History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 115

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 756

USA > Alabama > History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I > Part 115

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Under act of February 17, 1915, the State board of teachers' examiners was authorized to grant first grade certificates to graduates of "Class A" normal schools, provided that certificates shall only issue to such gradu- ates as here "successfully passed a minimum number of courses in education designated and approved by the State board of examin- ers."

On September 30, 1918, its report to the State superintendent of education showed buildings and site valued at $211,000; equip- ment $27,770; 15 teachers; 592 normal and summer school pupils; 175 children in the model school; 6,379 volumes in library, valued at $7,895; 54 Alabama counties and 6 states represented among the pupils; and State appropriation of $20,000.

Summer School .- Summer courses are regularly offered. Three summer terms equal one regular session of nine months.

History. This is the oldest of the State Normal Schools. It was originally estab- lished by the old State board of education

December 14, 1872. The act was made con- tingent upon the gift by the trustees of the Florence Wesleyan University of the grounds and buildings of that old institution. The deed to the property was executed, and the new school was organized. Although under a different name, the Florence State Normal School, therefore, represents old LaGrange, and its successor the Florence Wesleyan University. Of the historic continuity of these institutions, Rev. Dr. R. H. Rivers, sometime president of the Florence Wesleyan, says in the Life of Bishop Robert Paine, p. 71:

"The college at Florence was actually giv- en to the State of Alabama by the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, South. So the work of Bishop Paine and his associates and suc- cessors still lives in an institution which promises great and increasing usefulness to the State which received it as a free gift from the Church. The propriety of this transfer of a valuable property, unincumbered by debt, will not be discussed in these pages. Suffice it to say that to the last of his life Bishop Paine always regarded the school at Florence as the continuation of the one or- ganized by himself in 1830. So most cer- tainly it is, though under another name and under different auspices. Its value is largely due to the early efforts of President Paine and his associates."

The original board of directors included the names of A. H. Jones, James B. Erwin, N. H. Rice, R. M. Patton, T. T. Allington, B. P. Joiner, R. O. Pickett, William B. Wood, and Joseph H. Speed. The trustees were required to organize the school upon the most approved plan and, among other things, "to establish a course of instruction with spe- cial reference to educating teachers in the theory and practice of teaching." Students were to be admitted free from any portion of the State, but were to enter into a writ- ten obligation to teach at least two years in the public schools of Alabama.

The new school was succesful from the beginning. During the first year 97 students matriculated, of which 19 entered the nor- mal classes. In the second year, there were 126 registered, of whom 50 were normal students. During the vacation months, the students taught in the surrounding country, complying with the practice work required. In 1879 there were five graduates, three in the normal and two in the literary depart- ment. In 1880 a chair of natural science was added. A new departure was also introduced by the admission of girls. In that year 79 pupils were enrolled in the normal depart- ment.

The original act provided that the trustees should hold office at their own pleasure, and that vacancies by death or resignation should be filled by the remaining members. This condition continued until February 28, 1887, when an amendment was adopted providing for the governing of the school by six di- rectors, together with the superintendent of education, to be appointed by the governor,

598

HISTORY OF ALABAMA

in groups of two, for terms of two, four, and six years, the successors of the several groups to be appointed every two years to hold their offices for terms of six years each. With the appointment of the new board by the gover- nor the old board was to retire.

The legislature February 27, 1901, amended the original charter, and reincor- porated the school as the Board of Directors of the State Normal College at Florence. The trustees were required to "hold in trust for the State of Alabama all the property, real and personal, now owned or held for the use of said normal school." It was further pro- vided that "all laws now of force relating to said normal school are hereby made ap- plicable to said college by its corporate name." Another provision was enacted permitting the obligation of normal pupils to teach, to also include an obligation to pay tuition in case they did not teach, and power was conferred upon the board to require the parent, guar- dian or other person "to guarantee the per- formance of said obligation and contract by said pupil," and infancy was to be no defense to enforcement of the obligation.

One of its latest catalogues declares that "from its earliest years it has had among its presidents and professors some of the ablest educators of the country-men and women whose influence in the educational progress of the State has been marked, and who have trained teachers whose worth and ability and success testify to the kind of work done at Florence. Alabama is justified in the pride she feels in the school's past history, and looks to it with confidence that it will continue to supply teachers who will place the State's educational rank still higher, and will educate its citizens In the truest sense."

An Alumni Association was organized in 1880, having as its purpose the promotion of fellowship and union among the graduates. Annual business meetings are held. At the meetings of the Alabama Educational Asso- ciations in recent years it has been customary for old students of the school to get together in a social reunion. In 1913 the Alumni As- sociation furnished at the school a guest room for the use of visiting alumnæ, free of charge. Lists of the alumni appear in occasional num- bers of the Bulletin.

Support .- The act of December 14, 1872, establishing the school carried with it an ap- propriation of $5,000 for maintenance, and the amendatory act of December 5, 1873,made no change in this amount. On February 12, 1879, this sum was Increased to $7,500. In 1903 it was still further increased to $10,000; in 1907 to $15,000; and in 1911, $20,000.

On December 13, 1900, the legislature ap- propriated $10,000 "for the purpose of re- pairing the building and the improvement of the ground belonging to the State Normal College at Florence, Ala."

The legislature April 20, 1911, "for the purpose of constructing additional buildings for the State Normal College at Florence, Ala- bama, and providing for the furnishing and equipment of the same, and for necessary

repairs to existing buildings," appropriated $50,000 to be paid in four equal annual in- stallments, payable October 1, 1911; October 1, 1912; October 1, 1913, and October 1, 1914, with the proviso "That said sum hereby appropriated shall be payable on the approval of the governor in whole or in part, from time to time, as in his opinion the condition of the treasury may warrant," and with the further proviso that $15,000 be paid into the treasury of the school by Florence as a dona- tion. The condition imposed was met by the town, but the appropriations were not finally released in full until 1914.

Library .- The catalogue of 1917 details the condition of the school library:

"The Library contains about six thousand two hundred bound volumes and quite a num- ber of pamphlets. The books have been se- lected with reference to the needs of the vari- ous departments. They comprise the stand- ard works in literature, history, science, philosophy, pedagogy, and art, and general works of reference, including dictionaries, en- cyclopedias, atlases, books of quotations, bi- ographies, etc. The library contains a com- plete set of the War Records. In addition to these there is a fairly complete collection of the more important public documents and a number of bound volumes of the standard periodicals.

"The front half of the second floor of the Annex is occupied by the library, and there is a stack room in the basement. The library is being equipped with new sectional book- cases and other furniture in mission oak.

"Free access to the stacks is given to all students. A complete card catalogue, com- prising author, title and subject entries has been provided.

"Sixty of the best periodicals are received by the library. They are placed on the tables while current and are then filed for reference. City and State papers are received."

Presidents .- S. P. Rice, 1873-1881; Rev. Dr. Hardie Brown, 1881-1885; Rev. J. A. Heard, 1885-1886; T. J. Mitchell, 1886-1888; James Knox Powers, 1888-1897; M. C. Wil- son, 1897-1911; J. K. Powers 1911-1913; W. R. Harrison, acting pres., 1913; Henry Jones Willingham, 1913 -.

See Florence Wesleyan University; La- Grange College; Normal Schools.

PUBLICATIONS .- Catalogues, 1874-1919; Alumni Register, 1873-1898; Purple and Gold, 1913.

REFERENCES. - Publications, supra; State Board of Education, Acts, 1872, pp. 24-26, 27-28; Ibid. 1873, pp. 14-15; Acts, 1878-79, p. 146; 1886-87, p. 181; 1900-01, pp. 346, 1287; General Acts, 1903, p. 233; Local Acts, 1903, pp. 238, 396; General Acts, 1907, p. 187; 1911, pp. 416, 494, 556; 1915, p. 846; Code, 1876, secs. 1263- 1276; Clark, History of education in Alabama (1889), p. 255; Weeks, Public school education in Alabama (U. S. Bureau of Education, Bulle- tin 12, 1915), p. 155.

FLORENCE SYNODICAL FEMALE COL- LEGE. A former higher educational insti- tution, for the education of white women,

599

HISTORY OF ALABAMA

at one period under the control of the Synod of Memphis. It was established at Flor- ence in 1852, by Rev. Dr. Wm. H. Mitchell. However, the names of those associated with Dr. Mitchell and details of early history are wanting. Early copies of the catalogs show Robert M. Patton (later governor of the State) was president of the board of trustees. Interested with him were a long list of pub- lic spirited citizens including Judge R. W. Walker, Gen. S. D. Weakley, Neal Powell, M. D., Capt. A. D. Coffee, J. Brock, M. D., Col. G. W. Karsner, J. M. Simpson, R. T. Simpson, R. D. Martin, Rev. J. W. Walston, Rev. Dr. J. O. Stedman, Rev. J. A. Tillespie, Rev. L. B. Gaston, Rev. H. H. Payne, and William P. Campbell, Secretary.

The College was chartered by the Legisla- ture, but the bill was vetoed by Gov. John A. Winston. However, it was passed by the constitutional majority over his objections, December 13, 1855. The incorporators were Rev. Dr. Wm. H. Mitchell, Robert M. Pat- ton, James Irvine, Richard W. Walker, Sld- ney C. Posey, Neal Powell, Thomas Kirkman, S. D. Weakley, Chas. Gookin, Benj. F. Fos- ter, John S. Kennedy, Wm. H. Key, Benj. Taylor, Boyles E. Bourland, John T. Edgar, A. Smith, A. A. Doak, and R. B. McMullen. As chartered the school was originally under the control of the Presbyterian Synod of Nashville. The act shows that certain prop- erty had been deeded to the Synod on No- vember 25, 1854, and this property the Legis- lature vested in the trustees in trust for the maintenance of the institution.

This act was amended February 13, 1893, by which power was conferred upon the trus- tees to "convey and mortgage" the school property "for the purpose of liquidating or securing debts" incurred by the trustees for the benefit of the school, for the purpose of raising money to repair the buildings, and to further carry on its work. As appears from the amendatory act, the school was located on the "square of ground bounded on the South by Seminary Street, East by Moblle Street, North by Market Street, and West by Tombigbee Street."

Throughout its history the aims of the college were high and no institution for young women exercised more wholesome in- fluence. A full list of its presidents is not available. However, Rev. Dr. Wm. H. Mitchell, D. D., Prof. J. D. Anderson, and Prof. H. E. Stone are known to have served in that relation at different times.

REFERENCES .- Acts, 1855-56, p. 354; 1892-93, p. 539; Catalogues, 1870, 1876, and 1894.

FLORENCE UNIVERSITY. A former in- stitution for the higher education of young women. In 1908 the property was acquired by Messrs. M. W. Hatton and O. W. Ander- ton. Of the transfer of the property the Bul- letin for 1909 says: "Mr. Hatton had been corresponding for several years with the cor- poration controlling the University. But in January, 1908, the company headed by Mr. N. C. Elting determined to establish a woman's

college, and made such sweeping concessions that the managers of the Southern Female College immediately took over the property. The citizens of Florence have liberally given a large bonus for the fitting up and repairing of the school."

The original institution, of which this was the successor, was the Baptist Female Uni- versity. The legislature, February 26, 1889, had chartered the Florence Educational, Land and Development Company, with Rev. Dr. J. B. Hawthorne, Rev. Dr. B. F. Riley, T. T. Eaton, Porter King, E. B. Cornly, and J. H. Field as incorporators. Power was given to establish in or near Florence a college or colleges for higher education. Numerous other powers were given, including the right to purchase and lay off lands, to build houses thereon, to maintain street rallways, water works, gas works, and industrial plants or manufacturing plants of any and every de- scription, and to otherwise develop the prop- erty. The original school buildings were erected at a cost of about $86,000. The plans of the promoters did not receive anticipated support, and the school had been closed for some time prior to its opening under the new name above. The addition of modern im- provements increased the value of the original property to about $100,000. In 19- the buildings were destroyed by fire.

REFERENCES .- Acts, 1888-89, p. 746; The Bul- letin, 1909-10.

FLORENCE WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. A former higher institution of learning, main- tained by the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Florence, but now closed. La Grange Col- lege, one of the oldest schools established by the Methodists in the South at LaGrange in Franklin, now Colbert County, was in 1854 under the patronage of the Alabama, Mem- phis and Tennessee Methodist Conferences. Rev. Dr. Richard H. Rivers was elected its president, and entered upon his duties March 6, 1854. The college buildings were dilapi- dated, and the school was under a debt of long standing. Just at this time the town of Florence invited the removal to that place. The proposal was accepted by the trustees of the patronizing conferences. The school opened February 21, 1855, in the Masonic Hall in Florence.

Of the removal to Florence, Dr. Rivers. Life of Bishop Robert Paine, p. 122, after commenting on the love of Dr. Paine for old LaGrange, of which he had been first presi- dent, says:

"Bishop Paine had spent some of the best days of his manhood in connection with this college. He had groaned over it and labored for it. He loved the mountain, and never tired of the beautiful scenery to be enjoyed from its summit. The proposition was so lib- eral that he could not oppose it. Dr. A. L. P. Green saw at once the propriety of accepting the proposition, and offered a resolution (In the Tennessee Conference then in session) instructing the Board to remove. The offer was to give better buildings, pay all the debts, and give an endowment of about forty

600

HISTORY OF ALABAMA

thousand dollars, and to assure a local pat- ronage larger than was then enjoyed from both home and foreign patronage. The re- moval, I have reason to know, met with the cordial approbation of Bishop Paine, and was indeed the very best thing that could have been done. The college more than doubled its patronage in less than one year. It con- tinued to flourish until the internecine war broke it down."

The site acquired was an elevated location, a few hundred yards distant from Stewart's Springs, whose waters had acquired consid- erable celebrity. The dormitory system, ex- cept for advanced students, was abolised, and non-resident students were quartered in pri- vate families. On removal, the two literary societies of LaGrange, namely the Dialectical and LaFayette, were removed to Florence.

Incorporation .- The legislature of 1855-56 granted a charter to the reorganized institu- tion, but because of the protest of the authori- ties of old LaGrange, the name was changed to Florence Wesleyan University. The bill was vetoed by the governor, but on February 15, 1856, it was passed over his objection. The University was placed under the jurisdic- tion of the Alabama, the Tennessee, and the Mississippi Methodist Conferences. The fol- lowing are the names of the trustees included in the act:

Alexander L. P. Green, Samuel D. Weak- ley, John E. Moore, Richard W. Walker. James W. Stewart, Thomas Kirkman, Henry D. Smith, Edward A. O'Neal, Sidney C. Posey, Wiley T. Hawkins, James E. Saunders, Wil- liam B. Wood, George W. Foster, Thomas J. Foster, John S. Kennedy, Daniel Coleman. Robert A. Baker, William Dickson, Robert W. Patton, Richard H. Rivers, Oscar F. Ca- sey, Robert Paine, John B. McFerrin, John W. Hanner, Thomas H. Hobbs, John T. Bas- kerville, Thomas Boswell, E. R. Flewellen. Jefferson Hamilton, Thomas O. Summers, Ben- jamin W. Maclen, Edgar M. Swope, M. M. Henkle, David Clopton, Phineas T. Scruggs, John W. Rutland, H. C. Jones and Toliver Towles.

Condition in 1856 .- An excellent summary of the condition of the University is found in the minutes of the Alabama Conference at its session in 1856, and it is here presented in full:

"A report from the President of the Wes- leyan University, located at Florence, Ala., embodies the most gratifying intelligence in the success of that Institution, and demon- strates the wisdom of its friends in the re- cent change of its location. The ample and elegant College building is now completed. All its professorships are well supplied by competent officers. A permanent endowment of twenty-five thousand dollars has been se- cured, which it is hoped and expected may be increased to fifty thousand dollars. The patronage is steadily increasing. The students in the college and preparatory department number during the present term 160. But best of all, the town of Florence and the College have been recently blest with a gra-

cious season of religious revival, and above forty of the students have partaken of its hallowing influence and benefits."

Subsequent History .- Few details concern- ing the last years of the University are avail- able. Col. James E. Saunders, the historian of LaGrange, thus comments on this period, Clark, History of Education in Alabama, p. 164:

"Its subsequent success, under the presi- dency of Rev. Richard H. Rivers, showed the wisdom of the removal; in 1861, at the break- ing out of the War between the States, it had two hundred and twenty-five students and graduated the large number of thirty- three; it had a clear endowment of fifty thou- sand dollars and was out of debt. During the War this endowment was lost, and after several ineffectual attempts to keep the col- lege open its doors were closed, and its found- ers becoming completely discouraged it was actually given to the State."

After remaining closed for a number of years, on the establishment of a Normal School at Florence, by the State board of education, December 14, 1872, the trustees of the University deeded to the State its grounds and buildings for the use of the new institution.

See Florence State Normal School; La- Grange College.

REFERENCES .- Acts, 1855-56, p. 207; Alabama Conference, Minutes, 1856, p. 19; Catalogues, 1855-56, 1856-57; The Southern College Maga- zine, 1856-1859; vols. 1-4, student perlodical; and miscellaneous minor University publica- tions and manuscript data in the Alabama De- partment of Archives and History.

FLOWER, THE STATE. The golden rod is popularly known as the State flower of Alabama, although it has no other sanction than a scattering vote in its favor by the school children. However, as an indication of the feeling of the legislature, that body on February 18, 1893, adopted a resolution in which "the wild flower known as the golden rod is hereby recognized as the national flower of the United States."

An effort has been made to secure the adoption of the violet, but its origin has not been traced. A popular postcard, including a picture of the State Capitol, a shield with the State arms, and a handsome display of violets, has been widely distributed. It con- tains the statement that the violet is the State flower, but no authority is given. The card also carries the following stanza:

Fair Alabama, richly blest,

Your name meaneth, "Here we rest,"

Endowed with Nature's treasures rare,

The violet is your emblem fair.

About 1916 a suggestion was made by Miss Myrtle Miles that the Lady Henderson rose, which had been developed by the Rosemont Gardens and given that name, should be for- mally adopted, but nothing came of the sug- gestion.

REFERENCE .- Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915, p. 14; and manuscript data in

601

HISTORY OF ALABAMA

the Alabama Department of Archives and His- tory.

because of odor, color or formation, or all of these, are useful or are employed for orna- mentation, or the embellishment of the home,

FLOWERS AND FLORICULTURE. Plants, growing wild or cultivated, whose blossoms or the beautification of home and school grounds, gardens or parks. The growing ot such plants is called floriculture, and in recent years has become a large and profitable in- dustry in Alabama.

History .- The story of the introduction into a country of domesticated flowering plants is as fascinating and interesting as the story of human settlement. From the com- ing of Bienville until the final settlement of the Gulf region the pioneers or other settlers migrating to this region for permanent set- tlement brought, either at the time of coming or shortly thereafter, seeds, roots and trees from their old homes. The settlers came from France, Spain, central Europe, the Brit- ish Isles, and some from southern Asia. These widely scattered sources of population con- tributed a great variety of plant life. Many of the introduced forms did not thrive, but numbers proved to be as well adapted to this climate as the sections where they had their fullest development.

The agricultural journals from their ear- liest issues discussed flowering plants, home gardens, plant breeding, pits or hothouses, and floriculture. The greenhouses of ante- bellum days in a limited way cultivated floral stocks, such as roses and the hardier plants. Commercial flower growing, however, was not a part of the nursery business of that period. As illustrating the progress of the business of floriculture the following article is ex- tracted from the American Cotton Planter, published at Montgomery in 1858, p. 249:

"It should be a question with amateurs what flowers are best adapted to our hot cli- mate, and what varieties bloom the best in open culture, and with the least expense and trouble? Among the hardy shrub bloomers there is nothing that can fill the place of the Rose. This flower, in its almost endless va- rieties, will make a beautiful pattern of itself. It is easily grown from cuttings, and when the different varieties are budded together on the same base the effect is very pleasing and beautiful. The Rose pays well for good culture. Through all the Summer months, while the perpetuals are blooming, the bush should be fed at least once a week with a weak solution of guano. It will improve the size and beauty of the bloom astonishingly. The Rose may be propagated by budding, cuttings, or layers. We have had cuttings put out in October to bloom next Spring. Cuttings of all flowering shrubbery should be planted in October.

"It is not the most expensive exotics that make the most brilliant show in the flower garden. For the Summer blooming grounds a selection of Roses, Dahlias, Amarilis, Gla- diolus, Drummond's Phlox, Petunias, Salvias, Verbenas, and Portulas are indispensable, as

they all bear great degrees of heat, and bloom profusely under a burning sun. There are some few other annuals that bloom freely, among them the Balsamines, the double kinds of which are very pretty. Among the herba- ceous flowers there is nothing more beautiful than the new varieties of the double Holly- hock. This is a biennial, but if the seeds be planted this fall they will flower the next summer. The Cypress vine should have a place in every Summer garden. For early Spring bloomers the varieties of Spirea, We- gelias, Wisterias, Native Azelias, Jessamines, Kalmias, and Woodbines are desirable among the shrubs and vines, and the Hyacinth, Tulip, Jonquil, Crocus, Polyanthus and Narcissus among the bulbs. Bulbs, to bloom early in the Spring, should be planted out in the Fall or Winter. All flowering bulbs produce the freest, brightest bloom in a sandy soil.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 115

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869- Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 756

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 756