West Chester University - Serpentine Yearbook (West Chester, PA)

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Mrs. Siiiilli liT.ly do. The Senior Chiss, too. felt the h ' aviiig of Dr. Smith as the loss of a personal friend and deeply appreciating his work and good will to them during their school life, they promised to strive always to attain to those high idi ' als which were given to them by his own personal example. The tributes from the literary .societies of the school deserve more than pass- ing notice. Tiiey emphasize the many kindnesses and helpful suggestions re- ceived and thi ' ii ' jnirpose to strive to carry out the wishes of Dr. and Mrs. Smith in the fiitnic, as in the past, and stress the thought that their members have always found in Dr. Smith absolute ju.stice in all official relations and in Dr. and Mrs. Smith a great .sincerit - and magnanimity of spirit in all social relations. The Alpha Kappa Phi Society presented Dr. and Mrs. Smith mth their picture, accompanied by a beautiful letter from which we quote the con- cluding sentence. We want you both to believe that we appreciate how much you have done for us individually and collectively, in onr school life, our .social life and our fraternity life, and we ask that you will accept this picture of the girls who love and respect you so very much. The tribute fi ' om the church of which Dr. Smith was an elder is deeply sig- nificant. It I ' eads in part. — We, the members of the session of the IManstield Presbyterian Church, hereby express our regret that by the parting of the paths of life in the Providence of God, we are obliged to lose the company and fellowship of our co-laborer. Dr. Andrew Thomas Smith. For nearly fifteen years since his coming to be one of us, his counsels have been freely given — • his presence has been recorded almost invariably at our meetings — he has taken ]3art liberally in all movements for the good of our church and the extending of the Kingdom of Christ in our town and in the world. We wish him God-speed in his chosen work as a Christian Educator. The Young Women ' s Christian Association, of which Mrs. Smith was an advisory helper, paid a well-merited and beautiful tribute, expressing their sorrow and keen regret that she was to leave them and declaring their purpose to try through the help of Our Heavenly Father to attain the high ideals which she has set before us through her own example. But, perhaps, the most beautiful tribute of all came to Mrs. Smith from the Mansfield Literary Club of which she had been a valued member for so many years. She was, in a very real sense, their inspiration and ideal of true culture and perfect womanhood. Continuing, the tribute says, in part. — The beautiful and wondrous things in Nature, the singing of the birds or the prattling of a little babe, find poetic ex- pression through the soul of Mrs. Smith. We treasure these many and varied proofs of her God-given gifts expressed in ])oetry, proSe and blank verse. Her influence in this commiuiity will live, although she leaves us for another field of labor. She embodies all for which the splendid school motto, selected by her, stands. — Character, Culture, Scholarship, Service. The Mansfield Normal was unusually fortunate in its cultural development to have for so long a time one whose artistic ideas excited beauty so effectually iu so many souls, inspired harmony in so many lives, causing so many youug men and young women, after leaving school, to seek gratification for their aes- Page Tii-elve

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with the deti ' i-niination to help those entrusted to his care, to realize their highest jiossihilities, and lieconie teachers capable of rendering titling sei-vice to the State, both by preeept and example. In this he was eminently suceesst ' ul. as the records of the school will show during his fifteen years of service. These years stand as a monument to the constructive work, organizing ability and wise and sym- jiathetie direction of Dr. Smith, as he sought to lift young men and young women to a plain of independent and correct thinking, forceful and healthy initiative and adaptability, along all lines of endeavor and conduct, thus enabling them to becouu ' more useful and trustworthy members of society, more substantial citi- zens, more agreeable companions and better men and women in the most com- prehensive sense, with a good all-round education fitted to cope with as many exigencies of the day as possible. After this long period of service. Dr. Smith, at a special meeting of the Mansfield Board of Tru.stees, held Decemlier Tl, 11113, stated that he had been called to the Princijialship of the Clarion (Pa.) State Xornui! School, under conditions that appealed favorably to him, and asked the Boar ' d to release him from the Mansfield School as soon as practicable, whereupon resolutions were unanimously adopted, accepting with regret Dr. Smith ' s resignation, and as- .suring him that it was with the best of good feeling and only at his request that such action was taken. When the resignation of Dr. Smith became known, the various press com- ments, resolutions from organizations of all kinds, and private letters showed the esteem in which Dr. and ] Irs. Smith were held. A leading Philadelphia paper remarked, editorially, — The resignation of Di-. Andrew Thonms Smith. for fifteen years the successful Principal of the State Xormal School of the Fifth District at Mansfield, was received with reluctance by the trustees and with regret by the people of Northern Penn.sylvania. Dr. Smith has brought the IMansfield School to the very climax of educational usefulness and etficienc.v. His liberal views, progressive work, and successful administi ' ation have fixed the asceudenc.v of this popular educational institution firmer in the galaxy of ' best Normals ' i ' l the State and his withdrawal at his own volition and sugges- tion is a distinct loss to Tioga County. A home paper stated it tersely as fol- lows, — When Dr. Smith retires from JIansfield, his work here will have rounded out a period of nearly fifteen years. And superb service it has been. The best wishes of the Mansfield people go with him and Mrs. Smith for the rewards that ma.v fittingly crown the lives of those who have given so much of themselves to others. ' ' The limitations of this sketch make it possible to do little more than give a few lines from the many strong testimonials touching the labors of Dr. and Jlrs. Smith at Man.sfield, and the affectionate regard in which the - were held. Til the l ' ,ieulty of the school, theii ' departure meant losing the helpful companionship of true friends and the beautiful words of Thomas Hughes were an embodiment of their feeling, — Friendship involves many things, but above all the power of going out of one ' s self and appreciating whatever is noble and lovin T in another. The tribute significantlv adds. — And that both Dr. and Page Eleven

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thetic desires with a tnie reliiieiueiit due to educatioii and lialnl. under wise direction and stimulative suggestion, whether that gratiHeati(ui ])c rtauied to the ehoice of good literature or tlie tasteful furnishing of a home. Mrs. Smith ' s nuiny school songs will also lie treasured by the ] Ianstield graduates, and the operetta, A (. ' arnival of S|ii-ing. fdi ' which ilrs. Smith wrote the words, is a gem of rare heauty. Among the many liigh testimonials of esteem, rone is more lirauliful than the one presented to l)i-. Snuth. in the form of leather-hound, e. c|uisitely en- grossed resolutions, hy the Husiness Men ' s Association of IMansfield, in which they wished to place on record a testimonial of the faithful and efficient serv- ice of Dr. Andrew Thomas Smith as an instructor, his sterling charactei ' and high standing as a citizen and an honored meudier of this association. AVith this honorable I ' ecord behind him, and keen appreciation of the friend- ships of the past. Dr. Snnth entered upon his duties as Principal of the Clarion State Normal School at the o])eniiig of the Winter Term in January. 1914. with the same ideals and constructive plans that had pi ' oduced such good results else- wdiere, and he received a most cordial welcome from the people of Clarion, but their rejoicing was all too soon to be turned into mourning. The Clarion Repub- lican untler date of Jiuie 2; ), 1!)14, says, editorially — The closing days of Com- mencement week were sadly mari-ed by the knowledge that Dr. Snnth and his worthy wife were so soon to go out of the life of the Clarion Normal. While tlieir stay with us has been brief, the influence they have fostered and promoted in our school shall last ami abide for the betterment of this institution, so long as memory and ti-adition hold sway in human hearts. We wish for them the best that eai ' th can give. The position to which Dr. Smith had been called so unexpectedly, was the Principalship of a Normal Training School at Detroit, Michigan. The offer was, at first, declined, but the matter was re-opened liy the Detroit people with such insistency and the presentation of arguments which finally induced Di ' . Smith to look upon it with favor, provided the Clarion Board of Trustees felt inclined to release him. They saw that the.v could not well stand in tlic way of his fur- ther advancement. The Clarion Republican of July 2. 1!)14, states their attitude very clearly, when it says, — ' ' Ft was with great reluctance that the Board of Trustees accepted Dr. Smith ' s resignation, his work during his short stay hav- ing been of such a character as to win the highest appreciation on every hand, but they realized that they could not expect him to forego such an opportunity, coming entirely without solicitation, and with great urgency, and their best wishes and those of the school anil the conununity follow him and Mrs. Snuth to their new field of laboi-. Dr. Smith i-endered important and vahmble service for a nundier of years in this Private Noi ' mal Training School, which seemed to offer great possibilities, making his impress upon church and comiimnity, as well. He placed the Train- ing Department upon a solid psyciiological and pedagogical basis, and made the school take its ])roi)er place as an educational factor in the city and state, in as full measure as pi ' ivafe institutions with imiltifai ' ions interests functionally permit. Page Tliirteen