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

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The INDEX - Page 14 55 had what so many lack, the rarer gift of imparting inspiration. In a high degree, Richard Edwards had this gift. One was indeed dull, who could remain a laggard under him. His first appearance at Normal was when he gave an address upon The Heritge of Culture, which is yet remembered by those who heard it, and this from one who had no ancestral heritage of the schools of which to boast. His manly bearing, splendid voice, polished sentences, noble sentiments, distinct elo- cution andearnestness of manner, captivated all. To the last, he was an orator. He found the school at a low ebb. It really was not upon its feet, when, its president and every male student who was capable of bearing arms entered the army. Mr. Perkins Bass, a mem- ber of the Board, had consented to act as temporary president un- til a permanent one could be chosen. Mr. Bass made no pretense of being a teacher or of understanding that kind of work. It can

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Page 13 The INDEX RICH RD EDW RD , LL. D. llr. Edwards is a notabl country for one who makes ities. C example of the possibilities in this tfie best use of his energies and abil- XX'hen he came from XYa of twelve, he could not s and at least one brother, w learned it. The subject of t e pea es to the United States, at the age k English, his father and mother .io lived to past middle age, never his sketch was not so content. He iood, and next to that for a knowl- worked diligently for a livelif. ich he gained a mastery equalled by few of the native-born, then was eager for other useful learning. .Xt his home in .'Xkron, Ghio, his energy, ambition and zeal at- edge of theilanguage, in wh tracted the attention of all, among them, Mr. Samuel S. Greeley, who for many years has been the surveyor of Cook county, Illi- nois. Mr. Greeley was a graduate of Harvard, and was urgent that young Richard should lit himself to enter that college and take the course, this seemed impossible for want of means, but, urged by Mr. Greeley and others, he did go to Massachusetts, to 'obtain an education, taking with him barely money enough to reach his destination. Before entering upon his studies, to lay up a little money, he taught school for awhile, and was accus- tomed to say, in after life, he proved he was incompetent, and that work a failure. He soon entered the Xormal School at Bridgewater, under the presidency of Nicholas Tillinghast, a re- markable man. That school was also the 41111141 IIICIIIFI' of Ed- win C. Hewitt and of Thomas Metcalf, each of whom for many years did eminent service in the Illinois Normal. Dr. Edwards always held Mr. Tillinghast in high esteem, and named a son after him. After leaving Bridgewater, young Edwards graduated at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, N. Y., and then entered upon teaching, he rapidly rose in his profession and soon be- came the head of the schools at IValtham, thence he was called, in 1857, to St. Louis, and, in 1862, to the p-residency of the Illi- nois Normal School. President Hill, of Harvard, said Massa- chusetts never sustained a greater loss in its educational field than when St. Louis gained him from her. As a teacher, he was not only well grounded in what he taught, but had a magnetism and personality that created and maintained enthusiasm in his pupils. The man was behind the teacher. This quality is of the first importance. Probably Thomas Arnold, Horace Mann, Mary Lyon and others of the highest eminence did not understand their subject, or even the routine work in the class-room, better than many others, but they

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l page 15 The INDEX justly he claimed that Mr. lidwards gave the school a second birth, at least that he started it upon its present basis, and first introduced the science of pedagogy. He found times hard, a heavy debt, the main concern the war, the students few. He re- mained at its head for thirteen and one-half years, and then retired to the regret of all who knew him. XVhen he commenced, very many thought it an unwise use of public funds further to support it, when he laid down the burden, that contention had passed away. The school had become known by its successes. It is quite possible one of medicocre attainments or of small ac- complishments might have wrecked the institution. From the start, the student body steadily and rapidly grew, both in num- bers and scholarship, it scattered among the schools in the state, raising them to a righer plane, and the school itself. under him, gained a reputation second to none in the United States. lVho can estimate the good this man- has done? I should be glad to go somewhat into details, and state incidents that would be of interest, but want of space forbids. His active, versatile mind, his unwearied industry surmounted every obstacle, and was al- ways seeking for something better. He was unwearied in learn- ing and growing as long as he lived. After leaving Normal he filled Owen Lovejoy's pulpit at Princeton, he accepted that position because he felt called to preach, then served for a time as the agent for Knox College, was for four years State Superintendent of Public Instruction, then was president of Blackburn University for two years, and then spent his remaining fifteen years in honored and scholarly retirement, but not in idleness. He was constantly busy in doing all the good possible. If a small church called upon him for a Sunday service, he willingly accepted, he did not deny his pres- ence with the sick or the dead, he gave frequent addresses. Everyone who has gained any considerable degree of success in life attributes it to the shaping influence of a few men or women, often to a very few teachers. Hundreds give this credit to Dr. Edwards. They reverenced him, and he was glad to meet them. Two or three years before his death, he spent a winter in California, and there met 350 of his former pupils, whose names he wrote in a book he carried with him. He made careful in- quiries about each, and said afterwards the chief joy of his life was, that as far as he knew, of all the boys and girls under him, during his many years in the school-room, but one had turned out other than a reputable and useful citizen, and many had won high distinction. He imparted instruction not only, but charater, his blameless and creative example will bless the years to come. CHARLES L. CAPEN.