Penn State University - La Vie Yearbook (University Park, PA)

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During this term of service, Prof. Sparks gradually turned hack to his favorite specialty the study and teaching of history, 111111 for several years, added to the duties of his own Depa1't111e1111,tl1e care of the Lollege classes in 11111111115 historical subjects. hvei'y half 1101111 that could he gained from ioutine occupations, was devoted to the favorite study. 1111'0fess01 Sparks was, then as now, 1111 enthusiastic 111111 inspiring teacher. The successful teacher must not only be acquainted with the facts and versed in the prin- ciples of his subject, but must also be 11 master of their presentation. Emer- son 1111s said, hlf you would learn to write itis 111 the street you must learn it. .Professm'5par11's 111111, 111 the st1LLt school of the 11e1 vs 1'Lpo1te1, aheaLly le11111ed to use language so that 1111 could 11111le1 st 11111 it,gai11e1l aptness in the discussion of a broad valiety of subjects, 111111 learned to illuminate his- toric cha' acters and conditions by the use of appropriate a11ec110te.No 1111- 11111101t1111t part of his errt at this time was spent in more completely 111115- tering the art of expression, and few days passed 111 which some hour was not devoted to exercises in composition for the sole purpose of securing- a1l11e11 ease, 111ei11ity,111111 versatility of style. 111 1891, l rofessor 811111113 received from his 11111111 11111111' the degree of Master of Arts. 111 the summer of: 1893, he attended a g1111l1111te Lou1se in history giVeu at Harvard University, under the direction of its professor of history, Doctor Albert Bushnell Hart. A portion of the 11111111111111: Col- lege year was spent in studies at the Chicago Exposition; 111111 subsequent H1'11c11ti011 periods were likewise devoted largely to further historical studies in the libraries of W'ashington,B11lti111ore and l ostou. 'Ilhe te1Ll1er differs from the student in this also, that the latter may be content with the mere gainiurr of knowledge while the former is irresistibly impelled to impart to others 5, as clearly as he can, the knowledge he has ac- quired. We have already intimated that l 1'ofessorSpa1'ks was by 11111111e a tea Lher. At the period of 11111111 we are speaking, the impulses of the teacher were shown by him not only in his routine class-room work, hut in many other ways. In 1893, he published his first historical volume, Wliopieal Reference Lists in American History , a valuable 11111 to college teachers using the re- search method of instruction. The same year, he connected himself with the A111e1'ie1111 Society for University Extension, 111111, in this relation, delivered at Altoona, hrmiuga 11am, 111111 Holidayshurg series of lectures upon subjects in Ameri '1111 history. These lectures were appreciatively received. Their success, and the excel- lence of 1'e1'11i11 articles contributed to the University Extension Magazine brought Professor Sparks to the faVO' able notiLe of President IIar',pe1 who tendered him 11 position 111 the University l'xtension Division, organized in 1893 in the Univeisitv of Chicago He 11eLepte11 to the sincere regret of his State College associates. Six months later, he was appointed to a position 111 the Department of History of the University, though his connection with the University 111x- t'enson work continued.

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interesting treatise, The North Americans of Antiquity, 111111 111111, 011 ae- cnunt of his wide study of A111ei'ie1111 colonial history, been selected 11y the aged historian Bancroft to revise the second volume of the 111st e11iti1111 of Bancroft's History. 11 was Professor Short's i11t111e11ee 111111 turned the mind of Mr. Sparks to the teaching of history as his life work, 111111 the 111111'11'e1'1 11e11ieve111e11ts 111 the former 111111 his severe 51111111111115 01 exce11e11ee,11111t caused 11412511111115 to esteem, us 11 mark of especial e0111111e111111tio11, the C1111 to the position of assist- 11111 111 the 11611111'1111e11t 11f history.111 addition to his work as 11 teacher 11111'- 1111r his Junior 111111 Senior yeais, he acted 11s 11111111111e1isis 111 1 1'11fess111' Short while the latter was engaged 111 writing his History of Ohi11' . M 1'. Sparks was invited to e1111111111e, after his graduation, his connection with the 11e11111'1111e11t of history in the U11ive1'sity,11ut he chose 111111111e1' held of w01'k.111 1885,11e accepted the position 115 instructor in 111st111 y 111111 11mg- lish 1111-1'11t111'e11 the II'igh School of P1111511111111h, 011i0,11 thi'ixi11g manufac- turing city. A year 111111 11 half 111'1te , he W115 e1ec1e11 111 the 111'111L'il1111ship of the seh1'101, where he remained until 1888. 111 the latter 3'e111', Principal 811111115 was called 111 the superintendeney 111 the public seh11111s 111i Martin's l'iei'l'y, 11111 11the1'0hi11 eity 111 11111111111131 111111111'111111e i11 111111111111e'.1111e '111e1e, in 1890,23 S1111e1'int111111e11t Spmks 111111'1'ie11 Miss Katherine, 11111111111 te1' 111 the late D. 13. 1211111111, M. 11., 11 well known 111111 highly esteemed 111131- Siei1111 11f 11111'151111111111. Dr. 111111 11115. Sparks have one child, Miss 112111111. VII'sSl1111'11's,1v110se e11111'111i1111' 1111s11i1111ity 1111s won her the 1111111131 1'eg111'11 111 the st111le11ts,te11ehe1's 111111 11ie1111s 111 the 11111ege is,1i11'e 11e1'1111s11111111, 11esee111111111 1111 1111111 11111'e111111 111111 1111111111'11 11 1i11es,f1'11111 11111 .1111111'i11111 f11111iliseii I11 escape 11 111111 11ef111'e A'1e1111ish1111 11111111 1111 11 charge 111 111111-111111111'111113,111 11131, the 11e11'1'e1111 1111111 111111111 the f11111111e1i11.',X111L11'1111 111 he1' 111the1' s 111111i13, 111111 111 New Ia11g1111111. lhis distinguished 1111'it1111 11ivi11e, it 11111 be recalled 113' students 111 1'1111111i111 hist111'3', led in the controversies with Roger 11'111i11111s, e11111e 111 he e1111e11 the u111111'1111'1'11 111 New 11311141111111,U 111111 was the 111:11'1111111'1e111q'e11 authority in 111111 1'1111111v 1111 1111 matters 111' e1'111liti1111. A 1101' his death, his 1111111w 111111'1'i1111 the 11eve1'e1111 11i111111'11 1V1'1the, 111111111111 111111- CUIIIOl'lllist retugee, 111111 1111111 th111 1111i1111 s111 1111,e1 the 11e1 e1111111 ,11i11'e11se Mather, 11.11.. L'1e1'gy1111111, the Calvinist president 111 11111'1'111'11 1'11ix'e1'sit3', 111111 the 1'1111111i111 111313111 wh11, 111'te1' the Restoration, 11111111111111 1111' the h'111ss11ehusetts 171111111y its second L'hz11'te1', 111111 his son, 11111'1111' L'11tt1'111 Mather, the tighter 0f 11'111'111'1'1111: 111111 the defender 111' 1'11111111111 rights. .111 1890, Superintendent Sparks 111'1'1111se 111' his s11LL'ess1111 record 111 the public school service, was c1111e11 111 the 111'i111i11111s11ip 01 the 1 1'011111'111111'y De1 11111111111111 111 this C1111e1111.111s 1111111111is11'1'1ti1111 w: 1s 11111111011 11y hinh i11e111s 111 scholarship,11'i11111y 11111 111111 111sei111i11e, 111111 excellence of executhe 111111111g'e- 1110111 111s 1111111e111e 1111s 11e11111111y exerted in 1111 phases 111 11111e1re life. and he was 111'11111i111111t 11s 11 1'1V111'ite judge 111 student: athletic contests, 11s the 01'- g'1111ize1' 1'11 11 Nourishing press 1'11111 which 111111'iei1t1y 11isse111i1111te11 over the State news of interest concerning the C111111g'e. 111111 115 11 1311111111 force 111 the s0ci111 1ife 111' the 1'01111111111ity.

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'l'hc 1101'11111 11'11111 1895 111 1908 was 5110111 111 that 13011111'11110111, through 1110 1'111'i0115 111111105 01 whiLh 1101055111 811111115 1'1111i111y 1050.111 191111, 1110 11111101'5111'1'111110 11011 11111111 11i111 1110 11011100 111 1111'0101 111 1'11i111s011hy; 111111, .5'11111'11y 111110111101. 110 w '15 1111111101011 t0 ,1110 11111 111'11105501'1111 rank 11ith 1110 ti110 111 HI 1111055111111 1111101101111 1115t01 During 111050 1101115, 1110 L 11i101'.5'ity 01 071110110111 wa5 1110 1111111001 111 many 01111L'ati1111al 11100111100115. D00t111' 11111'1101', 11'011 11110w11 whil0 at Yalc 11111111011 hi5 1'0111111'11'11111y 511000551111 111'0'1111izati1'111 01 :1 50110111 111 1'111'1'05111111110111'0 in 1110 0101410111 51111101'15,L'111110 111 LhiL': 11111 11i1h hi5 011111102111110:1111'1111y 111110 .5111 10111011 1111 11011110101410: 11 11'1111i1i0115,111111 111111111 111 111111 Litv 01 111100. 011101'1'11i5'1'.5:1 0011- g011ial 00111111111111y 111 which 111 11111 111t0 111'1101i00 1110 1101'01 0111101111011111 1110115 his 1011110 11111111 111111 0111100111011, 111 1110 01111 that 1110 Ui1i1'01'5ity 511011111 1101 only 110 11 0011101' 01 1111i1'01'5111 101111111114: 11111 110 511 01'0'1111iz011 111111 i151'0511111'00s 511011111 110 111051 :11'11i1111110 10 1111 111111 0111011 111 5001110 1110i1' 1101101115. 11 i5 110- 1101111 1110 1111111050 111 this. 51101011 10 1105011110 1110 011110111i011al 111011111115 110101011011 111'11011111 11' 11'11'10 111111 1115 115.50L'i'110'. 11 15 511111110111 10 1'0111iz0 that 1110 Uni- 1'01'51ty 0115 11 0011101' 111 111t01150 01111011111111111 a01i1'i1y. was gathering a great 110011111111111i011 111 011110ati011111 11111111110005, 111111 that 111 thi5 0011101' was 111111101011 1111 11111101111111 11110111111 01 1110 w01'111'.5' 11111051 011111'at111'5. 1100101 511111'11'5' 1'01111i011 111 1110 'L'1111'01'5ity i11v0h'011 1101 only 1110 0011- 111101 111 01:155-1'00111 0x01'0i505, 11111, 115 w0 havc 0111'1i01' 11111011, 1110 work 111 the division 01 U11iv01'5i1y 1Cx10115i1111 101'111011 1111 i1111101'tal1t .5'00ti1111 111 hi5 work. 1101' y0:11'5 110 5110111 t110 1111151 111 1110 wi11101' in 1110 110111 5111110 501150115 1101iv01'- ing 115 111111111 11511110 11.1111111'011 111111 50v0111y-11'10 100'111105 111 1111 1111115 01 1110 U 11i1011 States, 11111110 1115 511111111015 11010 11'111101y 1101101011 111 5i111ila1'1111111 i11 Lhautau- 1111a 11550111111i05.111 thi5 w111'11', hi5 111115101'y 01 his 51111j00,t 1011'011101' with his 11i51i11111115h011 1110501100, 111011511101 1111111055 110111111 111111110 111111 1110i11 style, won 101 him 1'1101'0a5i1111' 11011111111'ity. X1051 1111'11 w011111 11:11'0 10111111 111050 11111015 511111110111 10 0x11111151 1111 their ti1110 111111 .5'11'01111'111,11111110011117 Sparks 0111'11' 1115011111110 115 a 5011-511111101'ti11g' 5111110111 11:11! 111151111 hi111 w011 1110 10551111 111 01111110yi1111', with 1110 111axi11111111 0111111111111, 110111 111i1111tL'5' 111111 0110111105. 111115 110 11115 111110 111 110001111111511 111511 1111111y11thL'1'1115115.1115 111151' 11011 1111111111011 at 11115 110111111 1111111010115 hi5't01'i0: 11 1011151111899, :111110111'011 '1'1110 1'x1111115i1111 01 1110 111101101111 10111110' 1501111 1111051111111 1V 10.,111i1'111101111 in 1900 1110 Men 1Vh1'1 11111110 1110 Nation 1 1110 111:11'1111111111 L1111111:111V,1N011'Y01'k1; i11 11111.1,111111111tivL 111111101115 in .'M1101'i11'111.'Di1110111:11v 11h 1111111111111 11'055' 11010111111 0111111; in 1904. H'l'hc 11111011 811 1115 111 A111L'1'i0',1 1110 1011111105 1111111111115, N011 Y01'11'1; in 1006. u1110.1 1111111110 01 117111111111 1111111511111'11111110115 1110111015. 11011011111111; 111111 in 1007 1 1110 National 111-10111111110111 1'1'0111 1877111 1885 . 1111'111i11f1' 1701111110. XXIII 01 1' 1111' .Xn101'i1'1111 11i51111'1': .1 N: 1111111 011i1011 11v 111.1111'1'111111 111111- 11511011 by 11111'1'110 LY 111M1111101$2111111 111111'1i5h 90111011101115 in 111i110i5 111111- 5011111 110011 91010. 1101111011 E1111. 1 111.5 11'01'1' in 1110 0111551110111 11111111 1110 10011110 11111101111111111 at 1110 1111- 11101 5' 110511, 11005 1101 110wcvci' 1011105001 1110 '11111 500110 111 D11c'1m sz'ukq :11'1ixiti05 111 1110 111111015111711111101'1a11t' 01: 00111i1'0 11111105 111511 1101 011011 1111011