Iowa State University - Bomb Yearbook (Ames, IA)

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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

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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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men who saw him but once carried away a vivid impression of a strong, virile personality. Association only deepened the impression of strength, which, though a man of strong feelings, he did not weaken by losing self control, even under great provocation. His moral and intellectual strength were equal to his physical, and his integrity was beyond question. He was an optimist, and there is something in human nature which responds instinctively to him whose courage and confidence in the good never fail. He was also a poet, and here again human nature yields instinctive deference to the soul ahre with nature's inspirations. He was a growing man, not bigoted or narrow, whose ideals were constantly developing. He was a well balanced and well rounded man, in whose judgment all could confide. These qualities all added to the strength of his influence, but I am only voicing what many have thought when I say that the great secret of his remarkable powervvith students was the magnanimity of soul and sincerity of sympathy which made him treat all as fellow men and women, whom it would be a great privilege to him to aid toward true manhood and womanhood. Thus his influence was effective not only with the weak, but even more with the strong students of the college. Doctor Beardshear's' death was so sudden and has been so recent that it is still impossible to form a just estimate of the full extent of his influence upon our State Col- lege. It has already been said that he was a man whose ideals were constantly growing and developing, but for four years before his death he had in mind the general features of an ideal for our college, better and grander, it seems to the writer, than any other ideal yet formed for such institutions. This ideal was such a one as would permit the college to grow and work in perfect harmony with the State University and all other state schools, and in the last years of his life he did much to help the University and the Normal School secure the appropriations needed for their growth. Moreover this idea was such as to harmonize all departments of the college into one homogenous but broad and well rounded whole. - This ideal is that our State College is to become a great technical school, which shall train not only the heads and hands, but also the hearts of its students, so that they shall become worthy to be the trusted leaders of our country in the myriad technical interests of modern civilization, and which shall be more intimately in touch with all the agricultural and other industrial and technical interests of the state than has been true of any other educa- tional institution. He saw the Iowa State College as the acknowledged leader and co-worker of all the agricultural, the mining, the manufacturing, the transportation, the engineering and the labor interests of Iowa. Under his Wise guidance the first step in carrying out this ideal was the construction of our new Engineering Hall, a step made with the heartiest co-operation and the most cor- dial support of our Agricultural Department and its friends. The next step, to enable which to be successfully made he literally sacrificed his life,1was to provide similar homes for our Agricultural department and our general departments. In this the Engineering Departments will C0-Operate in every way in their power. Later Domestic Science and Veterinary Medi- cine and athletic training and the general culturetraining necessary for a well rounded tech- nical student must be provided for, and we all will work together in fulfilling his great ideal. Doctor Beardshear's influence is with us yet. Almost can we see that tall and well loved form come forth from his little ofiice near the close of the dayls work, with the overcoat thrown loosely over the broad shoulders. We can see him mingle with the teams practising on the athletic field. We can see him drinking in the inspirations of nature on our beautiful campus. By the virtue of his infiuence his great ideal shall yet be fulfilled. ANSON MARSTON. is