CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES WITH A BIT OF ADVICE I appreciate the opportunity of congratulating the Class of l949 of the Standish High School on the successful con- clusion of your four year's work. You are arriving at commencement, that time when you may look back with satisfact- ion on a job well done and look forward to a new world to conquest. No one can know what the future holds for anyone, but if one does one's best whatever the circumstances then we know that we can look to the Ultimate Examination with confidence that we will graduate. The most unsatisfactory phase of life is that we cannot know what to learn or what to prepare for. if we could only know all the parts we were to play we could study the score. I had plans to be an engineer, yes, I planned to be the best engineer living. I studies hard, and being slow-witted it was hard work, Civil nngineering at University of Maine, Mechanical Engineering at Yale, then with a war on Uncle Sam sent me to University of Texas to study Aeronautical Engineer ing. But now by a twist of fate I am in the State Senate try- ing to help my fellow man. All that training is helpful but not conventional for one in public life. You also may have as varied a career, so learn all you can. You L9'ers will soon be out trying to make this a better world. There is much room for improvement. Remember that if you do not keep moving ahead you will fall behind as every- thing else is moving forward. ' Our Town of Standish is spending more than half of our tax money on education because we, the citizens, are still in hopes that by so doinj we will give into your hands the tools to'build this better world. You will not let us down. Take an interest in your government, local, state and national. It is the best form of government so far designed even though it is far from perfect and far from efficient. It is easy to criti- cize a man who is trying to do somethingg but if you really desire to help, don't criticize, go and do the job better your self. Show by example how it should be done. Also, don't worry when you are unjustly criticized, for they don't shoot at a dead lion. Memorize and try to live the precepts in Kipling's poem Wlfn. Poor Alexander wept that there were Uno more worlds to conquer' when all that was known were the lands around the Mediterranean. You have already learned more than he or any- one'living in his time. Now at this Commencement resolve that henceforth you will count the day lost that, when you lie down for sleep, you cannot to yourself say, WI learned one new thing today that will help me make this world a better place to live inn. Then you, if you do the best that.isiin you, can be assured that on the final report card God will give an UAW for Effort. May he help you to this end. Paul Frederick Slocum
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He made his home with Mariah and Mr. Watkins for five years while going through grade school and equivalent of high school. Upon entering this school he had to have a surname and according to the exslave custom, Carver George was transformed into George Carver. After leaving the security of Nariah Watkins home, he moved from town to town, attending school when he had enough money and working for his board and room. In the course of time he arrived in Olathe, Kansas, where he was taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Seymour. When the Seymours moved to Minneapolis, Kansas, they took George with them. It was during this time that his body began to stretch to the six feet which he was finally to attain. Although he still stammered, his power of mimicry was much appreciated as was his musical ability.q Lucy Seymour started a laundry in Minneopolis and from her George learned how to iron ruffled shirts and petticoats. From then on, wherever he went, he made his way by starting a laundry. It was while he was in the laundry business that he added the Washington to his name. Being in business, he received his first mail. There happened to be another George Carver in town, a white man. George added the Washington to his name to distinguish himself from the white man. When he had completed his high school education, George was not satisfied. He wanted to go to college to acquire more knowledge to help the negro people. He wrote to Highland Uni- versity and was accepted, but when he appeared in the fall he was turned away because he was a negro. Thus George became acquainted with race prejudice. From there he moved to the Great American Desert, settl- ed some land and tried to farmg but he was unhappy. The only consolation he had was the beautiful scenery which he loved to paint. He p oved his claim on June 25, 1888, but he did not live on the land the required five years to get it free from the government. Instead, he took out a mortgage for three hundred dollars on it. He traveled with that money and finally settled in Winter- set, Iowa, where he met Dr. and Mrs. Nilholland. Mrs. Milholland was very much interested in paintinggand in return for the help George gave her in art, she taught him how to sing. It was through her persistency that he was finally persuaded to enter Simpson College. He enrolled in the art course and proved himself a very talented and a patient student. Before George realized it, he was making friends. Because of his natural shyness, the fact that he was colored, his unnaturally high pitched voice and the impediment in his speech, he tried to avoid contact with his fellow students but was drawn to them in spite of himself, Gradually, he overcame most of hisishyness and even developed a beautiful speaking voice. Ho was known as a brilliant student who was much depended upon by his superiors.
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