THE LECTURES AND JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF INSTRUCTION JULY 5-8, 1881, AT ST. ALBANS, VT. E. NORRIS-SULLIVAN, REPORTER FOR THE INSTITUTE. Published by order of the Board of Directors. BOSTON, MASS.: AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF INSTRUCTION. 1882. PREFACE. Ir may not be inappropriate to preface this report of the proceedings of the first year of the second half-century of the American Institute of Instruction with a brief outline of the origin, aims, and purposes of the Association. At a meeting of teachers in Boston, March, 1830, it was resolved to form a permanent association of persons engaged and interested in the profession of teaching. A committee was appointed to draft a constitution, and the first meeting of the American Institute of Instruction was held Aug. 19, 1830, in the State House at Boston. Of the above committee, and the only original member now living, Hon. Henry K. Oliver, of Boston, was in attendance at the meeting at St. Albans. Rev. Francis Wayland was the first president, and in the list of his successors we find many eminent names. To the first meeting there came, by stage-coach and on horseback, representatives from fifteen States. From that time till the present, this association has held annual meetings in various places, twenty-three in Massachusetts, nine in New Hampshire, five in Maine, five in Connecticut, four in Vermont, three in Rhode Island, and two in New York. The first ten years the meetings were held in Boston, and open only to members, then numbering from one hundred to two hundred and fifty; but they have since been open to all comers. For many years the Institute was the only general educational association in America, and it attracted to itself the earnest workers in these fields from all parts of the country. But in 1857 the National Educational Association was formed, and the older body, though still "American" in name, has become gradually more distinctively New England in sympathies and location. Previous to 1874 the Legislature of Massachusetts appropriated three hundred dollars annually to help defray the expenses of the Institute. Since that time it has been entirely self-supporting. 90034 The officers constitute the body of directors of the Institute, and meet at least once a year, in the winter, to choose a place and outline a programme for the next meeting. At the meeting of the directors held in Boston, Jan. 1, 1881, an executive committee was appointed to make all arrangements for the holding of the fifty-second annual meeting of the Institute. This committee decided, in accordance with the votes, to hold the meeting at St. Albans, Vt., on the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th of July, 1881 Most complete arrangements were made, and all the indications pointed to a very successful meeting. The list of speakers included the names of James A. Garfield, the first teacher-President of the United States, members of his Cabinet, and governors of New England, Judge Tourgee, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, and others, who were to address an open-air meeting on the afternoon of Friday, July 8. The sad news of the assassination of the President of the United States came just as the executive committee at St. Albans was congratulating itself on the complete success of all the arrangements. The blow was unexpected and almost overwhelming, but thoughts only of the welfare of the President occupied the mind of all; and for the American Institute of Instruction, President Mowry sent the following telegram to the Executive Mansion: Col. A. F. ROCKWELL, Secretary: ST. ALBANS, Vг., July 3. In behalf of the American Institute of Instruction, officers and members, I desire to express through you, to the President and his family, the great sorrow that pervades all our hearts at the terrible calamity that overshadows and threatens our nation; and our profound sympathy with the President and Mrs. Garfield in these most distressing circumstances Our own disappointment not to meet the President, his family, and members of the Cabinet at the approaching session of the Institute, though great, is as nothing in comparison with the deep solicitude which we feel for the recovery of the President and the consequent welfare of the country. We are to-day, however, rejoicing that the President still lives, and hopeful that the encouraging reports flashed to us over the wires indicate his recovery. The earnest prayers of many teachers go up to-day to our Heavenly Father that He may spare to us our beloved Chief Magistrate, and that his recovery may be speedy and entire. WILLIAM A. MOWRY, President American Institute of Instruction. Following this sad calamity came the disappointing news to the committee that Judge Tourgee, also, could not come. Great efforts were at once made to fill, at a day's notice, these great gaps in the programme. Letters and telegrams were sent to many leading speakers in all parts of the country. To Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Carl Schurz, G. W. Curtis, and others were telegraphed urgent requests, but from all came the same disappointing replies. Yet, notwithstanding these drawbacks, the committee were able to present a well-filled programme, and as a consequence, the superior teachers came in large numbers, - probably a full thousand. And when there, it was no special virtue to go to every meeting, when each session was arranged with consummate tact to attract the undivided attention. The great audience room of the Congregational church was crowded to its utmost capacity at day and evening sessions, and the interest seemed to gather head to the culminating point in the noble out-door meeting in the public park, on Friday, which proved a great success, and a fitting finale to the exercises of the Institute. As early as 1.30 the grand stand and seats began to fill, and at 2.30 were crowded full, while hundreds were obliged to stand about the outside; making, at a low estimate, at least 3,000 people. Previous to the meeting, the band played several selections. On the platform were seated President Mowry, Gov. Farnham, Gov. Littlefield, Gen. H. K. Oliver, Hon. J. W. Patterson, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, Hon. W. C. Smith, C. C. Coffin, Prof. A. Parish, Rev. G. Van Norden, Judge Deavitt, and representatives of the Journal of Education, Boston Journal, Montreal papers, Providence Press, St. Albans Messenger, and the Associated Press. The speeches mostly of a political character were listened to attentively for several hours, and the Institute was closed amidst much enthusiasm. In the evening, a public reception was tendered the members of the Institute, by the Hon. W. S. Smith, of St. Albans, and, as an enthusiastic correspondent writes, "A warm moonlight night, beautiful house and grounds brilliantly illuminated, a cordial host, who entertained in a delightful manner, a band at a little distance discoursing sweet music, and a gay company - what need to say that the affair was most pleasant and successful " As many of the readers of this work may be interested to know more of the president of this most successful meeting, we take the liberty of appending a brief sketch of his life, taken from the Journal of Education: |