SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER.

THE STATE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

The Legislative body in Michigan has been, from the first, very conservative in all matters relating to education. It has followed public sentiment, sometimes reluctantly, but has never taken the initiative in any important step of progress. Consequently, the development of the school system has resulted mainly from the voluntary action of the people, either as individuals or through some organization. Of these organizations, the State Teachers' Association has been the most active and influential. For this reason, it seems appropriate to give a very brief sketch of the work of this Society. Frequent allusion has been made, in the preceding chapters, to specific actions of the association upon various subjects, but nothing further has been given.

Educational societies of one sort and another had been formed prior to this State organization, but they had all been short-lived and had accompished very little. The preliminary organization of the present State Teachers' Association was made on the 12th of October, 1852, at Ypsilanti, during the progress of a teachers' institute held immediately after the dedication of the first normal school building. The more formal organization was completed at a meeting held at the same place in March, 1853, when a constitution was adopted. Prof. A. S. Welch, the Principal of the Normal School, was elected president at the preliminary meeting and reëlected after the adoption of the constitution.

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The constitution made no statement of the specific purposes of the organization, but left the executive board free to "arrange the order of exercises for the Association at each meeting," according to its judgment. Any person could become a member by subscribing to the constitution and paying the annual fee. It was not the intention of the founders of the association to confine its membership to teachers, or limit its field of activity by definite and narrow boundaries. They proposed to act in any direction in which action was most needed under the conditions then existing, and under conditions which might subsequently arise, Some of the most influential earliest members were not teachers in the strict sense of the term.

During several years semi-annual meetings were held and much experimenting was had to determine the best time in the year for the annual meeting. The first three meetings were held in connection with teachers' institutes, the exercises of the association alternating with those of the institute.

The first meeting without the adjunct of an institute was held in Detroit in April, 1854. Horace Mann and Henry Barnard were both present at this meeting, and Mr. Mann gave two of his most able addresses.

Brief mention must be made of a few of those most prominent and active in the organization and management of the association during the early years of its existence.

The organization of the association at that particular time and place was due to the efforts of Prof. A. S. Welch, then just appointed Principal of the Normal School. Mr. Welch was a native of Connecticut, came to Michigan at the age of eighteen, graduated from the University in 1846,

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INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

studied law and was admitted to the bar. His taste, however, led him to abandon the law and he became Principal of the union school at Jonesville. His success there caused his election to the Principalship of the Normal, a position which he resigned after thirteen years of hard labor, on account of impaired health. For some years he was the central figure in the small group which controlled the affairs of the association.

Miss A. C. Rogers, the first Preceptress of the Normal School, a woman of marked ability and great energy, was one of the first officers of the Society and rendered valuable services in the meetings for considerable time. Prof. J. M. B. Sill, so well known for many years in the educational work of the State, was one of the original members, as was also Prof. C. F. R. Bellows, for a long time at the head of the deparment of mathematics in the Normal School.

Prof. Joseph Estabrook appears at the second meeting in 1853. A native of New Hampshire, a graduate of Oberlin College in 1847, Principal of the Union School at Ypsilanti for thirteen years, Superintendent of East Saginaw Schools, Principal of the Normal School nine years, Regent of the University six years, Superintendent of Public Instruction four years, and lastly Professor in Olivet College, Prof. Estabrook was better known and more deeply loved than any other teacher in Michigan.

At the third meeting Dr. J. A. B. Stone, the first President of Kalamazoo College, and Mrs. Stone, long time the able head of the female department of that college, became active members of the association. At the same time, Dr. E. O. Han later President of the University, and Prof. J. M. Gregory, afterwards State Superintendent for six years,

JOURNAL OF EDUCATION

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and for several years more influential than any other man in directing the affairs of the association, appeared.

At the fourth meeting Hon. Ira Mayhew, State Superintendent, Prof. J. F. Cary of the Normal School, Prof. Nichols of Detroit, Prof. A. Winchell of the University, and some others appeared for the first time.

Among those who came into the association about this time were Professors E. Olney, T. C. Abbott, J. R. Boise, H. S. Frieze, O. Hosford, L. R. Fiske, and D. P. Mayhew. Lack of space forbids extended notice of any of these or the mention of others equally active. The present writer became a member of the Association at the meeting at Ann Arbor in April, 1855, when the organization was in the third year of its existence, and consequently had the good fortune to become acquainted with all the early members.

In the remainder of this sketch, attention will be confined mostly to the action of the association on matters bearing upon the development of the school system and schools of the State.

At the third meeting in September, 1853, after extended discussion, the Association voted to commence the publication of a monthly paper, to be named The Michigan Journal of Education and Teachers' Magazine, and appointed a committee of five to have entire charge of the publication. This committee consisted of E. O. Haven, A. S. Welch, J. M. Gregory, Mrs. L. H. Stone, and Miss M. Rockwell. Mr. Gregory was made resident and managing editor, and the first number of the Journal was issued from Detroit in January, 1854. We can not trace the history of the Journal during the eight years of its existence. Our interest in it lies in the fact that, under the management of Mr. Gregory,

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it was one of the most efficient agencies in pushing forward educational reforms. Through it the Association exerted a powerful influence in securing and shaping educational legislation.

The question of the "Bible in the Schools," or the “religious question" was vigorously discussed at several meetings, beginning with the meeting in April, 1854. At the semi-annual meeting in August of the same year, the debate was continued, and at a later period the subject was again discussed. The action of the Association upon this subject tended to unify the opinions and practice of the teachers of the State, and to prevent the adoption of too radical measures by either party to the contest.

The establishment of union graded schools was strongly advocated by the Association during the period when such schools were in the experimental stage, and were encountering vigorous opposition from the conservative forces in the community.

The first law for the holding of teachers' institutes was secured by the State Superintendent through the earnest and vigorous assistance of the Association, and subsequentimprovements were obtained largely by the same assistance.

In the efforts to obtain equal educational rights and opportunities for both sexes, the Association bore an important part. The first extended discussion of the subject occurred at the meeting at Ann Arbor in April, 1855, and the agitation continued until the doors of the University were opened to women by formal action of the Regents on the 6th of January, 1870. The war was waged for fifteen years, and the association may rightfully claim a large share of the honor in securing the final result. At the meet