Salem State University - Clipper Yearbook

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Miss Harriet Laura Martin On November 27, 1920, the Salem State Normal School lost one of its most loyal friends by the death of Miss Harriet Laura Martin, who passed away at her home after a very brief illness. Miss Martin had been a member of the Salem Normal School faculty for fifty-one years, resigning from active service in December, 1918. She was born in Salem, received her education in the schools of the city, and had always made her home there. In September of 1865, she entered the State Normal School with the twenty-third class, graduating at the completion of the regular two years' course, during the principalship of Dr. Daniel B. Hagar. Her unusual ability made it possible for the Board of Education to invite her to become an instructor of mathematics, and she began her duties at once in the autumn of 1867. Her term of service was unbroken. but her teaching sometimes included other subjects besides mathematics. During the last few years, when the courses in higher mathematics were discontinued, she became the librarian, conducting classes in library practice, as well as attending to the duties which one naturally associates with that position. Miss Martin has always been a very valuable member of the Salem Normal Association and one of its most dependable workers. She has held practically all of the ofilices of lllllJO1't2ll1CC in the association, serving as Treasurer from 1897- 1900, Vice-President from 1900-190-al, President from 1907-1910, and Recording Secretary from 1916-1919. At the time of her death she held the position of Fustodian of Records, the new oflice created in 1919, to which she was unani- mously elected at the triennial celebration of that year. Her intimate knowledge of the many classes which had passed under her care and her intense interest in all things concerning the school and its welfare, made her of inestimable worth at the council table of the Board of Directors or the less formal committee meet- ings and personal conferences. At the triennial reunion in 1919 a reception was given in honor of Miss Martin, and the large number of former students who exchanged a word of greeting with her was a delightful testimonial to the esteem in which she has always been held. Gisirrnnnis B. Gonnsmrrn. :lx 1 As a student in Miss Martin's earlier classes, l wish to express my admiration of her wonderful power as a teacher of mathematics. and my appreciation of her warm-hearted interest in her students. 'l'o some of the girls she seemed at first a hit nnappl-oacliahle, for she was at all times a very dignified and gracious lady, and some ol' the students stood in awe of her. Many of them were immature girls who had not been taught to take responsibility and who had not yet come into f'unt.:u't with many persons outside ol' their little circle ol' home friends. To those of ns, however, who liked work and who saw Miss Mal't.in's keen appreciation of fnn hehind her rather austere exterior. she hecame a very human teacher, and we loved her dearly. Miss Martin was my girlish ideal of what a strong teacher and a lovely woman might lie and she is still. .li-:ssnc l'. Liafmovn. f

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Miss Martin's love for the beautiful, the good, and the true in life, won for her a place in the hearts of many students. Her quiet and unassuming way of helping those who needed help was known and greatly appreciated by all who knew her. Her faithfulness in discharging a duty, whether it was pleasant or unpleasant, is an example and an lllS1Jl1'3.lZlOl1 to those who were privileged to come into contact with her. Such a noble, sweet, broad-minded woman will always be held in loving memory by the students of the Salem Normal School. ll'lARION ROGERS. To have known and worked with so beautiful a character as Miss Martin was one of the privileges of my life. The cordiality and sincerity of her manner endeared her to all. So earnest and dignified was her bearing when she was busy with her daily duties that many people did not realize how merry she could be, nor how keen was her sense of humor. Her many-sidedness was to me her greatest charm. Her understanding and loving appreciation of the child's point of view gave her a fund of stories, which she would often relate in a delightful way. I always came away from her presence refreshed by her happy atmosphere and inspired by her broad sympathies and optimistic views of life. M. ALICE VVARREN. It is not easy to condense an appreciation of a strong woman and an eflicient and influential teacher into a single paragraph. Miss Martin possessed unusual strength of character. Her manner was simple, direct, and straightforward in her every act, whether in her pe1'sonal or her professional life. She was orderly, systematic, and exacting to the last degree, but withal, she was kindly, considerate. and sympathetic in her relations with her students and with all with whom she came into contact. She was thoroughly devoted to her life work, and she was intensely loyal to the institution which she served so long and so well, to her fellow workers, to her students, and especially to the host of graduates who had, in more than half a century, received in her classroom the emanations from a great soul and a noble professional spirit. J. ASBURY PITMAN. At Sunrise The distant bay reflects the golden glow That spreads o'er earth and sky when comes the sun: Faint sounds arise from city streets below, Which tell me that the day has now begun. Still on the hill I linger, for the scene Is one of quiet beauty and of peace: A sea of trees, it seems, with roofs between, And lofty. silent spires the awe increase. For when one stands alone, far from the din Of earth, and shuts out every sordid sight, One feels deep awe and reverence for Him Who made this world so beautiful and bright. FAITH H. SCHULTZE. 7