him with care anfl sympathy. Dr. Ilewett passed away on Friday, March 231, 1905. Among the characteristics of Ur. Ilewett as a teacher may be inentioneml his honest and straiglitierwaril thoroness. llflembers of his classes soon learned that nothing but absolute truth, so far as they were able to master it, would be saitisfactory to him. Une result of this was that the stuilents themselves became truthseekers. This eontributeml largely to the great success which these stiulents have hail as teachers in tlilierent parts ol' the country. Another characteristic was Ilr. Ilewettls geniality of rlisposition. I think as a rule the stuilents were Very strongly ilrawn to him Hf course, this greatlyincreasefl his inlluence over them. Ilis teaching took better hohl on their natures on this account. Still another peculiar- ity was the thoroness with which he himself perl'ormefl his work. He always came to his classes well preparefl. Ile not only umler- stoocl the facts anil principles mlirectly taught, but also pereeiveil many of the relations of these to other facts anwl principles. It ought to be atlcleil that Dr. Ilewett was entloweil with an abunrlam-e of common sense. Ile was not umluly earrieil away with new the- ories and schemes. Yet he was willing to give respectful hearing to every new inlea presented. So that he was not only an enthusias- tic and energetic teacher, but he was also a very sate one. In 2111 important sense, I think I may say that in his cleath a great anil good man has mleparte4l. Ile has mafle a noble contribution to the cause of eclucation in the I'nite4l States. Isle has ilone his share to- ward the perfecting of a worthy civilization in this great republic. Dr. Hewett was a learler among men Not that he was clothetl with outward authority. not so much that he was talkefl about in the newspapers and otherwise. but because oi' the genuine, ellieient work for good which he was able to accomplish. In this respect it seems to me we may say that he was a prince among men. Many thousanrls of young men and young women, who were preparing for the work IKll41fg11'ffjl'!fws omfwivl, fluffmlzfrjovfflu'f1fH1I, +-F,xl:l:.x llihxxmx. t'Nlou', lm! .'slIA't',IiTNUII.X lIl.o,ul2. ll if I I tx , . E?-f IL L- L .J an W LL lk