Purdue University - Debris Yearbook (West Lafayette, IN)

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DEATH OF MS H. SMART PRESIDENT OF PURDUE PASSES AWAY AT LAFAYETTE, In Poor Health for Years, but the End Unexpected— At the Head of Purdue Since 1883. [Special txj The Indianapolis News.] liafayette, Ind., February 22.— Presi- dent James H. Smart, of Purdue Unlver- ■Ity, died at 10:30 o ' clock last night. Al- though he had been In poor health for four years, due to his constant work at the university, the announcement of his death was a shock to the community. It was not generally known that his con- dition was serious, and the people of the city were unprepared for the news. At his bedside when the end came were Mrs. Smart and two children, Richard and Mary. President Smart was con- scious to the last. Death was due Lo the gradual wearing out of what was once a strong constitution. When the first signs of his breaking health came four years ago he was un- willing to surrender his work at Pur- due, to which he had given the best years of his life. A year ago, however, he was persuaded to take a vacation, but was not content until back at his desk again, at which time it was thought he was greatly Improved. Loss of strength followed gradually until a month ago, when he was compelled to forego his daily visits to the university, and the end came sooner than had been expected. He filled the measure of the Ideal in his devotion to Purdue ' s inter- ests, and was loved by all who knew him. Arrangements for the funeral have not been made. Professor Smart ' s Career. James Henry Smart, A. M., LL. D., became identified with the educational forces of the State thirty-seven years ago. He .was born at Center Harbor, N. H., June 30, 1841. His father was Dr. William Hutchings Smart, a practicing physician of high refutation. His mother was Nancy Farrington Smart, of Hopkinton, N. H. A spirit of person- al independence posses-sod him in boy- hood, and found expression in a fixed I evolution to be self-sustaining from th age of twelve. At the age of seventeen he Tvas employed as teacher in a New Hampshire public school, on a salary of $15 a month and board. This was the beginning of a professional career which has continuously enlisted all of his ac- tivities and energies. He came West m 1863 and accepted the princlpalshlp of an intermediate school in Toledo. O., which he retained two years. In 1S55 he became superintendent of the city schools of Ft. Wayne, and from that time to the present Indiana has claimed hlrn for her own. He held the superln- tendency of the Ft. Wayne schools for ten years. He early became a member of the State Teachers ' Association, and stood among the leaders in lis proceed- ings. He was elected Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1874, re-elected in ISTii, and again in 1878, holding the office continuously from March 15, 1875, to 1881. This is the only instance in which a third term has been accorded a State oRlcial since the adoption of the consti- tution of Indiana. He came into office directly after the enactment of a statute authorizing county superintendence of public scTiools, and at a time when there was a partisan demand for its repeal, on the plea of expense, and the law was only saved by his persistent efl ' orts. In 1883 he was elected president of Purdue, and has held the position to the present time. Under his administration the university has been wonderfully progressive. Its laboratories and work- shops embrace all that is latest and best, and its courses of study have, been re- vised, according to his ideas, until it has become a polytechnic school, indeed. Dr. Smart has been honored by insti- tutions of high repute. In 1870 Dart- mouth College conferred upon him the degree of A. M. ; in 18S3 the University of Indiana conferred the title of LL. D. He has served as trustee of the State University, and was six years a trustee of the State Normal School. He was a member of the Indiana State Board of Education twenty-seven years. In 1872 he was appointed assistant com- missioner for Indiana to the Vienna Ex- position. In 1878 he was appointed com - missioner to represent the United States in the World ' s Exposition in Paris. In 1881 he served as president of the Na- tional Teachers ' Association. In 1890 he was president of the American Associa- tion of Agricultural Colleges and Experi- ment Stations, and in 1891 he was ap- pointed representative commissioner of the United States to the Agricultural Congress at The Hague. In addition to papers, pamphlets and reports Innumerable, he was the author of the following volumes: n Ideal School System for a State. The Insti- tute Systems of the United States, Commentary on the School Laws of Indiana, and The Schools of Indiana. Continuous application through a period of nearly forty years had given him clear insight into the philosophy of education and large wisdom as to the methods and means for the attainment of certain ends. A resistless, nervous energy, which made constant drafts on a frail, physical or- ganism, was sustained by a will im- perious in its authority. In the accom- plishment of a purpose he was willing to assume any amount of labor and any measure of responsibility. Dr. Smart was married July 21, 1870, to Miss Mary H. Swan, of Albany, N. Y., a daughter of Professor Swan, of Grinnell College, Iowa. Dr. Smart ' s wife and two children, Richard A. and Miss Mary Smart, sur- vive him. The first Is at present pro- fessor of experimental engineering at Purdue, while Miss Mary Smart la in school in the East. GEN. HARBISON ' S WORDS. Speaks of the Character and Influ- ence of Dr. Smart. General Harrison, who is president of the board of trustees for Purdue Univer- sity, said: The death of President Smart Is a p-eat loss to the educational forces of the State, and almost an irreparable los s Purdue University. He had very lov- ble traits of character, and his intellect- inl equipment was of a very high order. e had the genius of common sense and very rare and forceful executive ability, [coupled with great suavity of manner. He was sincere and straightforward, anfl won his ends because his purposes were dlstinterested and his plans supported by convincing reasons. His intercourse with his board of trustees, and with commit- tees of the Legislature was characterized bv these qualities, and he rarely failed to get what he asked for in his work. Ho was not only an educator, but a fine ac- countant and financier. He could make a dollar do as inuch work as any man I ever knew. He once told me that in boyhood he was a clerk in a New Hamp- shire country store— a high school qf economy. He had an excellent knowledge of men and selected his professors with a rare insight. He did not appropriate their work, but gave generous praise to those who had won it. His part was to plan and direct and above all to inspire. For, though of feeble health and with im- paired sight, he worked without a stint and communicated enthusiasm to ail who worked with him. In his aersonal rela- tions he was gentle and considerate— a good friend. He loved God and all of his creatures. Charles E. Wilson ' s Tribute. Charles E. Wilson, who for many years was editor of the Lafayetta Courier, and who is now secretary to Governor Mount, was a close personal friend of President Smart. He said to- Say. I esteem it an honor to be privi- leged to say that Dr. Smart was for •nany years one of my nearest and best ' rlends. Purdue University, with all its aried, splendid and practical ramiflca- ;ions, will remain a monument to his In- iustry, foresight and integrity. His leart and soul were centered in it. For t? upbuilding he labored indefatlgably md unselfishly. He had prominence as in educator, but it wa-s as an executive jfilcer that he was moit efilcient In ierving the institution and the State. ::!omparatively few citizens of Tndi?.na -e.alize the magnificent proportions Pur- ine University has assumed, and still fewer are aware of the heroic self-sacri- fices Dr. Smart made in its behalf. Ho lived to see the institution receive recog- nition as one of the foremost technical schools of the world, and then he died— literally worked to death. In his death Indiana has sustained a great loss— not wholly Irreparable, perhaps, so far as Purdue University Is concerned, but, nev- ertheless, a loss the State will keenly feel. He was a thoroughly honost. thor- oughly conscientious ofllclal— a master of his profession and every inch a man.

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JAMES B. SMART DEAD THE END CAME AT 10:30 WEDNES- DAY KIGHT. , --, OverwovUed for Several Years Past, tKe President of Purdue Yielded Up His Life in the Interests of the Uni- versity—A Sketch of His Life Work. ions Unsurpassed Special to The Indianapolis Sentinel. I LAFAYETTE, Feb. 21.— Dr. James H. Smart, president of Purdue university, died tonight at 10:30 o ' clock at his home in this city. He had been in ill health for several years as a result of overwork in his ambitious zeal to further best interests of Purdue. Until within the last month he has been able to look after his duties at the uni- versity. Since that time he has been confined to the house, although death was not looked for until a few hours before it came. In the gradual breaking down of a strong constitution his intellectual powers re- mained perfect until the last. Purdue owes much of what she is today to the tireless energy of Dr. Smart. riis Life. James Henry Smart, the subject of this sketch, was born at Center Harbor, N. H., Juno SO, 1S41. His father was Dr. William Hutchingg Smart, a practicing physician of great reputation. His mother was isancy | Farrington Smart of Hopklnton, N. H., a member of an old New England family. His earlv education was obtained at home, ana he was prepared for college at the Concord j high school. He was self-sustaining from the ago of twelve. He worked in a store aa clerk and bookkeeper until he was seventeen. He began his professional work in a New Hampshire public school on a salary ot ijlb a month. The first period of five years was passed in his native state as a teacher In various schools and associate editor of the Journal of Education. He came west in 1SC3 and secured the principalship of an Intermediate school in Toledo, O. In 1865 he became superlntend- entof the city schools of Ft. Wayne, Ind. He held this position ten years and gave great satisfaction. He became a member of the State teachers association at an early day, and soon ranked as one of Us leaders. In 1874 he was elected superintend- ent of public instruction. He wns re-elected in 1876, and asaln in 1878. It was the only tance of according a third term to a te official. His ability and splendid rec- J fully justified the exception. He came to office directly after the enactment of a tatute authorizing county superintendents of public schools, and at a time when there was a pressing demand for Its repeal on the plea of expense. The law was saved by hla persistent, skillful and well-directed efforts. He soon made It plain ' that the new system was very beneficial, and it has become very popular and is likely to remain permanent. In 1883 he was elected president of Purdue university, which position he still holds. Un- der his admlnKstration Purdue has ap- proached the ideal in technology. The university has been wonderfully pro- gressive, not only in experimental work on the farm, but also in applied sciences,. Including civil, mechanical and electrlctl en- Eineering. until it has become a polytechnic school indeed. Its laboratories and work- shops embrace all that Is latest and best in practical equipment. Courses of study have been revised and arranged with a view to securing definite practical results in hai- 1 mony with the distinctive character and jl avowed purpose of the school. The energy I displayed by the president in renewing and restoring the buildings, ' machines and in- struments destroyed or damaged by fire early in the year 1894, was unprecedented. What he accompllsed in a few months waa In fact a new creation, and as marvelous as the fabled Phoenix rising from Its own . ashes. Dr. Smart has been honored by in- stitutions of high repute. In 1870 Dart- mouth college conferred upon him the de- gree of A. M.; in 1883 thfc University of Ind- iana conferred the title of LL. D. He served as a trustee of the State university. . FAlttiXt and six years as trustee of the State normal V a im L.VWOI... school. He has been a member of the Ind- iana state board if education for twenty- seven years. A Foreign Appointment. In 1872 he was appointed assistant com- missioner for Indiana to the Vienna expo- sition. In 1878 he was appgiiiled commis- sioner to represent the United States In the World ' s exposition in Paris. In 1881 heservde as president of the National educational association. In 1890 he was president of the American association of agricultural col- leges and experiment stations In 1891 he was appointed representative commissioner of the United States to the agricultural congress at The Hague. He was the recipient of the highest honors con- ferred by the Teachers ' association of In- diana. In addition to papers, pamphlets and reports innumerable he published the following volumes: An Ideal School Sys- tem for a State, The Institute System of the United States, Commentary on the il School Lavv ' s of Indiana, The Shools ot Indiana. He used plain, strong, vigorous English,, always with a purpose in view. He en- tertained and instructed at the same time. His style was direct and pithy, entirely free from redundancy. His perception was keen, his analysis acute. Whether writ- ing or speaking he selected from a choice vocabulary the precise words that conveyed his meaning most accurately and elegantly. His work in every department of educa- tion was characteristically practical, in teaching, In superintendence, in official ad- ministration of the school system as a whole or the course of study and applied mechanics of an industrial university. He possessed to a remarkable degree the sense, of proportion and fitness. Continued application through a period of more than thirty years gave him the clearest insight into the philosophy of education and the largest wisdom as to methods and means to the attainment of ends. His individuality was very distinct and was impressed upon any work with which he was connected. In the accompll.shment of a purpose he wa3 willing to as.»ume any amount of labor re- , quired and any measure of responsibility in- hd Ohio, Queen Cincinnati €;rawfcra$ville Tnaianapolis new Vork istern Cities j»lt0 tati [lion station, Ci curred. Dr. Smart was politic, but not demagogical. His social intercourse was marked with courtesy and confidence. He trusted his friends and was unvarj ' ing in his friendshic. He was married July 21, 1870, to Miss Mary H. Swan of Albany, N. Y., a lady of rare literary ability and attainments, dau ghter of Prof. Swan of Grinnell college, of Iowa. In 1SS3 she was president of the Association of literary societies in Indiana, Routes, avoiding ; countr} ' call on WEAKLY nd Ticket Agent TTE, Indiana

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THE LAST SAD RITES. I Burial of the Late President Smart at Latayette. Special to The Indianapolis Sentinel. LAFAYETTE, Feb. 24.— The funeral of the late Dr. James H. Smart of Purdue univer- sity was held this afternoon at 2 o ' clock. There were services in the Second Presby- terian church, of which the deceased was a member, conducted by the Rev. John P. Hale. The remains lay in state at the church from 11 in the moi-ning until 1 o ' clock m the afternoon. Each of the regular classes at the university was represented at the services by twenty-five members selected by the classes. The senior pharmacy class sent eight representatives, the junior seven and the short course in agriculture was represented by fifteen member-s. Over half the church auditorium had been reserved for those in attendance out of the city, for the atudent delegates, the members of the faculty and others connected with the uni- versity, the board of trustees, the active and honorary pall-bearers and for the relatives and members of the family. The active pall-bearers were: Profs. Stanley Coulter, W. K. Hatt, C. S. Plumb, J. C. Arthur and Messrs. Montgomery Meigs and Brown Brockenbrough. sr. The honorary pall-bearers were: Vice- President W. E. Stone, Messrs. W. V. Stuart, Samuel Moore, Robert W. Sample, James Murdock, James M. Fowler, William M. Blackstock, Mortimer Levering, Dr. G. F Beasley, the Hon. James A. Mount, the Hon. Hugh H. Hanna, Dr. Joseph G. Swam, president of Indiana university; Dr. W. P. Kane, president of Wabash college, and F. L. Jones, state superintendent of public ! Instruction. ; The floral tributes were many and very handsome and came as offerings ' of love and sorrow from the faculty, board ' of trustees, fraternity and class organiza,- tions and from friends of the beloved presi- dent. Covering the top of the coffin and reaching down the sides was a pall made of i purple violets with a border of ferns, ihe ■■ scripture lesson was read from the fifteenth chapter of Corinthians, and the address was i- a beautiful one, truly setting forth the life and work of Dr. Smart and paying a fitting tribute to his great worth as a rnan Lead Klnaiy Light and Nearer My Go to Thee were rendered- by a quartet composed 6m Miss Elizabeth Millsprugh of the Purdue school of music. Miss Mary Roseberry, Dr P. N. Evans of the Purdue faculty and Thomas J. Barnes, jr., a for ' Purdue. Miss Eva Linn, a graduate from Purdue In 1897, acted as organist POfiOIE ' S NEIIK PRESWT DB.. W. E. STONE, WHO HAS VICE-PRESIDENT. Board Selected Him to Continue in the Position Which He Has Been Filling. The board of directors of Purdue Unl- verslty, meeting at the Denison Hotel, announced late this afternoon that they had elected Dr. Winthrop E. Stone pres- ident of the university, to succeed James H. Smart, whose death occurred some months ago. Dr. Stone was vice-presi- dent of the institution and has been serving as president since Dr. Smart ' s death. His election was somewhat unexpected. His name had been proposed, but It was Line understood the board favored another man. H. W. Wiley, of the division of of the United States Depart- prominently f the b spoke, of his trustees, the honorary Pall-I e ' ; ,, : iVis ' t before the meeting representative delegation from the Purdue - ' highly probable faculty. The board also appointed Prof. Wlll- — lam F M. Goaa, of the university, to Gen. Harrison ' s BenntiCnl Tribnte. the position of dean of the engineering Gen. Harrison, president of the board of schools. trustees for Purdue university, said today: a - - ' ■- »»■-•..- . The death of President Smart is a great loss to the educational forces of ' vhe statfe, and almost an irreparable loss to Purdue university. He had very lovable traits of character and his intellectual equipment was of a very high order. He had the genius of common sense and a very rare and forceful executive ability, coupled with great suavity of manner. He was sincere and straightforward and won his ends be- cause his purposes were disinterested a ad his plans supported by convincing reasons. His Intercourse with his board of trustees and with committees of the leeislaturs was characterized by these qualities, and he rarely failed to get what he asked for in his I work. He was not only an educator, but a I 4 fine accountant and financier. He loved God and all of his creatures. I WEST TO ST. LOUIS KEOKUK KAN5A5 CITY OMAHA DENVER PORTLAND SEATTLE TACOMA LOS ANGELES SAN FRANCISCO SOUTH TO EVANSVILLE NASHVILLE CHATTANOOGA JACKSONVILLE Chair Cars (seats free) kQENCV Through Tickets Soid to any part of the World HOS. FOLLEN, Passenger and Ticket Agent City Office, 113 Main St., Lahr House Block LAFAYETTE, IND. jt C. S. CRANE, H. id General General Passenger and Ticket Agent, ST. LOUIS, MO. P. TAYLOR, Assistant General Passenger and Ticket Agent,