Volume Thirty-Five

July, 1931

Number Four

The T E A C H E R S
CO LLEG E H ERA LD
MEMORIAL EDITION

STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE
SHIPPENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

TABLÉ OF CONTENTS '

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Page

Fxtract from a letter written by Dr. Lehman to his family on his
sixtieth birthday,,;__ ______ - .___.
Life of Doctor Lefiman

__ >t. __ _________ 1

____ ______ !•___ ______ i . _________1

An Appreciation by Dr. J.,8: Heiges

__ __________________ ^ 1 - : 3

A Tribute tg Friendship by the Reverend D. J. Wetzel ____

__ __ _ 5

Resolutions and A ppreciations_-.1_________ __________ _______ ___ 6
The Board o f Trustees ____.____ ;________________ ___________ 6
The Superintendent of Public Instruction_________________ — 7
The Board of Pennsylvania/TeacBe'reDollege Presidents ^_____ 7
The Shippensburg Teachers College F a cu lty ________ ____ ___18
The Pennsylvania State Education Association______________ 9
The Shippensburg Rotary Club A A

_9

The Class of 1889 __________________ ___________ ___________10
The Alumni Associations_____ .

_____ ______________ _12

Adams County Alumni Association____ ■_______ ._-_________ 13
Bedford Gcunty Alumni Association__ 1

_____A ;-,--______14

Cumberland County Alumni A ssociation__ ____ _____________ 14
Dauphin County Alumni A ssociation_______ _______________ 15
Franklin County Alumni A ssociation___ ________ ,___________15
Huntingdon County Alumni Association ________ ________ __ 18
Juniata Valley Alumni Association___________________ ___

_18

Perry County Alumni Association _iA _A _______ ________ __20
Philadelphia Metropolitan Alumni A ssociation______;_■____ 21
Pittsburgh Alumni A ssociation__ ____________ ;_____________22
York County Alumni A ssociation__________________________ 23
The Y. M. C. A . __________________g____________________ __ 23
Extracts from letters received by Mrs. Lehman__ ____________ ¡È_|24
Doctor Lehman’s Commencement Address ______ ________________ ¿9

The Teachers College Herald
PUBLISHED OCTOBER, JANUARY, APRIL AND JULY
BY THE STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE AT SHIPPENSBURG, PA.
Entered as Second Class Mail at the Post Office at Shippensburg, Pa.
under the Act of August 24, 1912.
MARION H. BLOOD ---------- ---------------------------------------------- Editor
ADA V. HORTON, *88 ' __ M p l ___ » L Honorary Personal Editor
MRS. HARRIET WYLIE STEWART, ’93___________ Personal Editor
J. S. HEIGES, ’91 —____ ------------------------------ — Business Manager
VOLUMN 35

JULY 1931

NUMBER 4

E X T R A C T F R O M T H E L E T T E R W H IC H D O C T O R
L E H M A N W R O T E T O HIS F A M IL Y ON HIS
S IX T IE T H B IR T H D A Y
“ I shall approach the hereafter as an explorer ip ek in g a new
world to explore. To me my departure will be a great adventure; a
faring forth beyond the farthest stars. I believe that death does not
end all, that all that is really worth while will survive. Where or
how I do not. know but I believe in a conscious, loving, all wise first
Cause that will not fail to gratify the aspirations of the creatures He
has made. With Tennyson, I say to Him: I believe ‘Thou wilt not
leave us in the dust’ and so I look forward to a nobler, greater, fuller
life than this where I shall no longer ‘see through a glass darkly’.
I go not into darkness but into light” . ...

LIFE O F D O C T O R L E H M A N
Ezra Lehman wa’i&born January 18, 1871, the son of Jacob S.
and Mary Stouffer Lehman at Stoufferstown, two miles east of
Chambersburg. His father was a bishop in the Reformed Mennonite church for fifty-five years.
Following his graduation from Ship.pensburg State Normal
School in 1889 in the Elementary Course, Ezra Lehman taught for.
a year in a one room rural school in Guilford township,: Franklin
county. He then attended Bucknell university from which he was
graduated from the Scientific course in 1892.
From 1892 to 1896 Ezra Lehman was principal of Huntingdon
high school. In 1896 he was elected teacher of English in Shippens-

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burg Normal School, which position he held until 1900. In the win­
ter of 1898-99 he attended Bucknell University again, securing his
Ph.D. degree. He returned to Shippensburg for the summer school
of 1899.
On September 18, 1900 Ezra Lehman married Louise Disosway,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Lane of Huntingdon. -Two chil­
dren were born of this union, Paul Stouffer Lehman, now an at­
torney in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, and Margaret Kidder Lehman,
now a teacher of English in the Doylestown High School.
In the fall of 1900 Ezra Lehman went to ''the University of
Pennsylvania as Harrison Fellow in English. In 1903 he received
the degree of doctor of philosophy from that institution. From
1903 to 1906 Dr. Lehman was associate editor of the Lippincott Dic­
tionary, and from 1906 to 1913 he was head of the department of
English of the Newtown High School, New York City.
From 1913 to the time of his death, Doctor Lehman served as
president of Shippensburg State Teachers College. During his exe­
cutive period the institution has grown from a normal school to a
teachers college, and the attendance has more than doubled in that
period. The college has grown in every detail and under Doctor
Lehman’s careful leadership has become one of the outstanding col­
leges for teachers in the east.
Doctor Lehman was president of the Pennsylvania State Educa­
tion Association in 1924. He was a member and past president of
the Rotary Club in Shippensburg. He was a Republican in politics.
He was a member of Delta Sigma fraternity and belonged to the
Masonic order, in New York City. He was editor and contributor
to various educational magazines.
Doctor Lehman died on June 11, 1931, in Atlantic City, where
he had gone for a brief rest. Death came to. him suddenly, and he
died without suffering illness. He is survived by Mrs. Lehman; by
his son, Paul and his daughter, Margaret; by a •sister, Margaret
Lehman of Stoufferstown, and a brother, Doctor Frank Lehman, of
Bristol.

A N A P P R E C IA T IO N
By J. S. Heiges

One by one we pass. Doctor Lehman has crossed the “ Great
Divide” . He was one of earth’s noblemen. His chief concern was
not in making a living but in making a “ life” . To him this meant
culture of his higher nature, doing God’s will and leaving at least
one spot in this world a little brighter, a little better.

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How far he succeeded in making a “ life” was clearly shown by
the tribute of affection and esteem which the people of the com­
munity and the educators of the State brought to his bier.
He was a representative man .having imbibed the best elements
o f the people among whom he lived and labored, and yet contributing
much to them. He won and kept a most extraordinary amount of
affection among all ranks and classes. All who knew him loved
and respected him.
His talents were indeed of a high order, his scholarship thorough
and extensive, his thought clear and his /heart true and pure. To
his fellowmen he was approachable, affable, unassuming, sympathe­
tic, and kind. Being possessed of an extraordinary amount of that
rare quality “common sense” , he was never carried away by fads,
not even in the fields, of morals, religion, and education. A practical
intelligence, a refreshing sanity and a calm moderation characterized
his thinking and his actions.
Probably his one outstanding quality was that of intelligent
sympathy. It was this that gave him the power of drawing out the
best in others—the timid ones who rarely dared express themselves
poured out their souls to him and the cautious ones became straight­
forward in his presence. It was this genuine compassion that caused
the -students to feel no hesitancy in going to him for counsel and
guidance; that endeared him to the hundreds o f students who have
been graduated from Shippensburg State Teachers College. Truly
Doctor Lehman possessed to a marked degree that golden chord,sympathy, which links soul to soul.
Lowell’s phrase “ Quiet devotedness to duty” expresses forcibly his
relations to the school, the members o f the faculty, and the student
body. For eighteen years he sacrificed, thought,. and labored to
make his Alma Mater more efficient, .more serviceable to the com­
munity and to the State, and more deserving of public confidence.
During all these years he refused to think of himself.
Dear to my heart is the memory that I was Ezra Lehman’s co­
laborer. For eighteen years I worked side by side with him and
learned to know him as few could know him. I came to appreciate
many of the difficulties he encountered in the; development of his
beloved Alma Mater, yet he never, even in the periods of greatest
stress, found any fault or spoke one unkind word to me. His pa­
tience was marvelous and his kindness was unbounded.
Only a
great soul can overlook with patience the shortcomings of those
associated with him.
It was, however, my social contacts with Doctor Lehman that I
cherish most. The periods of our personal, friendly fellowship will

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never be forgotten. I always went away refreshed and richer in;
mind and'soul. His cheer, optimism and healthy outlook on life were;
contagious.
.Doctor Lehman has been privileged by virtue of his many, good;
qualities to touch and influence the lives of many. He has breathed
his life—ideals^ convictions and love for the good—into their lives...
Bless God, he still speaks! What in truth he was here on earth he.
still continuer to be.
In parting with one whom I lo.ved and esteemed, I rejoice that:
he lived a life which says to all of usjr “ Be ashamed to die until you.
havevwon some’ victory for humanity.’’ ’; j

A T R IB U T E O F FR IE N D SH IP
One of the most preeiousHpersQnal relationships I have ever had
the privilege of experiencing wasg with Doctor Ezra Lehman for
whom my love and esteem grew with the years. What I shall say
through the columns of this particular issue of the Herald, fittinglydedicated to his memory, will inadequately express my appreciation
of his great and true life simply because I cannot express it justly
or completely through the medium of phrases; Yet, whatever sin-,
cere appreciation of his life I am able to convey to others is promp­
ted solely by the -indwelling of his own spirit within me.
Though I shall speak of Doctor Lehman hut of my personal
experience; and knowledge, there are two outstanding testimonies
frequently made by others which I wish to repeat. They are to me
indicative of the genuineness of his character. No one, I suppose, .,
except college presidents themselves, fully realize the difficulty of
selecting suitable members for the faculty and then maintaining a.
spirit o f congenial cooperation for the practical work o f the school.
In rather exceptional degree, Doctor Lehman retained the constant ,
high regard of his faculty. The second testimony came from the
students. Youth, and students; especially, are critical and frequentlywithout thoughtfulness. However, I never heard from any student
an unkind : criticism of Doctor Lehman. Undoubtedly there were
studentsfwho rebelled against certain rules of rightful discipline but
never against ~Doctor Lehman. For him one sensed on the part of
the student body a zealous love and the highest admiration. It was;
his own genuineness of character, h i » sympathetic interest in the
life of every student, and his respect for personality that rightfully
merited such zealous consideration.
I knew Doctor Lehman best- as citizen and friend. In commun- .
ity work and. personal chat, we met often. He was earnestly devoted
to the welfare of the community life, not only in words sent out

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from College Hill, but by an active personal presence. In war time
and in peace time, he was actively in the harness in every commun­
ity enterprise. Annually, the Community Chest received his active
leadership and support. Probably,- the single community project
which caused most discussion and which was profoundest in charac­
ter of consequence, was created when the State Teachers College
sought the active and organic cooperation of the Public Schools of
the Borough. The completion of such a merger meant many new
things for the public schools'; The consequences of such a move­
ment were widely discussed, both by enthusiastic protagonists and
antagonists. After months of discussion and deliberation, the union
of the interests was favorably consummated. Through all these try­
ing times, though policies were opposed, I never heard the name of
Dr. Lehman maligned. Personally^. I believe it was the community’s
confidence in the leadership and judgment of Doctor Lehman that
contributed most to the completion of the new relationship between
the Teachers College and the Public Schools.
In the private and personal fellowship of friendship, I enjoyed
Doctor Lehman most. This was only natural. Here friend un­
bosomed to friend in all of life’s interests. Here I discovered the
real passion and interest of his soul. There was in him an earnest
zeal for the moral, religious and educational welfare of his students.
I always felt this ever present concern. He must help them realize
through himself and his' school the best that was in them. There
was in him thoughtful concern of world problems, and, of coursé, a
vital and searching interest in the methods and processes of educa­
tion. He was a man of prayer and faith in God which in the inti­
macies of personal chat were often revealed.
Our conversations
ranged from fishing to philosophy, from humorous stories to reli­
gion. In them all, I found a simple,_ direct, sincere soul—a true,
genuine man.
I have here set forth an honest appreciation of a friend. I loved
him and admired him!
D. J. Wetzel, Reading, Pa.

R E SO L U T IO N S A N D A P P R E C IA T IO N S
RESOLUTION ON THE DEATH OF DOCTOR* EZRA LEHMAN
BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
“ In the loss of our beloved President we, his associates, members
of the Board of Trustees, all loyal personal friends, desire officially
to express the deep sorrow which we feel.
“ In all of his contacts, his honesty and fairness inspired both
respect and affection to a degree enjoyed by few men.

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“ Every teacher and employee in the college felt for Doctor
Lehman a true affection and his going out leaves a gap in educa­
tional and civic life such as this community has seldom experienced.
It is difficult to express truly our sorrow, and words are equally
inadequate in expressing the sympathy we feel for his loving wife,
his daughter and his son.”
George S. McLean, Secretary.

DOCTOR EZRA LEHMAN
Ezra Lehman will be mentioned among the distinguished educa­
tors who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement
of public, education in this; Commonwealth. His faithful years of
public service have won for him the respect of teachers; superin­
tendents, and school directors. Unselfish in, his devotion to the causes
of childhood, he kept himself abreast with all movements relating
to the public school. Wherever an outstanding group of educational
leaders were convened for the consideration of forward steps in
teacher preparation or public school administration, Ezra Lehman
was to bfe found. His contribution at such gatherings demanded the
respect of all who attended and his enthusiasm for the cause of public
education was ever apparent. From the day he graduated from the
Cumberland Valley State Normal School in 1889 until the day he
passed on, Doctor Lehman was an advocate of a sound system of
public education, of better prepared teaehers, of richer Scholarship,
and of broader sympathy with the efforts of those who were strug­
gling for the better things of life. Education has lost a real friend.
James N. Rule,
Superintendent of Public Instruction.

EZRA LEHMAN—A GREAT TEACHER
For more than forty yearjgi Ezra Lehman gave - unstintingly\of
his time and energy to the cause of education. He actively interest­
ed himself in every phase of public schooling, from the Construction
of curriculum to the administration of publictschools.'' No task wab
ever too insignificant for him. The inspiration of his addresses has
left its mark qn the younger generation of school men throughout
the Commonwealth. His rich experiences in public education covered
a variety of activities that seldom come into the life of any onli
man. He was a one room teacher, principal of a high school, a
teacher of English, an associate editor, and President of a. Stale;
Teachers College aside, from the many , church and social organiza­
tions-to which he gave his time without restraint.

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Doctor Lehman was an active member o f the Board of Presi­
dents of the State Teachers “Colleges, serving as chairman on many
of its important committees and his contribution to the teacher-pre­
paration field has brought to him the, respect of all who were asgi
sociated with him.
Henry Kloriower,
Secretary, Board of Presidents
State TeachersCollege^.-';
Director of Teachers Bureau

As an expression of the respect and esteem of the faculty of the
Shippensburg State Teachers College, this tribute is dedicated to
Doctor Ezra Lehman, cur late and much lamented president, as a.
loving testimonial and memorial:
The sudden passing of Doctor Lehman was a severe shock to all.
Who knew him, and especially to the members; of the faculty whOge.
interests and fortunes were so closely connected with his. He stood
supremely in our midst adj a leader,—one who sympathetically
championed our problems and invited our confidence in directing, the
activities of the College to its present efficient , organization and.
success.
His policies'were liberal, extending to,,, every teacher a challengeto attain the highest achievement, and thereby’ contribute .the bes|
to the institution. Only those who served longest under his, Super­
vision and guidance know the full measure of his generous attitude^
his careful counsel and rare ability to understand, and to help.
A great administrator is one who in the promotion of the larger
issues of-the institution is not neglectful of the individual, one who
Pen-courages the best students to accomplish the most, and whose keen
.-Sympathetic understanding of the less fortunate will not allow them
to be crushed under the pressure of increasing demands and higher
'--standards. In these Dr. Lehman had; no superior. He was a friend
to all and especially devoted to thosgin need.
He gave his life for the institution he loved. He might havespared himself and still be living, but that would have been'con­
trary to his nature and wish.. He .liyed in deeds. Sacrifice and Ser­
vice for the great cause of public education were the impelling quali­
ties that characterized -his generous soul.
Those of us who remain to carry on the work he so splendidly
established feel the presence of his Spirit. We miss his personal
contact and h iB direction, but his ^spirit remains- in what hip has
wrought, It has now become our duty to perpetuate 'his life in the

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future of the College. To this end and in his spirit we hereby deK
dicatc our fullest devotion and loyal service.
J. :Seth Grove
M. Irene Huber
: George E. Mark
W. P. Harley
Committee
DOCTOR LEHMAN IN STATE EDUCATION
As President of the Pennsylvania State Education Association
in 1924, Doctor Ezra Lehman proved himself a skillful executive, a
broad minded educator, and an inspiring leader. No detail
of professional organization was too small to claim his prompt at­
tention and decision; no educational problem was too baffling to re­
ceive a sympathetic and keen consideration of its'conditions. Pos­
sessed of a brilliant mind, abounding energy, and professional zeal,
he gave the Association a splendid administration which>culminated
in an outstanding, program in Erie, December 29-illp 1924. During
that convention, four State-wide committees of twenty-five each re­
ported to the House of Delegates on Classroom Teaching Problems,
The Problem of Retirement Allowances, The Problem of. Tenure, and
Rural Teaching Problems.
In arranging the programs of the general Sessions, Doctor Lehman
Showed his abiding interest in the art of teaching by securing speak­
ers of nóte on these subjects: The Trend Toward Professionalism,
The Rural School Situation, The Improvement of Economic Condi­
tions in Rural Districts, How to Tell a “ Schoolman” From a School
Teacher, The Teacher As An Artist, and Teaching As One of the
Fine Arts.
HiS knowledge of parliamentary procedure and his spirit of fair
■dealing made him the logical choice as parliamentarian by one of
his successors.
Doctor Lehman will long be remembered as an educational lead­
er of vision, sympathy, tact, and accomplishment.
J. Herbert Kelley, Executive Secretary,
Pennsylvania State, Education Association.

MINUTE ADOPTED BY THE SHIPPENSBURG ROTARY CLUB
ON THE DEATH OF EZRA LEHMAN
In the death of Ezra Lehman the Shippensburg Rotary Club
loses one of its most useful and faithful members. He was a char­
ter member of the club, and served as President, yice-President and
■chairman of many of the most important regular and special com-

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mittees. His advice and counsel were sought on all important prob­
lems of the Club and he gave liberally of his time and effort in the
furthering of the Club’s program, and never withheld his support
from appeals to the Club for charity nor the promotion of any worthy
cause.
Ezra’s place in our Club cannot be filled. He was a past master
as a conversationalist. He always had a subject of interest and en­
nobling in character to talk about, and all who were privileged to
enjoy his fellowship were delightfully entertained and instructed.
He enjoyed humor and delighted in good stories, but his humor was
always of the highest dignity, and no one ventured to suggest any­
thing of questionable purport or salacious meaning in his presence.
He enjoyed the associations of people. None were too high: to
forbid his presence and none too low to receive his recognition.
He
was democratic in the true sense 2-treating all with true courtesy,
kindness and approachable dignity. Whoever might differ with him,
continued to respect him and hold him in the same high esteem.
His interest in Rotary was an expression of his greater interest
in the community, the State, the Nation and mankind everywhere.
No better suggestion of this interest could be cited than to refer to
those delightful educational lectures he was called upon to deliver
upon the reception of new members and his most illuminating talks
in our club programs.
Ezra’s presence is. missed tonight and will be missed as long as
we continue in this fellowship of service. He has become a part of
that greatest of international bodies especially provided for those
who served best. Our consolation is in that simple faith which hap­
pily is our common heritage that our loss is his gain.
However much we may miss him, we shall ever cherish his mem­
ory, and the consciousness that “ He was a friend of mine” and that
he still “ lives down in our alley.”
Respectfully submitted,
W. P. Harley
Walter tickles
Galen Gates .
Committee
TRIBUTE FROM THE CLASS OF ’ 89, OF WHICH
DOCTOR LEHMAN WAS PRESIDENT
O Ezra! They tell me you have left us, and they bid me pen a
parting message to you. Oh, that they would bid some less intimate
hand to record in funeral black, our hearts’ love to you!
“ Lord, hae peety upon us, for we a’ luved him, and we were a’
prood o’ hjm.”

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I cannot, I will not write words of farewell to you, for it is not
tru.e that you are gone, and “ I will not bind my soul to grief” , for
you are an imperishable rose placed by God in my garden to grace
my sightr-delight my heart, bless my soul and ennoble my life, and
now you have but climbed my garden wall to blossom on the other
side to the joy and the delight of our “ Dear Old Mentors” who have
gone before-—Mentors who, two-score and four years ago, received
and nurtured you in the bud, as they truly prophesied of the splend­
our of the full-flown rose-to-be.
To you, Ezra’s loved ones, with trembling lips we whisper: “ This
is no the day for mony words, but there’s juist ae heart in eightynine today and it’s sair. Proud you may Well be to have been his
wife, his son, his daughter.’||||
“ 0 God, thou art a very present help in trouble.”
Oh, my Classmates! Those of us who are left in this vale of
tears awaiting “ The Day” , may the Lord Jesus, “ bind up our sair
hearts and give us licht at eventide” , and may it be our all-absorbing
desire, our constant endeavour and our prevailing prayer that we may
all meet again with Ezra and “ Our Dear Old Maesters” some fair
morning “ where schule never skails, in the Kingdom o’ oor Father” ,
and hear, each one of us, the Blessed Saviour’s words of welcome:
“ Thou hast fought the good fight,
Thou hast kept thy faith fright,
Wheresoever thy footsteps have trod,
Thine be the rest that remaineth for the people of God.”
And there we shall hold endless, eternal reunion, singing praises
and rendering perfect praise and adoration unto Him “ who has made
death but a narrow star-lit path between the Companionship of yes­
terday and the Reunion of tomorrow.”
“ His Servants shall see His face.”
“ Death doth hide but not divide.”
Adois mi amigo.
Samuel Z. Shope,
! ’
.;
Vice-President Class of ’89.
Living Members of the Class of ’89
Zora Anderson
J. B. Brubaker
Albert S. Cook
Maude Cressler Gibb
J. C. Eshelman
D. R. Fogelsanger
J. A. Fishel
Lillie B. Funk
Mary E. Hull

Mary V. Long Fairley
Bertha Metz Horn
Clara A. Osborne Gardner
Ella H. Powell Patterson
H. Milton Roth
Alta M. Sheaffer Zearfoss
Samuel Z. Shope
Grace B. Spangler Yeiser
Annie Swartz Diehl

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Lillie , S. Kendig Fegan
Eleanor V. Kyner Boots
A. g . Lackey
Fannie Lamberson
May Landis Morrow
Margaret V. Lehner Alexander
Margaret A. Line Krall

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J. A. Underwood
Mary V. Unger ,
Ella F. Wagner Snyder
FT. A. Walter
Florence E. Walters
Libbie J. Watson Baldwin
V. May Wonders Critchley

Tribute Presented By the General Alumni Association
IN MEMOBIAM
“ The lips of the righteous feed many” .
Upwards of four thousand Alumni of the Shippensburg State
Teachers College mourn the death of Doctor Ezra Lehman, President
of the College, and it is highly fitting that a committee of the Gen­
eral Association of the Alumni, upon appointment by its President,
should enter upon the records of the Association an appropriate
minute in memory of its beloved dead.
Accordingly, it is solemnly noted that Ezra Lehman, President
o f thè College from 1913 to 1931, and a member of the Alumni of
theifëlass of 1889, died suddenly on the eleventh day of June, 1931, at
Atlantic City, New Jersey, whereupon his great life and work became
a precious memory to be cherished long and dearly by all of those
whose privilege it was to know him and to have contact with him.
Doctor Lehman was a man of admirable mind and training, and
the recipient, throughout his career of many notable acknowledger
ments of his intellectual worth and achievement through earned and
honorary degrees conferred upon him. He loved teaching, and to have
association with him in the school room, either as pupil or teacher,
Wa§ - an inspiration and a cheer and always an educational uplift.
Those who were graduated under him must well remember the words
o£ counsel and direction which camé from his lips in his address on
their commencement day, the high placé which he gave to the pro­
fession of teaching, and the open door which he held for those who
would enter it.
Death claimed Doctor Lehman in the midst o f his greatest work,
the building of his Alma Mater into’ a Teachers College of the highest
rank in Pennsylvania. This was his ambition, if not already his ac­
complishment. His ability as an educator was quite equaled by his
capacity as an administrator, and with the aids which were at his
hand, the Department of Public Instruction, thé Board of Trustees,
and his well chosen Faculty, the Shippensburg State Teachers Col­
lege was fast advancing to the forefront in every department and

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phase of its work. To hold to this mark and to make further ad­
vancement will be the large task of the one who will be called to,
succeed him.
The life of Doctor Lehman leaves its indelible impress upon the
large group of the Alumni of the College, as well as upon many oth­
ers in the educational field and upon the whole community in which
he lived. Beside being a scholar and an educator he was a fine citi­
zen and a Christian gentleman. He walked in the Light of. a very
certain Faith and dwelt much in the House of the Lord. He was
happy in his private life as well as in his public lifh|: and, in no place;;
will he be missed so keenly as in his home where a loving wife and
son and daughter remain to mourn him most; to them the heart, of
the Alumni goes .out in truest sympathy.
The Secretary of the Alumni Association is directed to make a
record of this minute and to hand a copy to each member of the
family of the deceased, and the Herald is requested to publish it in
its memorial number.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeremiah ;Ss Omwake ’91
Ada V. Horton ’88 ,
William A. Nickles ’76
Ida B. Quigley ’77
Lee M. Hale ’10
Committee
Samuel M. Stouffer, ’12
President of Alumni Association

RESOLUTIONS PRESENTED BY THE ADAMS COUNTY
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
WHEREAS, on June 11, 1931 at the- age o f three score years»
Doctor Ezra Lehman, was called by Divine Providence to his eternal
rest; and
WHEREAS, for nearly a score of years he was president of
Shippensburg State Teachers College, during which time he presided
in his chosen field of service with marked ability and dignity; and
WHEREAS, through his whole-hearted and generous interests
in the welfare of his college, and his fellow citizens in many walks o f
life, he endeared himself to all. As a public speaker he touched the
heart-strings of his audienee. He was a devotel husband and fath­
er, a loyal friend and an active worker in the Presbyterian Church,
He will be greatly missed by the alunfni of Shippensburg. In re­
turning to our Alma Mater many memories of him will linger with
us for years to come»

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RESOLVED: By the Adams County Alumni Association, that we
hereby express, and direct to be recorded, our feeling of loss and
sadness occassioned through his death; our appreciation of his mer­
its, his ability, his achievements, and his kind human character; and
our esteem and respect for him as a friend, an educator, a college
president.
J. F. Slaybaugh, President.

RESOLUTIONS OF THE BEDFORD COUNTY ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION
Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to remove from this
earthly habitation our beloved President of Shippensburg State
Teachers College, Doctor Ezra Lehman, who has always shown a
kindly and fatherly interest to the Alumni and students from Bedford
county both while in College and after graduation and who antici­
pated-every wish and desire of the members of our association and
was always ready to lend a helping hand or to encourage anything io
advance the educational and moral interests of our County and State;
therefore, be it
■Resolved, That Bedford County Alumni Association extend our
heartfelt sympathy to the members of the bereaved family and be
it further
Resolved, That these resolutions be sent to the bereaved family
and be published in the July Herald.
Blanche Souser Lee
Helen Moorhead
Annetta Arnold
!
Committee of the Bedford County
Alumni Association.
MEMORIAL PRESENTED ON BEHALF OF THE
CUMBERLAND COUNTY ALUMNI- ASSOCIATION
I first met Doctor Lehman during the spring of 1888 when we
were both students at the old Cumberland Valley State Normal
School. Through all the intervening, years I enjoyed his friendship
and greatly appreciated his fellowship.
During the years of his
leadership at our Shippensburg Alma Mater, this relationship grew
to be so happy and so intimate that I was admitted to the inner cir­
cle of hiS; official and administrative life.
Doctor Lehman held a high place in the esteem of the Cumber­
land County Alumni. In the annual meeting of pur association ha
was always one of us as Well as our chief and leader. Before the

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County Institute and before the County Directors Association he al­
ways counseled well and wisely and plead ably the cause of public
education.
Only a few days before his death, I had expressed to some friends
the hope that Doctor Lehman might enjoy the maximum fullness of
a teacher’s allotted years of service. However, Divine Providence
willed otherwise. To this will we humbly and sorrowfully bow. But
we shall ever cherish the memory of Doctor Ezra Lehman, Friend,
Teacher, Principal, President.
. . W. M. Rife, President.
RESOLUTIONS OF THE DAUPHIN COUNTY
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
WHEREAS, Doctor Ezra Lehman, President of Shippensburg
State Teachers’ College, has passed away, and
WHEREAS, the Dauphin County Alumni Association, in recog­
nition of the distinguished services rendered by him as president of
our Alma Mater and of his devotion to the educational interests of
Pennsylvania, does hereby adopt the following resolutions;;
RESOLVED: That in the death of Doctor Lehman, Shippensburg
State Teachers’ College has lost a most efficient president, an un­
tiring, capable and loyal servant and our association a good friend.
RESOLVED FURTHER: That this association deeply regrets
the untimely passing on of Doctor Lehman, who by his distinguished
services rendered to our Alma Mater has' placed Shippensburg State
Teachers College in the very front ranks of the educational institu­
tions of our Commonwealth.
AN1D BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That a copy of these re­
solutions be forwarded to the “ Herald” for publication, and to his
bereaved family,
■
Augustus Dewalt ■
*
George L. Brown
Oscar G. Wiekersham
V Chairman of the Committee

Tribute Presented by the Fraiiklin County Alumni Association
IN MEMORIAM
It is with hearts filled with sadness and sorrow that the Frank­
lin County 'Alumni of The Shippensburg State Teachers College pay
their tribute of respect, love and admiration to the memory of the
late Doctor Ezra Lehman who fob many years was the capable head
of our Alma Mater. It is most fitting and proper that we should do

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this, 'since our fallen leader was5‘one of our native sons;
Doctor
Lehman was born in Franklin County. It was-here that* h e . firstlisped the tender word of “ Mother” . Here he romped and played
his childhood games and had his day-dreams of the future. It was
in a little red school house in this county that he attended his first
school, met his first teacher, recited his first lesson and laid the
foundation for his great educational career.
Here he,ft attended
his first Church and received his early religious training. The
brooks, the woods, the fields, the meadows and hills of Franklin
County gave him his first revelation of the great book of. nature. It
was in a little one room school, near his home in Guilford Township
that he had his first experience as a public schnool teacher. Here
some persons still live, who refer to him as their teacher. These
were sacred spots and pleasant memories during his life..
Doctor Lehman was a frequent visitor and speaker at the Frank­
lin County Teachers’ Institute, and in his addresses he almost in­
variably spoke of his visit as coming back home and of his work in
his early life in the county. He regularly attended the meetings of
our organization and we came to, know him; as a father, adviser,
counselor. He was always ready to aid in the educational work of
the county, willing to give his services as speaker at commencements
and other educational meetings. In view of all this there was an
unusual, close relationship between Doctor Lehman and the Franklin
County Alumni.
At the time of his death he was not an old man in years, but in
work done he had lived a long life. He gave his life to a noble pro­
fession, to which he devoted himself with great zeal in a most selfsacrificing way. He was interested in his labor—not only for the
present but for the influence; on future generations;. His life was
one of great activity. Infinitely above all the wealth of earth is the
knowledge of being engaged in a work of service. Where is the
limit to the life of usefulness of a consecrated devoted teacher as
Doctor Lehmanfe Eternity alone can display the unmeasurable use­
fulness of his life,
Words are too feeble to attempt to portray the influence of the,
life of an earnest and faithful teacher. He educates the immortal
mindywakes it to thinking and sendiat forth to exert its power for
good through all coming time. The woman who touched the hem of
our Saviour’s garment felt at once the influence which Was all the
time going forth from the Great Teacher. This Is the great mystery
of the teacher’s art. Students who Sat in the class room with Doc■tor Lehman as the instructor felt that they were in the presence Of
a great teacher and they carried away with them an influence which
has been a power to them in. their life’s work, whether it has been
in the school room or in the busy marts of trade.
Great teachers.

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scatter the light of truth; they are great torch bearers. On this
roll are found the names of all the great teachers of the ages. Their
works live after them and will continue to live when the proud fame
of mighty warriors shall have perished from the earth. The world
may raise its acclamation to honor the man of power and fame, it
may applaud the statesman and weave its chaplet for the conqucrer’s brow, but the teacher who receives the gratitude of his students
wins a greater reward. Doctor Lehman saw his thousands of stu­
dents go out from his institution. He looked upon them almost with
the interest and pride of a father. He.eounted them as his jewels
and when he heard of their Success, their usefulness, their honors,
his heart rfejoiced. He has left a rich heritage.
He was not only a great teacher but he was a man of accurate
scholarship. He had a wide acquaintance with the great leaders in
educational affairs. He had a most comprehensive knowledge of
school problems and stood high in the educational councils of the
state and nation. He was a fine companion, a wise counselor, a true
friend, with lofty ideals, well informed yet modest and pleasing in
his disposition. He kept in touch with new thoughts in the educa­
tional field. He had the privilege of seeing great changes and im­
provements in the art of teaching. Scholar, student, educator as he
was, he was always in line with all aducational progress.;
In the death of Doctor Lehman we mourn the loss of a true
friend, a devoted teacher. The family has lost a faithful father arid
husband, the state a loyal citizen and the school system a great edu­
cator. The name of Doctor Lehman may never be inscribed on tow­
ering granite shafts or tablets of bronze, but it is engraved indelibly
in the memories of his thousands of students who will continue to
carry on his work.
He has passed from earth to eternity but his conscientious, de­
voted and consecrated spirit will continue to live in the hearts arid
lives of the Alumni of the institution at Shippensburg to which he
gave his very life. His voice so often heard in the college halls is
forever silent. He will be seen no more in his favored haunts on the
campus. He has been graduated from the great school o f life arid
has received his last degree; Peace to his ashes. His visits to his old
home in his native county are ended, but the Franklin County Alumni
will gather the choicest blooms from the fields of the days of his
youth and weave them into a wreath of everlasting remembrance,
therefore—
In the sudden passing of our beloved friend and teacher—sad
as it is—we the Franklin County Alumni bow in humble submission
to the all-wise ruling of the Supreme Ruler of the Universe|prthe
Master Teacher of mankind and commend all to Him in this ordeal
for comfort, consolation and guidance.

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Be it further resolved: That this memorial to Doctor Lehman be
published in the Teachers College Herald, a copy be sent to the be­
reaved family and recorded in the minutes of the Franklin County
Alumni Association of the Shippensburg State Teachers College,
Franklin County Alumni Association.

A TRIBUTE TO EZRA LEHMAN FROM THE
HUNTINGDON COUNTY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Among the formative forces whjch have moulded the educational
ideals of our, country, the Shippensburg influences will always take
high rank, and among the men who have given the wisdom of Ship­
pensburg its characteristic stamp, Ezra Lehman stands FACILE
PRINCEPS. As we gather around the canvas on which a master
hand has traced the lineage of his countenance, and call to mind
what manner of man he was and how profoundly he wrought in the
realms of the spirit, we recall the words which Goethe puts into the
mouth pf Athene when he undertook to relate the death of Achilles:
“ Alas'that his beautiful image has vanished so soon from the earth
which far and wide rejoices in the commonplace.”
It is indeed sad that Doctor Lehman was not permitted to live
to see more of the things come to full fruition which he had planned
for dear old “ Alma Mater” . Though firm and robust in his Convic­
tions, unceasing labor had overtaxed his frail constitution to such
an extent that he died, comparatively speaking, a young man.
Every nation as well as every cause needs at the outset, above
all, great thinkers to mark out the course of'its history; but to pay
full tribute to such men is a difficult task. Thie achievements of
men of action can be more definitely and accurately formulated than
can the accomplishments of a philosophical mind. We therefore in
the nature of the case fall short in pur estimate of Doctor Lehman’s
services to our commonwealth and the institution he loved so well.
Frequently he graced the- halls of our county institute. To these
gatherings he was always hailed with a great deal of delight.
He
likewise delivered commencement addresses at a number of places
in our county, and his advice to the high school graduate was always
of the most beneficial, and we can congratulate ourselves on the
marvelous results which have, crowned his indefatigable labors in
behalf of the education of the American young man and woman.
H. H. Kell, President.
Resolutions of the Juniata Valley Alumni Association
IN MEMiORIAM
1931
It is with a feeling of deép sadness and a sense of personal loss
that we are called upon to chronicle the passing of one whose chair
1871

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in the executive chamber of the Shippensburg State Teachers College
is now vacant; one who for eighteen years labored and served as pre­
sident, prior to that service worked as instructor and as student of
the school, sharing our joys and sorrows, our responsibilities and our
duties, our hopes and aspirations for the welfare o f the College and
the advancement of education.
The mortal life of Ezra Lehman, Ph.D., worthy president of our
beloved Alma Mater, began on the eighteenth _day of January 1871,
in Guilford Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and it ended
at Atlantic City, New Jersey, on the eleventh day of June, 1931, at
the age of 60 years, 4 months,and 23 days..
When death strikes its merciless blow, a chill of depression
comes to us as one whom we love and honor is swept into the realm
of silence. But in the contemplation of this life that has been taken
from our side and translated to a more beautiful existence, back
through the door of memory our minds run and again touch the hand
and hear the voice that we loved and honored; and the terror of death
departs and the glory of everlasting life comes in.
In the passing of Doctor Lehman, Shippensburg State Teachers
College lost an able and efficient executive, whose influence extended
far beyond the confines of his daily position. It was felt forcibly in
the social, religious, civic and business life of the community and in
all these walks he will be sorely missed.
As an individual he was richly blessed with highly desirable
qualities. He had a highly cultivated sense of justice and knew how
to weigh facts and come to; orderly conclusions. This quality made
him a valuable counsellor. Doctor Lehman was thoroughly con­
scientious and an outstanding educator who grew to his greatest ef­
ficiency and fullest development in life in his devotion and unselfish
service to the Shippensburg State Teachers College.
His complete consecration to the great educational work before
him, his life so completely typifying1the spirit and the cause which
he sought to establish through his daily teachings, so encompassed
his daily vocation that they became incarnate in the strength and at­
tractiveness of his unusual personality.
We, the members of the Juniata Valley Alumni Association of
the Shippensburg State Teachers College, while greatly deploring
the loss of such a truly great and good man and loyal official, shall
always recall with satisfaction the opportunity we have had of liv­
ing with him and graduating from an institution under his adminis­
tration. The impress of his life’s achievements and of his influence
for all that was good and true shall ever remain.
While his life’s career constitutes a fitting eulogy to which no
words may add force of character or dignity of comment, the mem­
bers of this Association desire to give expression to their sincere

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sympathy for the surviving members of the bereaved family to
whom our hearts and thoughts go out in kindly remembrance with
sincerest sympathy in the hour of their inexpressible grief.
His life was characterized by virtues worthy of emulation and he
filled his place in life with honesty of purpose, loyalty of service,
fidelity to duty, integrity to moral obligations and rectitude of con­
duct that will ever keep his memory green.
RESOLVED: That this memorial be and is hereby adopted as the
official act of the Association, that it (be spread upon the minutes
and a copy conveyed to the family, with the hope that to Divine con­
solation there will be added an unclouded memory of the high stand­
ard of the life of an executive, a citizen, educator, husband and
father.
Calder Geedy, President. ,
Mildred J. Basore, Secretary
W. A. G. Linn
Committee
RESOLUTIONS OF THE PERRY COUNTY
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The members of the Perry County Alumni Association were
deeply grieved to learn of the sudden death of the President of our
Alma Mater. We realize he was more than a President; he was a
friend of every student with whom he came in contact.
, Wishing to give expression to our inmost feelings, we have for­
mulated the following resolutions:
Whereas God in his infinite wisdom has seen fit to call Doctor
Lehman, beloved President of our Alma Mater, to His eternal home
and
Whereas, we feel that by his life and example, many students
have been led to higher and nobler ideals, therefore be it
Resolved: That we express our deepest sympathy to the be­
reaved family in the loss of husband and father, commending them
to our Father in Heaven, who, alone, can give comfort, in time of
sorrow and distress., ^
Resolved: That we feel that our Alma Mater has-suffered a dis­
tinct loss by. the untimely death of him who had the best interests
of the College and the student body at heart, who forgot self in
serving others^and exemplified the highest type of Christian en­
deavor.
Resolved further: That our Association assist in taking up the
task, where it has been laid down, by encouraging to enroll at the

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College, worth while students who will endeavor t o , raise the torch
of learning still higher, and by lending our best efforts in. further­
ing the plans and policies as formulated by our fallen leader.
Resolved further: That a. copy of these resolutions be forwarded
to fhe College for publication in the College Herald.
C. R. Coyle, President.
A TRIBUTE PRESENTED BY THE PHILADELPHIA
METROPOLITAN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
1 “ Every good gift and every perfect gift is, from above, and
corpeth down from the Father of light, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning.”
Our beloved President, Doctor Ezra Lehman, has “crossed the
bar” and has “ met his Pilot face to face,” and whilst our minds are
Shocked, our hearts bleed and our souls tremble, we cannot, we dare
not mourn, but we rather rejoice and give thanks unto the Great
Giver of all good for having loaned us for these many years so sweet
a friend, so kind a teacher, so fine a scholar, so great a President.
Spme one has most truly said: “ That Nation is great which
produced great men.” This is as true of a college as it
of a
nation. Shippensburg State Teachers College is one which h is quali­
fied for this title. of greatness, by having brought forth, nurtured,
reared and given to the world a great son in the person of her Pre­
sident, Doctor Ezra Lehman. For, if to minister diligently, to serve
faithfully, to be sincerely a friend to man, to be loyal to his Alma
Mater, to be unswervingly true to the principles of right, constitute
greatness, then our beloved and deeply lamented Doctor Lehman
was trqly great.
It is said that the ancient Spartans required their children once
each day to stand and repeat audibly the names of Leonidas and his
three hundred comrades who withstood Xerxes and his Persian
hordes at Thermopylae. It would be well for our beloved Nation if
this Spartan example were followed in every American home by the
daily naming of those splendid men who, under God, made us and
preserved us a Nation.
The members of the Mtetropolitan District Alumni Association of
Shippenshurg State Teachers College hereby pledge themselves to
stimulate the rising generation by constantly reiterating the names
and the noble deeds of those who have stood in tpe forefront of our
Alma Mater’s ranks, and as our hearts and voices respond to the
roster that memory cells, we spall ever hear Doctor Ezra Lehman as
the first name called.
“ For none knew him hut to love
None named him but to praise.”

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And, fellow alumni, may our ears be forever attuned to hear,
wafting back from Heaven, Doctor Lehman’s challenge to us: ....
“ To' you from failing hand I throw
The torch:
Be yours to hold it high.”
To Doctor Lehman’s family we desire to express our most pro­
found, heartfelt, loving sympathy, but implore them “ not to sorrow
as others which have no hope” , for Doctor Lehman has but gone on
before to his coronation, and is even now hearing the Master’s com­
mendation:
“ In the place where I set you, and with the talents with which
I endowed you, you have done the best you could.”
And we join in the hope that Doctor Lehman’s sincere desire and
earnest prayer that, in That Day, he shall have the supreme joy of
having his family re-united with him in the Land o’ the Leal, to “ go
no more out forever.” . • “ Sunset and evening star
And one clear call for me. ■
.
And may there be no moaning of the bar
When I put out to sea.”
Forever with the Lord
Amen so let it be.
Life from the dead is in that word,
’Tis
S. Z. Shope, Chairman of Committee

TRIBUTE BY THE PITTSBURGH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The news of the death of Doctor Ezra Lehman came as a shock to
the Pittsburgh Alumni Association of the Shippensburg State
Teachers College. Many of us are old graduates who left school
before he became associated with it as president, but a few years ago
he was present with us at our annual banquet and became endeared
to all of us. His kindly conversation pleased us, his pleasant man­
ner attached him to our hearts, our recollections of many happy days
spent at Shippensburg were stirred by his presence; unconsciously
we were drawn to feel as if he had been our mentor, guide, and
friend. He- seemed the very personification of energy; prudence
and wisdom gleamed on his every utterance; We are not like the
river; we come and we go, while it goes on forever. Doctor Lehman
has passed. His successor will be appointed, and the world and the
school of which he was the head Will move on; but truly to fill the
place he filled and not merely to occupy it will be a task- to engage
the talents of the best.
Alma Pauline Baker Martin, Secretary.

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TRIBUTE TO DOCTOR EZRA LEHMAN
Presented by the York County Alumni Association
It is with deep regret and a feeling of great loss that the Alumni
of York County record the passing of Doctor Ezra Lehman. We
know that the present growth and development of the Shippensburg
State Teachers College is, in a large measure, but the fruitage of his:
constant and unremitting efforts to raise the ¡School standards from
better to best. His sympathetic interest in the progress of his fac­
ulty, students and alumni as well as his spirit of optimism and his’
untiring devotion to the administration of the school have endeared
him to the hearts of the ever widening circle -of those who iclaim
Shippensburg as their Alma Mater. We feel that in his passing our
school has lost a most efficient executive and loyal leader and the
teaching world has- lost a man whose service and inspiration , can
neither .be measured nor expressed in words.
The Alumni Association of York County desires to pay tribute
to Doctor Ezra Lehman not only as an Executive whose achievements
are to be admired, and to a teacher whose ideals are to be emulated
but also to the man whose, memory- will remain an inspiration to
those who knew him. The kindliness and cheer of his personality
made him one whose company was eagerly sought and whose com­
panionship was mpst dear. Truly it can be said of him,
“ His life was gentle and the elements
So mixed in him, that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, ‘This was a man’ !”

TRIBUTE OF RESPECT
Presented by The Young Men’s Christian Association
Whereas, Divine Providence has removed from our midst an
esteemed friend, a wise counsellor, and an inspiring leader, the
President of our College, Doctor Ezra Lehman, therefore be it
Resolved: That his life was one of utmost usefulness not only
to his friends, but to thousands of. his pupils and graduates of the
institution in which he served so faithfully as principal and presi­
dent, in guiding them towards the higher ideals in life.
Resolved:
That with.his passing there exists a vacancy in the
hearts of his friends, in the Administration of the College, and in
thé councils of this Association; that we have lost a friend whose ex­
ample won the admiration and respect of all who knew him, whose
kind sympathy and friendly helpfulness was a boon to many, whose
practical advice came from wisdom garnered of experience, whose
: capable'leadership and spirit of sacrifice has inspired thousands of
teachers in service.

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And further be it Resolved: That we, the members of this Association, Will live in a Christian life worthy of the example set by
Doctor Lehman, and that the members of this Association tender to
the bereaved family and friends of the deceased their kindest sym­
pathy and regrets for so great a loss.
Resolved: That these resolutions be placed on the records of
this Association and printed in the Teachers College Herald, and
that a copy be sent to the bereaved family.
Paul F. Cauffman, President

E X T R A C T S F R O M LE T T E R S R E C E IV E D B Y
M RS. L E H M A N
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS FROM MEMBERS OF THE
FACULTY AND OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Doctor Lehman’s death is a public loss as well as a private one
and I do not see how he can be replaced. My associations with him
were most happy and I feel that I have lost a friend.
Helen Sharpe,
Member of the Board of Trustees, Shippensburg
State Teachers College
One of the finest men I have ever known and one beloved by
everyone With whorrt he came in contact.
George S. McLean,
Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Shippensburg
State Teachers College
I feel that all of us Who have had the privilege of working with
Doctor Lehman have suffered a personal loss.
Elizabeth McWilliams,
Member of the faculty, Shippensburg State
Teachers College.
He left us in the midst of his life—both as to age and fcvork.
The momentum to which he has pulled us during his eighteen years
of excellent service will go on. He lived a useful, busy, unselfish
life, always in consideration of others—the service type of life about
which he always spoke. He lived that silent heroism, which is the
most precious thing to me this life has in it.
S. S. Shearer,
Member of the faculty, Shippensburg State
Teachers College

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All of us who have known Doctor Lehman realize that we can­
not measure the extent of his kindly influence and of his great work
and we are all saddened by the news that he lias been taken from us
so suddenly.
Jane- Beardwood,
Member of the faculty, Shippensburg State
Teachers: 'College
My thirteen years of service with Doctor Lehman have given me
an admiration and a respect for a personality, whose memory I shall
cherish as long as I live. I am glad for the opportunity to know
and work with him.
Mary Lee Snively,
Member of the faculty, Shippensburg State
Teachers; College
To me he was more than our chief executive. He was a highly
respected leader, a worthy counselor, a real friend. His going marks
the passing of a great .soul of a Christian gentleman who rendered
endless good to humanity.
Ruth A. Cunningham,
Member of the faculty, Shippensburg State
Teachers College
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS FROM MINISTERS AND
BUSINESS MEN
Doctor Lehman was a man who attracted me strongly and I
have consistently wished that it would be my happy privilege to
know him better. Even in the poignancy of your sorrow it must be
a source of no small consolation to know the unusually high respect
in which he was held far and wide, and to realize that in this hour
multitudes to whom he was endeared by personal, professional, and
social ties, mourn his departure.
Leon.C. Prince,
State Senator
Words fail to adequately express our very high regard for him
whom we always counted our very dear friend.. It was a pleasure
indeed to feel that one was counted among his friends. His passing
was so sudden and unexpected that it was a distinct shock to us all.
We have no disposition to criticise the Providence that has re­
moved. him from this realm of activity. All his powers were in­
vested in his work and he finished the work assigned him much

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sooner than many others. He has been promoted from the realm of
work to that, of reward. He has left a very precious heritage and
memory. His will be a rich reward.
H. R. Lobb,
Pastor, Church of God, Harrisburg, Pa.
There was one side of his life that I became well acquainted
with. That was his sympathy for students who because of financial
reverses would be compelled to leave school. Not infrequently he
came to me with the burden of some student who might be compelled
to leave, and we worked out a plan whereby he could continue.
Just a day before Doctor Lehman passed away I received a let­
ter from a young man just graduating from a higher institution. It
would have been a pleasure for Doctor Lehman to know the grati­
tude of this young man. He leaves a glorious heritage of hundreds
of young lives spurred on to higher goals and ideals. I am glad
that Doctor Lehman came into my life.
L. P Teel,
Business Man, Shippensburg, Pa.
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS FROM STATE DEPARTMENT
AND EDUCATORS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW YORK
W e shall miss his cordial greetings, his genial personality and
his wholesome philosophy more than we can express.
J. W. Potter,
Supervising Principal of the schools
of Carlisle, Pa.
Doctor Lehman was a man among men. I valued his friend­
ship very highly and recognized his ability as an administrator and
a school man. I appreciated his sound judgment. I considered him
one of the foremost educators of our State.
I know that he will be greatly missed not only in his home but
also in the school and in our Presidents’ meetings.
A. C. Rothermel,
President, State Teachers College,
Kutztown, Pa.
It grieves me sorely to lose one whose friendship and comradship in work I cherished so highly.
It is a comfort to carry in blessed memory the knowledge of his
great soul and his abiding faith.
George L. Omwake,
President, Ursinus College

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Those of us who have worked with Doctor Lehman have lost a
dear friend. He was my best adviser and I cherished his friendship
beyond expression.
Henry Klonower,
Director, Teachers Bureau, Department of
Public Instruction
I want to express the high esteem I had for the dear one who
has gone from you. I have pleasant memories of fellowship that he
and I have had together in connection with our educational work.
Splendid work was done by him at the Teachers College. He had
built himself into the memories and lives of multitudes of young
people. In them he continues to live.
A. B. VanOrmer,
Instructor, Juniata College

In his passing I am losing another esteemed friend and the state
of Pennsylvania one of its best educators. His influence on others
was always of the highest type.
S. E. Weber,
Associate Superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools

Those were great years, 1906 to 1913, when we of the Newtown
High SchooLshared Doctor Lehman with you.' They come back to
me now in retrospect with their memories of his fine personality, his
high standards-of achievement and his unflinching devotion to the
ideals for which he always stood. The talks that we had with him
about the details of school administration, those unusual evenings
when we met with him as the chairman of our literary club, the
daily growth in personal power and in skill of personal expression
that marked each one of those years, the daily class récitations in
English where he was always leading his children into larger fields
of thought and up to nobler ideals of service," and the modesty and
the sincerity and the generosity that always marked his every act and
thought, these are but a few of the memories that have come to me
as I have thought over those outstanding days when he and I worked
in the same fields together.
The years since then have been full of achievement for him and
he has made the world his debtor for what he has done in ever-increasing service for the student’s, who have been privileged to come,
under his influence in the great institution of which he was the head.
Now and then there has come to us the privilege of meeting him once

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again on the highways of life and we have rejoiced to note the Widen­
ing of his''sym pathies the effectiveness ; of his leadership and the
greatness of his achievements.
J. D. Dillingham,
Principal Newtown High School, New York City

Doctor Lehman and I have been very closely associated in
school work for many years. I have always considered him one of
my best friends. Because of our relationship I became very much
attached t 9 him indeed. He always made it easy for us to confer
with him upon any problem relative to our work. He has ‘been ex­
tremely helpful. Very often I sought his advice regarding problems
and projects upon which I was working. I valued his opinions on
educational matters very highly,:' I have probably quoted
him more frequently in my discussions of school problems than any
other school man of the State. Therefore, you will realize with what
esteem we held him.
Robert C. Shaw,
Department of Public Instruction

I have always admired Doctor Lehman and have appreciated
fully his- kindness and courtesy in all of my contacts "with him.
I
have taken pride, too, in the fact that Shippensburg Teachers Col­
lege, under his able administration, has forged ahead until it ranks
first among those o f our state.
*
Ruth Immell,
Dean of Women, Wittenberg College,
Former member of the faculty of Shippensburg State,
Teachers College
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS FROM
MEMBERS OF THE ALUMNI
I feel that I have lost a faithful and valued friendAgbne whose
influence on my life I shall always feel.
Blanche Stoops'; ’ '
Class of 1921
His work will live after him for he'was a faithful public ser­
vant, progressive, sympathetic, and a worthy example of a Christian
gentleman.
Cornelius J. Walter,
Class of 1887 I

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I shall always think of Doctor Lehman as one who has brought
good into my life. He was on the faculty in 1899.
Since, I have
also enjoyed my contacts': with him and particularly has he been
helpful to me recently on our scholarship fund.
His passing will be a great losllnot only to his family circle but
to the College he so ably headed.
Frank L. Swigert,
Class of 1899 ■

DOCTOR

LEH M AN ’S

COM M ENCEM ENT

A D D R E SS

For the eighteenth time it is my privilege to address the young
men and women who are about to leave these halls for the larger
world that lies just outside our doors. I have had the opportunity
of speaking on various themes that seemed pertinent to these occa­
sions. Last year I chose what may have appjfared a rather bizarre
subject, “ Feeling the Winds of March When They Do Not Blow.” I
tried to show that the brilliant novelist, George Meredith, had in
mind a world made up of three •classes of people: the rather large
number who'knew thatKhe Winds of March had been blowing only
after they, surveyed trees uprooted and buildings torn down; a still
larger class who knew that March had arrived when they felt its
biting blasts and the impelling force of its blizzards; and a third
class, fit-—though few, the leaders among men and women, “who
from some slight stirring of theJsJraws .can feel the .Winds .of
March when they do SQtBl.owp My appeal to thé. young men . and
women of that class was for leadership in a world that was likely to
be at sixes and sevens as. a result of the winds that Seemed likely
to sweep tdown upon us.
I turn again to my favorite interpreter of life and choose for my
theme, “ Feeling the Winds of March When They Blow.” Though
Meredith has indicated his belief! that there are many who do not
feel the winds while they are blowing, I believe that all of you here
gathered are conscious of the fact that we are now passing through
a period of storm and stress, not only in our economic, but in our
social and religious life asi well.
Captains of Industry assured us a year ago that we were in the
midst of a period’ of ¡“financial readjustment, that the condition of
the country was inherently sound, and that the period of depression,
thanks to our federal reserve system of banking, would be of Compa­
ratively short duration.
W e have no reason to quarrel with the
statement that: business in America is inherently sound—but. two
facts are outstanding: firsf^that the period ogjreconstruction will be
PROLONGED rather than BRIEF, and; secondly, that READJUST-

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MENT must carry REORGANIZATION to meet changed conditions
in a changing civilization.
Our leaders have assured us that our social institutions were
undergoing changes due to progressive views-of life; that there was
no cause for alarm at the increase in crime and in violations kof
prescribed codes of living. They told us that these matters would
speedily adjust themselves to new conditions, that while there must
necessarily be a change in the organization of the home, in the mar­
ital and sex relations, these would speedily conform to the changed
conditions of living due to our industrial and mechanistic age.
I yield to none in my belief that formal and dogmatic religion
has had its day. I believe with the mjost pronounced liberal that re­
ligion that does not find its expression -in conduct is valueless, but
when I note a growing tendency to make religion purely an esthetic,
emotional element introduced into life to satisfy a spiritual craving,
I protest against such milk and water pabulum and unconsciously
find myself longing for a return to an older religion that was a force
in individual life, that molded and shaped conduct in accordance with
the commandments thundered from' Sinai.
The force of the storm is felt in every community and in every
family. Now while the winds are blowing may we not look abroad
and see what has gone down and what has stood the stress of the
storm ?
Two years ago one-fifth of our population did not depend upon
wages received for services or from incomes from investments for
sustenance. These old time methods were too slow for a modern,
red blooded man or worn,an. Stocks were rising, the sky was the
limit, thousands of shares were bought on margin and paper profits
mounted. Our industrial establishments were running on double
time to supply the demand for their products. Stocks mounted, di­
vidends and extra dividends followed in regular succession. Talk to
young men about industry and high moral standards being necessary
to success! They saw these old time ideas disproved every day.
And then the crash!—bank failures,-depleted or vanished fortunes,
factories closed or running on half time, men out of work, families
suffering that never felt the pinch of poverty before— And we try
now to explain these matters by blaming everything on OVERPRO­
DUCTION!
My young friends, I desire at no time to fill the place of a
wailing Jeremiah and especially at a time like this in your career
when you are about to go out into the world to battle for recognition;
“ Why then” , do you ask, “ sound this lugubrious note?” . Because I
want you to go with me over the wind swept field and see what has
survived the attack of the elements. Hear Thomas Jefferson speak:
“ The nation needs honesty, industry, and intelligence. N q man

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having these will fail.” The canny Benjamin Franklin said, “ Make
up your mind there is no short cut to successjl Keep wouldst have any shop keep thee” . We thought we had scrapped
these and all other similar old fashioned beliefs. But today, young
men and women, the insistent demand is for those who can be trusted,
who are workers, who are interested in the job to be done, rather
than the wages to be paid. These are the men and women who are
holding their positions now and who will always hold them, while the
clock watcher, sighing for holidays and easy jobs, is lamenting the
hard fate that has led to his loss of a position. And so we may
learn certain very useful lessons in life while the March winds blow.
There are thousands of sincere men and women who in pulpit,
forum, magazine and newspaper sincerely lament that social stand­
ards regarded by them not only as sanctioned by time, but even by
divine decree, have been cast or blown down in the wild tempest of
the past few years. They lament what they term immodesty in
dress on the part of young women, laxity of moral conduct on the
part of both sexes, the breakdown of the home and the severance
of the marriage tie. They point out that these conditions have been,
the prelude to the decay and final overthrow of the great nations of
the past, and they ¿re alarmed over the situation that confronts our
own country.
.
Let us admit that too often we judge the ethical quality of an
act by its conformity to or disagreement with our own opinions of
what is socially proper. Because of this condition it is often diffi­
cult to pass ethical judgment upon social behaviour.
I would be
more alarmed about these mjatters if I did not find that the morals
of the younger generation as reflected in their social habits have
been the point of attack by pulpit, press, and spinners and spinster's
of every generation. I prefer to believe that our young people are
essentially moral. But I concede that they are often imprudent and
foolish in behavior.
We hear much in certain quarters of the subservience of teachers
to local conditions and their failure to assert their independence of
these. The trouble with these critics is that they fail to distinguish
between essentials and non-essentials. A community has a right to
ask that the teachers of its childrden shall not flaunt their indivi­
dual preferences in its face, but it has no right to demand that a
teacher shall stulify himself on matters that involve principles of
belief. A community has no right to declare what a teacher shall
teach in regard to the creation of the world, nor has a teacher a right
to flaunt his beliefs on matters that are subjects of controversy when
they do not concern the work of the school. It is unfortunate, ladies
and gentlemen, that there should be so much confusion existing in
the public mind as to its claims upon the time, the point of view of

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the teacher—in matters that do not concern the community., Thé
attention of the. public has been directed to the loss of position by
teachers for reasons that had little or no bearing upon their effi­
ciency as instructors^ One of these has been the question of affili­
ation with certain religious sects. The constitution guarantees that
no religiousYtest of any kind shall be required of any teacher in the
public schools. It is not a question of Protestant or Catholic, Jew
or Gentile. It is one of fitness from the moral, scholastic, and pro­
fessional standpoint-—but not of individual beliefjip
In a Western Pennsylvania newspaper the following advertise­
ment appeared under date of June 15, 1831: “ Wanted— A good moral
man of sufficient knowledge, addicted neither to- smoking, swearing,
or excessive drinking— must be a Scotch Presbyterian. Apply to John
McHenderson.” The'records of the school board , subsequently read
an follows i ! ‘ On this sixth day: of July 1831, Alexander Sampson was
chosen school teacher for Allen’s Run for a termi of four months at
a wage of fourteen dollars each month. He pledges himself not to
smoke, or swear, to attend church and prayer .meeting and not to
drink spiritous liquors''to excess.”
We see that a century ago this
community was uncertain just what things were essential to: a suc­
cessful teacher. (May wei.not hope that the Winds of March now
blowing will clear the air.
What has the community a right to demand of its» teachers ?
Three outstanding thing^jsS
1.
ADEQUATE SCHOLARSHIP. Today;" the minimum re­
quirements is graduation from an àpproved four year high school
'course followed by atlleast.two years of professional training. In
two years this requirement will undoubtedly be raised to a minimum
dï four years academic and professional post high'-school training
with the_possession of a n . earned baccalaureate, degree, i Eighteen
years ago less than half the teachers of Pennsylvania had four years
of high school training and only 30 per cent had two years of pro­
fessional arid academic training. Today 94 percent have at least
this amount of training and 25 percent have- from three to four
years advanced instruction.
Did this condition obtain because of legislative action ?
No,
there is no law requiring four years advanced study for teaching in
elementary, schools. The cause is not far to seek. When the World
War called into training camps our best young manhood, the think­
ing men and women of the nation were amazed at the situation that
confronted them. More, than 40 per cent o f the young men between
the ages of eighteen and thirty had but a third grade education. They
were unable :to read and interpret the'columns of an ordinary news­
paper. More than 60. percent were lacking an eighth grade, educa­
tion and only 20 percent had a high school education. And these

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were the future citizenry of America! The men who would be called
upon to solve the most difficult questions that had ever confronted
the nation! Another test revealed that these young men were not
lacking in intelligence—natural ability. .More than 75 percent were
as intelligent as approved standards ' of expectation justified. The
difficulty was that they had not been properly taught, that they had
been denied educational opportunity, that teachers were themselves
often men and women ranging from sixth to eighth grade achieve­
ment.
Then the storm—the Winds of March began to blow and they
are still blowing. Let us note what has gone down. Ten years ago
it was believed that practically anyone could teach school. Did the
boy or girl lack vitality—physical robustness? Make a teacher of
him. Did he lack ambition and application to prepare himself or
herself for a trade or a profession?: Let him take a short cut, at­
tend a Normal School a summer Session of nine weeks, and prepare
for teaching.
Was a girl uncertain as to what she wanted to do?— Let her
prepare for teaching and earn some money while she angled for
Prince Charming. Small wonder that with teachers whose knowledge
of history was confined to Barnes’ History of the United States, whose
knowledge of the great literature o f the world was limited to selec­
tions found in a fourth or fifth reader, whose knowledge of mathema­
tics was limited to Raub’s or Greenleaf’S Arithmetic— the pupils in
the public schools literally starved. No wonder that the brilliant—
caustic writer, Meredith, from whom I have taken my theme, whote
“ Those who can, do; those who cannot, teach” . We deserved the
reproach hurled at us, ‘‘ A nation of third graderà taught by sixth
graders.”
We learned that men and women Could not. teach what they did
not know, and we have demanded that they prepare themselves ade­
quately for their work. But we still find certain old time ideas en­
cumbering the landscape. One of these is the deeply rooted belief
that much more intelligence is needed to teach in the upper grades
and in the high school than in the primary grades!- But the Winds
of March are pulling and tugging at this old bole, bereft of most of
'■'it's branchés, and it must go down before the storm. My friends,
possibly you will not agree with me when I say to you that the great­
est intelligence, the finest training, and the greatest skill are needed
in the primary grades! ?•.
Your little children leave your homes—you mothers, don’t you
remember when little Johnny and Mary—now on this platform— Set
out from your home for the first time to go to school? Don’t you
remember the wonder in their shining eyes, as you kissed them good
bye—and brushed a tear from ybur own eyes ? I tell you men and

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women, and you young women of the graduating class who will
teach in the primary grades or who, in a rural school, will greet
children on their first day in school, that after an experience of more
than forty years as a teacher, I am convinced that the most import­
ant place in our school system is held by the primary teacher.
I
want that teacher to know the most beautiful things in literature
and life. Has Shakespeare opened the doors of the human heart
with its loves and its hates to her ? Have the 'Canterbury Pilgrims
told her their matchless stories ? Has Wordsworth unfolded the
beauties of the starlit heavens and the silent lakes to her? Have
Milton, Shelley, Keats, Burns, Tennyson, and Browning sung to
her? Has she learned the history of mankind from its beginnings
up to the present mechanistic age? Does she understand the rela­
tion of the primary numbers that she is teaching to the great laws
of mathematics as unfolded in. the movements of distant planets?
Does she know the laws of health as revealed in the development of
the race? Has she a knowledge of biology and what life means?
Does she have with these a love of little children, a desire to help
them ? All of these you have a right to demand of the teacher who
more than anyone else determines whether your little boy or girl will
love school, will learn things that are worth while and will return
to you each evening exclaiming “ Oh, Mother, I just love school and
my teacher.” This, my friends, is the type of teacher I want to see
in every primary and rural school in America.
How long a time will it take to acquire that proficiency? Well,
four years of post high school training will be short enough.
Some of you, my friends, com,e from our rural regions.
My
mind harks back to the days that I spent upon the old Franklin
County -farm. I know the financial burden that you are called upon
to bear today in the effort to provide a good education for your
children. You represent the purest Scotch Irish and Germanic
^strains to be found anywhere in America, save possibly that in the
Cumberland mountains. You have a right to demand that our an­
tiquated system of taxation be revised and that the State bear a lar­
ger part of the burden of maintaining a school system equal to that
found in our cities and towns. I endorse the splendid road making
system of the Governor of this State, lifting as it does the burden of
a road system from the farmer. May we look forward under simi­
lar leadership for a State system of public school maintenance which
will bring equal educational opportunity to every boy and girl in the
most remote rural and mountain section of this great Commonwealth?
2.
The second thing that a community has a right to demand is
that the teacher not only know what to teach, but he must be trained
HOW TO TEACH. We have not all learned this lesson for there
are still those abroad, and some of them are found even in our educa-

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tional institutions, who maintain' that if a student knows the subject
to be taught he can teach it. They assert that technique and skill
will be acquired by experience. This opinion found expression in
the belief that as soon as a ‘ doctor had finished his medical course1
,:
he was ready to practice his profession, but now he is required to
spend a year in a hospital under the most skillful supervision that
can be secured. Industrial plants require that all who enter their
shops shall have had technical instruction in schools or colleges
where methods of work are emphasized.
Every test recently made proves that the young teacher who
has had the benefit of instruction in the technique of teaching and
who has taught as a student teacher under skillful supervision will
far surpass the beginner who lacks this training.
We are learning, too, that teaching must no longer be regarded
as an accidental or even an incidental phase in the life of a man or
woman. Formerly, men and women often secured positions as
teachers until they could amass a litfle money to go into business
or to enter a law or medical school. They did not regard teaching
as a profession—or even as a permanent life job. That day is past.
The State now demands that no one engage in teaching in the public
schools unless he has met the professional qualifications of a teacher.
It will always be remiembered that Bill Nye, the humorist,'said he
tried teaching school for two reasons: first, because he needed a lit­
tle money, and secondly, because he had heard that teaching was a
short cut to the presidency. In the future, fewer presidents will follow
that route unless, like our great war executive, President Wilson,
they are summoned from the school room to power and place.
The Winds of March are shaking an old landmark designated
"Preparation of Teachers by privately owned and controlled institu­
tions.” For many years colleges and academies o f this class pre­
pared teachers for the public schools— before the day ' when State
controlled or owned institutions came into being. They deserved well
of the Commonwealth for the service rendered in those earlier days,
but gradually the conviction grew that education was too big an
undertaking to be under local control. If the State i ll to subsidize
the schools in the various districts, in many instances to pay more
than half their cost, if it is to certify to the type of work done,po '
prepare the curricula of the schools—in short to standardize the work
of all the public schools, then it must provide for the education- of
the teachers. It mfust be responsible for the maintainance of the
Normal Schools and Teachers Colleges, it must approve the course
of study, see to it that adequate arrangement is made for pupil
teaching in the public schools under conditions as. nearly“ like those
the young teacher will meet as possible. The State must be the
sole authority to decide whether the teachers in its.; junior and sen-

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ior high and'-itdi elementary schools have met the academic'and prot
fessional qualifications required. There can be no divided responsi­
bility. The rapid growth of the' secondary departments in the State
Teachers Colleges attests the demand for young men and. women
trained in them for high school positions.
3.
The third and last qualification that you may demand is HIGH
ETHICAL STANDARDS ..on the. part of those who would enter the
profession of teaching. .
■. Conditions, incident to the present period of business depression
have led to a greater surplusage of teaehersSthan. at any other time
during the past twepty years. Many young men and women from
business .and other professions*!are .turning to Teaching for which
they .were formerly prepared. Hundreds of married women, formerly&teacherS-whose husbands have lost their positions, are trying
to reenter their profession so as to. become wage earners.
Thiiy produces a temporary stagnation in teacher supply. Now
that superintendents and principals, can pick and choose; we are
able to ascertain what qualities aside front scholarship and profes­
sional training are regarded as esseritial.
In the past, I have been inclined to question whether th e. old
time virtues: . industry, Ihonesty, common sense, stability, and their
like were in as great demand as they were years ago. But today I
unhesitatingly say that the demand is for workers; for young men
and women who are more concerned about finding time in which to
do their work than in wondering when the next holiday tvill come and
hoW much time they will be given from their work. Good old fash­
ioned honesty not only as it relates to the distinction between mine
and thine, but in the larger sense, truthfulness, honest work, sin­
cerity, with a character above suspicion, are again coming into their
own. I unhesitatingly say, if the present financial slump will lead
our young people to realize that character is the noblest, and best as­
set that any man or woman can have, it will be'worth all it cost this
nation in dollars and cents.
And now, my young friends of the graduating class, I turn to
you as you are about to leave us to go into service that will test,
your knowledge, your teaching skill and your character as they have
never been tested before. I am anxious that you make an inventory
of goods and, chattels that have survived the \yinds -of March and
that seem likely to withstand them to the end.
- Let us look at the credit and debt side of your ledger in these
last days of your college year. Business and professional men and
women,- even school teachers, have been forced to strike off the cre­
dit side of their account many items that they deemed very valuable

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■when they were first acquired.

COLLEGE

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37

Stocks,that they deemed safe and

sound investments have not weathered the winds that have been
blowing and they must be stricken from the books.
Will you ^confess, that many of you have a column designated
“ Things we got by with—work that wasn’t honestly done—
—conduct
that we couldn’t approve in our heart of hearts—willingness to ac­
cept a bare passing grade when we! couid have done much betfcâf ?
' Book at the entries/ IDo they represent assets or liabilities?
i)id it pay you ? No, clearly they do not belong to the credit column.
We’ll be generous, and instead o f transferring them to the debit side
where they belong, we’ll strike them off so that they may not . cum­
ber your record.
What do you know now that you did not know when you enrolled
two years ago ? ' Pour years ago ?
We assume that you have learned many of the facts of sBiencê;
>of history, o f mathematics'; that you did not know before.

We know

that you have made the acquaintance of great writers in your own and
•other languages. We trust you understand more about the technique
o f teaching and that art and music have a new meaning to you.
Unless you have these on the credit side of your account, your years
as a student here have been p i little value to you. But if you have
not added more than these to your account,’ you have failed to realize
what you should have realized on your investment. Your life here
has been a challenge to you. Have the branches that you studied op­
ened the doors of life to you—and made you dissatisfied with your­
self and your attainment? Have they opened new vistas to you
where everlasting hills gleaming in thé sunlight beckoned you on?
Forty-two years ago I stood on this rostrum with forty-one
others to receive the certificates of graduation. I realize now how
poor in academic and professional content was the course, that we
had completed; twenty-nine chapters of Caesar, five books of plane
geometry, the study of a book of sélections of English and Ameri­
can writings—with one play/ Hamlet, Haven’s Mental Science; Steel’s
fourteen weeks in Natural Philosophy, Wickersham’s School Manage­
ment—the sum and total not equal to the curriculum of a modern
two year high school. And, shall I confess it? The winds of March
blowing for forty-two years have .swept away much of the little
material of that course. I fear I should stumble over some of the

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original propositions of the third book of plane geometry and I am
not at all sure that I could read the fourteenth chapter of the first
book of Caesar to Professor Stewart’s satisfaction. But, in spite of it
all, I want to say to you that no graduation and no diploma that
may have come to me since then has meant as much as that one re­
ceived here forty-two years ago. For in Professor John McCreary’s
class, Shakespeare waved his magic wand and rolled back the cen­
turies, and I had stood with Hamlet on the battlements of Elsinore,
and heard the dread commands of the ghost of the buried majesty
of Denmark as it spoke to the distracted son. I became a bond slave
to the master dramatist forever—and Anthony and Cleopatra, Bru­
tus and Cassius became not the pale, colorless creations of the his­
torian’s pen, but living, sentient beings. So I walked with Rolalind in
the forest of Arden and listened to the dirge in the fourth act of
Cymbeline.
“ Fear no more the heat o’ the sun,
Nor the furious winter’s rages; •
Thou, thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages.”
So I hope that some teacher has kindled a divine discontent in
your souls that will not be satisfied until you have drunk deep in
the subject taught. Have you specialized in biology, physics, or
chemistry ? If so, life should have a new meaning to you because
of what you have learned. Next year a postulate assumed as true
today may be proved false, but if the teacher has so taught the sub­
ject in the class room or laboratory that you have come to like it,
that you want to go on with it, so interested you in it that you had
to: be driven from class room and laboratory, then you have sat at
the feet of a great teacher—and though all the; facts that he taught
should as a result of later investigations be proved false, you would
carry away with you something so fine— so worthwhile that all the
Winds of March could not blow it away. So in history, in mathe­
matics, in language, in music, in art. It is not the fact that abides;
it is the meaning, the significance of it in our lives and in the life
of society that counts'. ‘
We shall miss you as you go forth.
You have distinguished
yourselves as a class, not only in «scholarship, but in your ability to
do the extra thing—to go the second mile.
We hail you as new recruits in the age old struggle between ig­
norance and knowledge—’between vice and virtue. You come to the
firing line, not only with the newest equipment in techique and know-

THE

TEACHERS

COLLEGE

HERALD

39

ledge, but you come with your enthusiasm—and with the zest of con­
flict coursing in your veins. We welcome you, for we know that
with you rests the issue of the struggle. We shall watch with eager,
even if with dimming eyes, the manner in which you meet the fire__
for meet it you must. Will you retreat because the struggle is hard
—because you are unappreciated—misunderstood? Or will each
problem, each new difficulty, be a challenge to your manhood and
womanhood?
Alexander the Great sighed because there were no more worlds
to conquer. Do you seek new worlds?Hear the words of Millikan,
the great scientist. “ We stand in education, especially in those
departments of science that deal with the relation of mind and mat­
ter just where Columbus stood when he put foot upon the Santa
Maria about to begin his world changing voyage.”
The Winds of March are blowing. Come, Mariners all! Will
they blow you back to shore, broken and defeated? Or will you,
daring the challenge of wind and gale, set sail and make port in the
still uncharted islands of human achievement ?