Michigan State University - Red Cedar Log Yearbook (East Lansing, MI)

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ROBERT C. KEDZIE. rngsaaaaaaaojas ■IMM

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Jonatban Ce IHoyne Snyder, Pb. d.. Elected President of the M. A. C. bv the State Hoard of A;rricuhiire at its meeting in Grand Rapids, February ii. 1896, was born Oct. 29, 1859, ° ' farm in Butler county. Western Pennsylvania. Until nearly nineteen years of age he worked on the farm and attended the country school. After three years spent in the preparatory department of Grove City College and in teaching country schools, he entered the freshman class of Westminster College, graduating in the class of ' 86. During his junior year he won the inter-society contest debate which is considered the highest literary honor attainable at this college. After graduation he was piincipal of a village school for one year, when he was elected superin- tendent of the schools of his native count -. I ' his placed him in direct command of an army of over 300 teachers and 15.000 pupils. His first act of note in this ollice was the introduction into the country schools of a graded course of studv. ' This proved to be of so much luerit that it has been followed bv a majoritv of the counties of his State. The ne. l move was to improve the teaching force, and mainly to accomplish this end. he, with others, established in his native village the Slippery Rock State Normal School. This school has been very successful, and has now an enrollment of over 500 students. Before completing the term of three years for which he had been elected he was called to take charge of the tifth ward school of Allegheny City. This is the largest school, with perhaps one excep- tion, in Pennsvlvania. and one of the very largest in the country. It has over i,o teachers and 1.500 pupils. He has been successful in having added to this school the kindergarten, and an industrial department which includes sewing and cookery for the girls, and the different lines of manual training for the boys. This department is said to be the finest and best equipped industrial department in con- nection with any rrammar school in the United States. He did not cease his studies when he became a graduate but diligently pursued a post-graduate course in psychology and philosophy. On the completion of this course in 1891 the degree of doctor of philosophy was conferred upon him b ' his ti ii d vntlcr. The greater part of his life has been spent on tiie farm and among country people. He has traveled e.xtensivel} ' both in this country and abroad. Dr. Snyder is married and has a boy three years of atre.

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Robert C. K dzie, m. n., m. d., Professor of Chemistry, has given instruction to every class (rraduattd from M. A. C. save two, and sixty-two of his students are now professors of colleges. 1 laving taught ciiem- istrv for over a third of a century, he has been in the lighting ranks of every college war and considers himself •■ the best abused ' man ever connected with the College. Born in Delhi. X. V.. January 2S. 1823. his parents soon came to Michigan and his earlv schooling was in a log hut. and the family library — Scott ' s Commentary, Cook ' s ' oy- ages, Burns ' works. l- ' ox s Book of Martyrs, and Chalmers ' Sermons, with a large map of the United States, and seven newspapers — formed the greater part of it, as must needs be with the ' -struggle for life in the woods ' and a widowed mother with seven children. He graduated from Oherlin College, classical course, in 1S47. and received his A. M. in 1864. Tiie Doctor graduated from the University of Miciiigan with the tirst medical class in 1850, supporting himself by teaching district schools. He then taught in the K.ochester (Mich.) Academv for two years, then studied and practiced medicine for one vear in Kalainaz(H). lie then practiced his profession in ' ermontville for about ten years and acted as a surgeon in the army for a year. He was appointed to his present position in 1863. Dr. Ked .ie has won himself honor in many ways: he -has fought the kerosene war and fertilizer skirmish to a tinisii and is the a cr of the faflners ' institutes and the sanitarv conventions of the Stale Board of Health.