SUNY at New Paltz - Paltzonian Yearbook (New Paltz, NY)

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x 7 Q W 4 2' Fifi Q 7f'ift 1 ' ffxifp. gf? 'A' T 51 1 ' if' 'ii fr .gf 7? l3it ' Vf31fiQ.L.ff5 '7 t3 ' NQLL. ,..l7f5fi ' f i'?f.fL hi Tj' filf' - fr i 18 8 e , .. 52? tie ' -U ht. 1 N -. L4 From Academy to fi. lf P2 if i gl Cf INDLED ' I689 1 ft th f a' f th 'ut t th 1' ht f 3 -t-' 30.71 i in , eeven.years a er e oun ing o e Vl g , e ig o . 'jj CQQ 5 education has never dimmed ln New Paltz. French, the language of the gf A ,,,ft C KQSQQ. Huguenot settlers, gave place to Dutch, which in turn was superseded by 'Q the English tongue. The church and the school, however, continued stead- T 7 fast in their work. ln l8l2 a stone church building was erected, and in 1828 the New Paltz Academy was formed for the higher education of the young. The first build- ing was constructed in I833, and the Academy was incorporated the same year. The school 711 became exceedingly prosperous, receiving pupils from distant sections as well as nearby regions. As a result of a continued increase in enrollment, the building was enlarged in l840. ,Ui For half a century the Academy was a center of learning in this section of the state. ln l884, ftp however, the building was completely destroyed by fire. The loss was a grievous one, but the 'fi' advantages of drawing students to a local institution of education had been made manifest to such a degree that a movement to reconstruct the school was immediately begun. ln less than a year a handsome new edifice, larger and finer than ever before, stood complete upon the old site. At this time there was much discontent in southeastern New York because of the fact that the normal schools were so far away. All the institutions for the preparation of teachers -f were in the central and western parts of the state, in spite of the fact that the lower Hudson valley was the most densely populated region. An insistent demand for a more nearly local Q' school had arisen, although there had been no agreement as to a location for it. Dr. Henry A. gli Balcom, an able and well-informed teacher, was at this time principal of the Academy. l'le , was in touch with political affairs in the state, and, being keenly sensitive to the opportunity l, 0 which presented itself, suggested to the members of the Board of Trustees the advisability F9 of converting the Academy into a normal school. The Board was quick to see the advantages of the plan, and Dr. Balcom and Ralph Le Fevre, president of the board, were authorized in CY, l885 to take up the matter with the educational authorities in Albany. General George H. fr Sharpe and Captain T. H. Tremper of Kingston were of great assistance in the necessary J, preliminary political manoeuvers. William Ruggles, State Superintendent of Public lnstruc- Twcnly-four ' 1 ja ill If .f F. , 1 f, .. ' li! -fififg.. 17 it t 1 fig.. Q73 'FY' P?

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S A 'f' - The personnel of the Board of 'Visitors at New Paltz is as follows: Andrew Cook , Kingston I Mrs. Raphael Egan Newburgh Bruyn Hasbrouck New Paltz G. D. B. Hasbrouck Kingston Frank LeFevre Q New Paltz Jay LeFevre New Paltz Albert K. Smiley Lake Mvhonk flnagew J. Cook Mrs. Raphael Egan Bruyn Hasbrouck Albert K. smlley n ,.V, . x a w. 1 Twenty three l

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QJTT T ce.: fs -f. -fs .fwfr - W. if Nw X... - do 1 -2 f wXL 1 .l'L'M'. Lf' 2 1 ' -9 CX-,..e. J ff 2 8 N R U V9X,,...Q.Tf 2 US, 9X.ill1l .' c -1 Q Xi..i'e Cl S iv tx ? Q ff. B 2 fx Lf . 5 li fx ln il uf jf lil nv! 5 VC X, Us iv om 7 Q O 5 21, HY' Ja C1 5 21 l is SX 7 Q 0. 5 gf. 7 Q OS 5, 21 ? KU gt . P Q' Eugene Bouton was graduated 1888 from Yale, B. A., after which he held teaching positions in the Norwich Academy, the Sherbourne Union School, and the Albany Boys' Academy. Later he became Deputy State Superintendent of Public ln- struction. He came to New Paltz Normal School Normal as its first principal in l886, an office he held for two years. He received his lVl. A. from Yale, and Syracuse University granted him the degree of Ph. D. Dr: Bouton now holds a position under the Essex County, New Jersey, 'Board of Taxation. tion, was greatly opposed to the establishment of a normal school at New Paltz. Because the Academy had drawn from a wide territory for its students, a considerable body'of alumni came to the support of the proposed scheme. Many of the larger towns in southeastern New York sent petitions to Albany requesting that a normal school be located at New Paltz. Rivals to the village's claim were the cities of Kingston and Liberty, both of which offered sites for the location of a state school. Bills providing for the appointing of a commission to inspect the New Paltz Academy with a view to accepting it as a normal school were introduced in both the Assembly and the Senate. The commission was appointed, and met in New Paltz. High state officials were pres- ent, including Governor David B. Hill and Lieutenant-Governor Carr. Later the commission met again in Albany and, in spite of opposition, the New Paltz proposal was accepted by the state. The first Local Board was appointed, and the new normal school began its existence February l5, l886, with a provisional organization. The first year the number of students in all departments was eighty-nine, and the faculty consisted of ten persons. Enthusiasm and energy, however, soon had their effect. Those who had been interested in the old Academy lent their support to the new school. ln two years the number of students had been raised to one hundred seventy-one and the faculty increased to eighteen. A suitable practice department was lacking, and accordingly legislation was brought about which placed the village school system under the direction of the normal school. The Academy building and the village school building were soon felt to be inadequate, and the state provided for an additional structure. The old district school house was used for a time for a practice school and an empty carpenter shop was utilized by the drawing and gymnasium classes. These temporary accom- modations were not needed long, however, for the new building, beautifully situated on the placid Wallkill, modern in every detail, complete in its appointments, and furnishing an elegant and commodious home for the school, was finished and ready for occupancy in l889. Twenly-five 1 U ., 3 V W ? X Qi 5 . XD UD fav 7 , QQ, Uri D ,f QD lo fig lsffv 2 Q U. 5 , elf 4 75 .J an 9 is Ok: s il If I AJ the ls. 1, XX ...g 2' ll ff KI lf I Q ., ai wa gy. 2 X Q V s I. if lg.. fm SX: 7 rx. S7 I fl-I X15 'QL SX. ?f Q .ff ve., T..-1 'Y fmu' .T r'a '--fx' 'Q' 'Q' 6'1 N. -.-.. .--..- r1ElQTSX3Q4'W99XfYlfE'i-5la SXg.lf!f8f'aKYXLQJQ D1,sXDlf!,5' 0L,gifQgjppCg