Rome Free Academy - De O Wain Sta Yearbook (Rome, NY)

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THE DE-O-WAIN -STA WALTER L. NEWTON, Principal OUR FRIEND-PRINCIPAL WALTER L. NEWTON To enter or not to enter? That was the question. It was my first assignment as a member of the De-O-Wain-Sta staff and naturally I wished to make good. My duty was tointerview our principal, Mr. Walter L. Newton. It was not my fear of Mr. Newton that made me debate in front of his ofiice that question, To enter or not to enter. Rather, I fear it was a doubt as to my ability as an interviewer. However, my fears were immediately dispelled when the ofiice door opened and Mr. Newton asked me to enter. Well, Julia, what can I do for you? he asked. Smiling, I replied, It is my pleasure to interview you for the De-O-Wain- Sta: therefore I'l1 ask you to answer any question I may ask. He laughed and replied, I promise to do my best. Then we both became serious. IVIr. Newton, I asked, Where were you born? I was born at Woodhull, New York, he replied. At what age did you begin school? I inquired. I was about four and a half years old when I Hrst began going to school, he replied. 8

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Photo by McClusky R, Superintendent of Schools

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THE DE-O-WAIN-STA Tell me about your school life, I said. I had the pleasure of having my mother as my iirst teacher, as she was an instructor at the two-roomed country school which I naturally attended, he replied. My mother's classes occupied one of the two rooms of the schoolhouse. She taught the primary grade and one of the upper grades. The second room was used by the remaining upper classes. What sports did you and the other boys enjoy? I asked. He smiled and replied, It wasa case of the survival of the iittest. The boy who was the Strongest and could use his lists to the best advantage was the acknowledged leader of all the games. This was most likely due to the lack of supervision. However, we played all the playground games that never change and still exist today. Tell me what your attitude toward school life was at this time, I asked. Because of the atmosphere at home, he replied, school became everything to me. I was always at home in school and never had any thought of leav- ing it. Y Did you always live at Woodhull? I asked. No, he answered. 'lWhen I was six years of age my family moved to Knoxville. It was there that I went to high school for four years, graduating when I was seventeen years of age. 'AWas it your intention when you entered college to take up teaching? I asked. If not, what did you intend to study? I had no intention of teaching, he said, because chemistry appealed to me greatly and it was because of this that I majored in chemistry and other scientiiic subjects. Where did you go to college and why did you choose this particular col- lege? I asked. . There were two reasons why I chose Syracuse as my Alma Mater. The first reason was that years ago Syracuse was considered a college of the Methodist Church: therefore, as I was a Methodist it was only natural that I should hear of this college at home. Also at this time, many high school professors were not college graduates, so when one of my former professors entered Syracuse University I was further impressed. In 1902 I entered Syracuse University. This was the same year my former professor graduated. Did you work your way through college? I asked. 'AYes, he replied, although I had a small amount of outside help. It was because of money difiiculties that I was forced to leave college for one year. This caused my graduation to be delayed until l907. Is it possible for any able-bodied boy or girl to work his or her way through college? I inquired. Yes, it is possible for any boy or girl to work his or her way through col- lege, as there are plenty of opportunities to do so. However, they must be willing to sacrifice social and other numerous pleasures. Because I realized that 9