Iowa State University - Bomb Yearbook (Ames, IA)

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tors, no fellows and no successor. Few men of genius are well poised or satisfactory as a whole. Their admirers are forever compelled to apologize for the short-comings which all but obscure their unusual gifts. ln Beard- shear the subtle brilliancies of genius were reinforced by standard qualities and common sense 5 therefore he sustained himself always. He was daring in conception and in execution, but he did not attempt the impossible nor in- dulge the outlandish. l-le was broad-gauged-magnanimous in everything. He could not be small and he could not be mean. He used men after his own honor and dignity. He was forever seeking after truth, and if he found agrain ofit in the midst of error, he greeted it with enthusiasm regardless of the company it kept. Beardshear was a keen judge of character. He discerned the Vanities, the weaknesses and the follies of men, but avoided cynicism. He had charity for everything but hypocrisy. He was a leader-not so much by force visibly made manifest, as through the possession of power intuitively recognized by those with whom he came in contact. The leadership of such a man robs no follower of his sense of independence. It is only when weakness occupies the seats of power that obedience becomes degradation, even though the unreasonable be not required. Love and awe were joined in the regard the student body had for him. They knew he had charity for common faults-but no tolerance for the intolerable. ln the world he mingled with men freely and sympathetically-loving and being loved-yet dwelt apart. ln his deeper life he was most lonely. He sailed great voyages over the ocean of thought, in regions where sails are seldom sighted: but if, perchance, one came his way that understood his signal code, he hailed it as comrade evermore. Doctor Beardshear was an orator. ln the exercise of this gift he was much influenced by his moods. Sometimes he spoke as to himself, in lan- guage weird, with illustrations and quotations gleaned from fields whose grain and fruit would grow untouched forever, if left to wait for the ordinary har- vester. But more often he spoke in simple phrase, with homely illustration, and always with such earnestness that he captivated and convinced men-not against their wills, but because they were made to see the truth as he saw it. Great in stature, great in intellect, great in heart- and as the greatest only are in his simplicity sublime, was this man. He grew up out of doors and heremained a lover and an interpreter of nature until the day of his death. In every mood he went forth under the open sky to list to nature's teachings. He knew the t' various language, the voice of gladness, the smile, the eloquence of beauty and all the mild and gentle sympathy which steals away our sadness t' ere we are aware. And he walked with God. That is a phrase one dare not use except it fit the man. Whoever uses it recklessly invites contempt or pity both for his subject and himself. His nearness to his Maker was apparent whenever his voice was lifted in prayer. Lost almost utterly to self and situation, he entered into companionship with the Infinite-walked with God and talked with him, as it seemed, face to face. He had piety without show of it- reverence without pretence-trust like unto that of a little child.

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hard-working, with the all-saving commonfsensesn well-nigh universal' with the pioneersg the mother deeply religious, possessing far-reaching spiritual insight, and a faith that was sublime. By stream and wood the boy grew up in love with flower and field and tree, the children of the deep blue sky and all that nature held and taught. Struggles he had-not with poverty, for he belonged to that class so aptly described by John Hay, who know no hunger they are not sure of satis- fying, no luxury which can enervate mind or body -but struggles with himself. For a time he was conscious only of power. I-lis physical powers first attracted attention: for he was larger and stronger at fourteen than most men are at twenty-one, and he entered the army at the former age, by reason of his stature, and in spite of his years. But strong as was the body, the mentality of the youth overmatched it. The hour came when he went over the road to Damascus-saw the light, heard the voice out of Heaven, and made the same humble answer whichihas marked the starting point of every man to whom God has given a mighty work: 't What wilt thou have me to do ? Hope found a lodgment in his breast, Hope that he might be strong To do his noblest and his best ln undermining wrong. I-le went to college-from college to the ministry, and thence to the presidency of a college thoroughly in keeping with its name- Western, Who shall tell the story of these educational pioneers ? It is a story of hardship and sacrifice, unknown to and unappreciated bythe public at large, and oftentimes even by those who are the direct beneficiaries of this unself- ish, ill-paid labor. Eight years of his best effort Doctor Beardshear gave to this struggling collegeg and it was not in vain. Such light as illuminated his soul needed not to be set upon a hill in order to be seen and to give light. By the force of his personality this college became known in every corner of Iowa and far beyond. The largest city of the commonwealth asked for his services, and two years later the state claimed him. It is as the builder of the greater college at Ames that Doctor Beard- shear will be chiefly remembered. Others had done much of the pioneer work. His task was to build the superstructure-to build it with an eye to strength, beauty and utility, in the broad spirit of the heroic men who, founding these colleges, planned for a mighty and peaceful future, in the very darkest hour of the civil war, when even some brave hearts thought the national life lost upon the field of battle. The might and grandeur of the opportunity possessed him. For the very work's sake he lived and moved and had his being. I-le asked for nothing else, hoped for nothing beyond the consummation of his plans for this school. And those plans were never small or mean. Excelsior! You, to whom his work, undone, is bequeathed, will find naught but inspiration for titanic tasks in all that he has left you. Beardshear was an immense personality -original in everything. Most men can be assigned to a class, upon analysisg Beardshear stood alone. lt will be said of him as it has been said of Lincoln, that he nad no ances-

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The Influence of President Beardshear's Life. BUT, when all else is forgotten, there will remain the influence of his life upon men -men who have been helpedg men who have been inspired lf lt -these will remember our friend and cherish his memory. ' Such were the closing words spoken by the head of Iowa's public school system in an address delivered in memory of our lost president. Yet just how great has been the influence of Doctor Beardshear's life can never be told. It is not with him as with a soldier or a statesman, whose oflicial acts create his influence, and whose Appomattox surrender or Emancipation Proclamation is a great public event, whose effects are visible to all the world. On the contrary Doctor Beardshear's life work, both as a pastor and after as an educator, required him to be continually exerting an influence upon others, not published to the world, an influence peculiarly personal in its nature. In fact the great distinguishing feature of his life influence has been its personal quality. True he guided with wisdom the affairs of great educational institutions, but it was a personal guidance. True he made countless public addresses, but their force came from the personal presence of the man, and from the impact of his intellect and personality. Because of the personal nature-of the influence of Doctor Beardshear's life We should not therefore belittle its importance. The soldier and statesman may aid a nation in ful- filling its destiny, but they cannot build a nation. Alexander nor Charlemagne nor Peter the Great could build an American Republic out of the peoples of ancient Asia or bar- barian Europe. This has been reserved for education, directed by such men as our great president, and the importance of their influence is greatest of all. Nor, because of its personal nature, should we belittle the extent of Doctor Beard- shear's influence. The writer boarded a train recently for an hour's ride. Two teachers strangers, devoted the Whole hour to a discussion of Doctor Beardshear, which showed his great personal influence on them, though they had met him but a few times. Perhaps no other man had so great an influence upon the teachers of Iowa, and through them he influenced the whole population, for in our state everyone attends or is directly interested in the public schools. The writer boarded another train, and a chance seatmate told how Doctor Beardshear at a crisis had revolutionized the life of his son, a student-in the State College. Through the persons, families and friends of the thousands of college students with whom he came into close contact, Doctor Beardshear exerted an influence greater than can be estimated, upon thousands of communities. Statistics show that college men are in general the leaders of the thought, the policies and the affairs of the country. Years hence a deed may be done, vital to the nation's welfare, which shall be due, could its motives be laid bare, to the personal influence exerted by Doctor Beardshear upon some college student. To me it is Doctor Beardshear's crowning glory that both the great success and the great influence of his life were due to his personal qualities. In this he resembled Lincoln, the man of all others of whom he reminds us. We may doubt the extent of Grant's influence had not the Civil War given him his opportunity, but Lincoln's influence would have been great under any conditions of life. As with the martyred president Doctor Beardshear's personal influence was due in the main to the magnanimity of a great soul, and to the depths of personal experience with a strong man's struggles of soul which alone can give completeness of insight, depth of sympathy and infinity of forbearance in dealing with other men. True the other personal qualities which contributed to Doctor Beardshear's' influence were many. I-Iisrugged physical appearance and strength of countenance were such that 15 3