University of Wisconsin Stout - Tower Yearbook (Menomonie, WI)

Page 8 text:

Dedication In past years. The Tower, by custom, has dedicated its annua] publica- tion to some past or present member of the faculty in appreciation of his or her services. However this year, we, the members of The Tower staff, would like to dedicate this book to the hundreds of teachers whom this institution has graduated into the held of education to better provide the youth of America with a knowledge which will aid them in attaining the best, both spiritually and materially, which life has to offer. These men and women have been truly superb salesmen, both of the Stout Institute and of educa- tion itself. Every college or university requires of its students, as an integral part of their scholastic preparation, a certain amount of loyalty, cooperation, and pride in its standards: it desires from them too a unified school spirit of the type that throughout their lives builds traditions, strengthens foundations, and secures the future of any institution of learning. A teacher who can broaden and enliven a wealth of intellectual experience with the sparkling freshness so desirabk- to young people needs no more to win the admiration of those students and thus guide and inspire them for all time.

Page 10 text:

For the promotion of Learning, Skill, Industry, and Honor 7 SENATOR JAMES H. STOUT SENATOR JAMES H. STOUT Founder of Stout Institute A Brief History of Stout Inspired by an exhibit in Manual Training and Domestic Science seen at the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876, Mr. fames H. Stout, at that time actively engaged in lumbering in the region near Menomonie. decided that he would like to build a school which emphasized the vocational type of education. The first building erected by Mr. Stout contained two rooms in which the boys and girls of Menomonie received be- ginning instructions in manual training and domestic science. Bench work courses in wood and mechanical drawing, and courses in sewing, dressmaking, and clothing were offered. However, interest grew to such an extent that this building was not large enough for all those who wanted the training, and so in 1893. Mr. Stout erected a larger building, costing $100,000, to be used for this new type education. Disaster struck in 1897 when the new building burned to the ground. How- ever. Mr. Stout was undaunted. His dream of a new education was so intense that before the ruins of the buildings were cold, he had succeeded in gaining support of the city of Menomonie in erecting a new high school building with the proposition that whatever sum the city invested in that building, he would duplicate in a building for Manual Training. Work on the new building, known as the I.E. building, was started immediately after the fire and completed the same year. In 1903. The Stout Training School for teachers in manual training and domestic science was or- ganized. When it opened in September 1903, two students were enrolled for manual training and twenty- three for domestic science. Mr. Lorenzo I). Harvey, formerly state superintendent ot public instruction C8]