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

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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

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It is of special interest to note in this connection that the West Chester State Xormal School, during the years of Dr. Smith ' s absence, had enlarged its curriculum, broadened its horizon, and had been taken over by the State, thus losing its character as a private institution and becoming a State Xormal School witii all the benefits and resi)onsil)ilities incident thei ' eto. The Department of Education had become more important each year and needed expert and thor- oughly equipped persons at the liead of it. When a vacancy occurred in this department. Dr. Smitli accepted the Professorship of Education and brought to it a wealth of valuable expeiience, both as an assiduous student of educational problems and as a careful and successful administrator. He was cordially wel- comed by his former colleagues and friends to the school to which he had given so numy years of valuable service, when the institution was in its fornmtive period, and his influence was .soon felt, not only in the school, but also in all phases of the life of the coiiniiunity. After a number of j ' ears of service in this department, he was unanimously elected Principal of the West Chester State Normal School in May, 1920, to suc- ceed the late Di-. George IMorris Philips, who had been at the head of the school for the long period of thii ' ty-iiine years, and who passed to his eternal reward the March previous. Dr. Smith is the fifth Principal of the school and is proving each day a worthy siiccessor of Principals Cook, Chandler, Maris, and Philips. This is also Dr. Smith ' s fifth Prineijialsbip, and is a fitting clinuix to Chester Springs. Mans- field, Clarion and Detroit, and it is evide nt to all that he will leave no stone un- turned to make the State Normal School of the First District a still greater force in the educational world, and enhance still more the value and indispens- ableness of Normal School ti ' aining as a pre-rei|uisite to successful, not to say, intelligent work in the res])onsibh ' pi ' ofession of teaching. In that connection it should be noted here that while Dr. Smith, as a class- room instructor, has left an indelible impression upon thousands of teachers who are successfully solving the problems of the school-room, his influence has reached a wider public and enli.sted the co-operation of sentiment and active sup- port of those who have listened to his lectures and addresses. He has been in constant demand as a speaker, whether to address a body of teachers at their county institute, a body of directors in annual session, a Sabbath School con- vention, a Business Men ' s banquet, a Club of Women, a Men ' s Bible Cla.ss. or State Normal School constituencies in other states. In this way he has helped to mould public opinion and has accomplished a work whose effects cannot be estimated. Testimonials bearing upon this come not only from this state, but other states as well, and are conclusive and discriminating, as a few thoughts gleaned from a score and more will show. These come from nmny states and from such men as Dr. Winship of Massachusetts. President Fess of Ohio, Ex- State Superintendent Pattengill of Michigan, Professor Kinnamon of Kentucky, Superintendent Boyer of New Jersey, President Bryan of New York, Super- intendent Hemmig of Indiana, Principal Na.sh of the State of Washington, Su- perintendent ilcCreary of Illinois, Su] erintendent Wright of Maryland, Pres- ident Gordon of Oklahoma, and many others. Coming from places so remote, Page Fifteen