Show ADDRESS BY GOV GOV- HEBER 11 H- H WELLS Delivered under the auspices of the class of 99 Normal If you can imagine the sensations of one who revisits after an absence of nearly a quarter of a century the scenes of of his childhood you may be able to realize something perhaps of my feelings feelings feelings feel feel- ings to The University of Utah is my educational mother and after two twenty-two years of wandering I find myself again at her knee listening to her intellectual counsels It is difficult to analyze my emotions I am unable to decide whether I feel most like Enoch Arden or Rip Van Winkle or orthe orthe the Prodigal Son Perhaps a composite composite composite compo compo- site picture of all of them with the old oaken bucket painted in the background would present an approximate te reflex x of my true inner condition At all ev events I am heartily glad to be with my mother again and to make friends with the new generation of my brothers and sisters whom she is rearing It is not my intention my young friends at this time to attempt to make an an extended address but only to give you some reflections which have come cometo to me since the invitation was tendered to me to be here to In the first place the student attending attending attending attend attend- ing the University of Utah to-day to is entitled to congratulation because of the increased facilities for acquiring an education over those of twenty-five twenty years ago Then the students were huddled together in a small building that was but poorly fitted to the needs of f the institution in even that day clay Poor Poor quarters lack of equipment J- J insufficient insufficient iny in- in y sufficient professors incomplete courses of 01 study study study-in in a word inadequate funds and sometimes no funds at all crippled the institution and dwarfed the students' students opportunity It would be unprofitable at this time timeto to discuss the causes which led to the unfortunate condition of having no aap- aap appropriation appropriation ap ap- with which to carry carryon on the educational institutions of the state but it may be remembered that such consequences consequences consequences conse conse- usually resulted from poli political 2 differences between Legislatures and f. f Governors and the hist history ry of those disagreements disagreements disagreements dis dis- agreements and the recollection of th the evil effects resulting th to the schools and therefore to the youth of the commonwealth furnish a useful lesson to the present and future authorities authorities authorities ties of the state That lesson reads that no political considerations should ever again be allowed to militate against the efficiency of any part of the public 7 f. f school system And in those days of trial and ad adversity adversity adver adver- ver- ver sity I remember these questions were frequently presented for solution by the faculty and the board of regents Shall this or that course of study be omitted or shall it be retained and th the instructor thereof serve without pay And sometimes sometimes sometimes some some- times the questions were Shall the University close its doors or shall all the professors work without pay I think in almost every instance the decision reached would be favorable to the institution at the sacrifice of ot individual individual individual dual consideration which demonstrated anew the truth of the old maxim that privation and hardship develop the good qua qualities ties in men and women even even as gold shines brightest in the crucible Yet twenty-five twenty years ago conditions generally were better than they had been previous to that The history of the University is an interesting study as showing the evolution of educational facilities ties in Utah I I well remember 1 that Chancellor Robert L. L Campbell a at t genial old gentleman and a first-class first scholar of the old school who nursed th the University along for years as a fond parent would nurse a sickly child used to visit the students in the room class-room and nearly always he would talk to us Two things he used to say that made a lasting impression on my mind One h was that the present w was s the students student's golden opportunity and that he should improve ea each 1 shining hour Ah Ali How prophetic these words have proved since And the other was that the students deserved better desks and t better maps and nd better quarters and arid r that they should have all these when 4 the University could afford it I merely J recur to these incidents of off f Fh my own school days to show that with universities it is the same as with children chil- chil J dren they dren-they they must creep before they t r walk walk and and to give assurance to the present day student that he is much better cared for by the state than the student of the past In other words the lapse of time the adjustment of vexatious vexatious vexatious political problems the procurement t f of statehood the general march of intellect inteLlect intel intel- lect have combined not only to open the eyes of the state to a more complete realization of of- the duty it owes to the children of the state but also to provide the means to more effectually perform th that t duty t Perhaps Utah's school system may not have reached that ideal condition which is sighed for by many educators viz free and compulsory education from the Kindergarten to the University yet with a constitution which provides for the establishment and maintenance t of a uniform system of public schools open to all the children of the state and V free from sectarian control with further 1 i constitutional provisions requiring iring that r the public school system shall include J. J the Kindergarten the common school tic f. f the hi high h school an agricultural college f- f a university and such other schools as asp asI I the legislature may establish with a 1 constitutional that the common common common com com- mon schools shall remain absolutely 1 i free and with a law which makes it a J misdemeanor for a parent or guardian a to fail to-fail fail to send any child of sound mental mental mental men- men j 1 tal and a d physical condition between the ages of eight and fourteen years to a public district or private school who j shall say that we are not reaching out in inthe inthe inthe the direction of the ideal 1 do not wish to be understood however however however how how- j R ever that Utah is satisfied with itself educationally or that the state is satisfied satisfied satisfied satis- satis fied with its university Far from it I II 1 I only mean that we are walking instead of creeping and that bye and bye we shall run I mean this further that i ithe the University may fairly congratulate itself that the days of its grinding poverty have passed and that henceforth i discussions of its board of regents need not be confined d to questions of how it may survive but rather to questions of o how it may increase its efficiency In this connection it should never he forgotten either by student or graduate I that the most powerful contributor towards towards towards to- to j wards the perpetuity of the University has been the Government of the United 1 j States As early as 1855 Congress made madea j ja a land grant of two townships or acres of land within the state to be be reserved for the establishment of a uni uni- The major portion of this this' 91 grant was selected before statehood and the proceeds of the sales thereof made for the most part on long time are are beginning to be r realized Afterwards a a tract of 80 acres of land on the Fort Douglas Military Reservation was donated donated do do- by the Government for a new campus Then in the Enabling Act Act acres of land in addition to the first grant and including all saline lands within the state were given for the use use of the University The proceeds of the sales of these lands constitute a perma perms i invested and held nent fund to be safely by the state and the income thereof is isto isto to be used exclusively for the purposes of the University More than has been realized from the sales of the University lands and that sum is now carping a an average interest of about six per cent per annum and about acres of the new grant have been selected It is therefore fair to assume that in inthe inthe inthe the not dist distant nt future the taxpayers of the state may be lie relieved of a portion of the taxes they now pay to maintain the University and also the standard of its efficiency as the highest institution of learning in the state ought to be and doubtless will be materially increased To what extent the earnings of this fund may immediately go to the betterment of the University will depend largely upon the policy of the Legislature but it is my own conviction that the State ought to reward the patriotism of the themen themen themen men who have nursed the institution through the dark period of its existence to the extent at least of devoting these earnings to the use of the institution without material curtailment of regular appropriations Obviously the sum total for the purposes purposes purposes pur pur- poses of the University may be cono considerably considerably con con- o increased if it is to occupy o the new site within the time prescribed by Congressional enactment I have been thus in stating the condition surrounding the University to show you my young friends that those who control the destiny of this institution institution institution tion are its friends and your friends that the faculty and board of regents are your friends that the State of Utah and the great Government of the United States are your friends and they are all deeply interested in your welfare a and d anxious that you should be provided with the means to acquire a splendid college education so that in after life you may become good and useful citizens The education of the youth of this Republic is a question that is constantly occupying the best minds of the age I have derived much pleasure from a recent perusal of a series of papers published in the Cosmo Cosmopolitan magazine contributed by eminent college presidents presidents presidents dents and professors upon the subject Does modern education educate in inthe inthe the broadest and most liberal sense of the term and I have been pleased to j r observe that mo most t of the illustrious gentlemen gentlemen gentlemen gen gen- agree that modern education while by no me means ns perfect is the best they have to offer at present but that it itis is morally certain the twentieth century century century cen cen- tury youth will get something better The charges upon which modern education education education edu edu- cation seem to have been arraigned are areas areas as follows It does not usually give the English Engli h speaking youth that facility in inthe inthe I Ithe the use of his native tongue which may e expected of a college grad grad- It does not directly aid a young man in the choice of a wife and a calling It usually neglects voice cul cul- ture It does not ordinarily furnish proper physical training to all students It does not generally teach the student t. t how to care for his body It furnishes too little instruction in citizenship I believe all these charges were fairly well sustained too so that I presume the good t that at will come from the discussion discussion discus discus- sion son will be to correct such deficiencies at t once When that is done 1 suppose we shall never again be called upon to witness a college graduate in the humiliating humiliating humiliating act of reading a prepared speech in his native tongue I suppose suppose too that then we shall see no more graduates graduates graduates grad grad- exhibiting their diplomas as a credential for any old job that they can get And think of the diminution in inthe inthe inthe the divorce traffic when ones one's education will assist him to select without any mistake the right girl to be his wife l Imagine agine what a joy it will be to distinguish distinguish distinguish distin distin- a college bred man by the melodiousness melodiousness melodiousness melo melo- of his voice voice Why it will almost do away with the necessity for a diploma And when there occurs at some time a reunion of graduates their conversation will sound like a forest full of orioles And what a splendid consummation con con- e. e n summation to contemplate every collegiate collegiate collegiate colle colle- an athlete with lungs like blacksmiths blacksmiths' blacksmiths blacksmiths' blacksmiths blacksmiths' black black- smiths' smiths bellows and every muscle as strong as the N emean lions lion's nerve r 4 J I have run the gamut of the possible achievements achievements' of the education of the future to arrive at the last note which I Ishall Ishall i shall shan regard as the summum summum bonum of college endeavor if it shall educate proficiently in the duties of American citizenship While it is a recognized fact already that as a rule the best educated man makes the best citizen it itis itis N is by no means true that all college graduates are good citizens The un university university uni uni- i- i that will insure in its graduates I. I the highest percentage of those qualities which go to make make the best citizen will willbe willbe J be he entitled to the distinction of furnishing furnishing furnishing furnish furnish- ing the Best education This will be bei betrue betrue i true because the best citizen will win furnish in after life the greatest compensation to the state for the money it has expended in his education I have endeavored to show you in what has gone before that the state owes its children the duty to educate them and now we come to the duty of the children to the state Is it not as certainly a duty of the grad graduate ate which he owes to the state to utilize the education education education edu edu- cation so acquired in the of his country I do not mean that he shall necessarily engage in the service of the state or the government but that he shall become a pillar of strength to socie society y and by exam example pIe and precept Strengthen and energize the best blood of the nation In brief that he shall make his own life a success success for for the 4 I greatest average of individual success success success-is is 1 J t. t a ti s y I mi what constitutes the most successful l nation That is how you ou can pay fay back 1 the state for its generosity to you and that is all it asks of you To do this most I effectually quote to you again the cherished words of Chancellor Chancel- Chancel 1 J lor C Campbell Remember my young J J friends your school days are your your golden opportunity and you should I improve each shining hour I want to give you another passport to success success work work toil drudge but never be satisfied with yourself The instant you decide that you have done doneas jas j jas as well as you can your advancement ceases and you come to a standstill No No- Noman man ever did as well as he could have done with greater effort because j jonly only God is perfect and man can only J j j 1 approximate D Deity elty 1 The school-room school is the place to t learn all the learning you acquire elsewhere elsewhere elsewhere else- else 1 1 where is is as nothing compared to it Be alert dont don't let a fellow student find out anything that you dont don't find out ont f If you do your fellow student may be bemore bemore bemore more successful in life than you will be I commend to you the homely words of Bill Bili Nye the great American humorist humor humor- in his advice to the young Fill your system full of large chunks of information Absorb all you can while at school let it soak into you it wont won't hurt you and then in after years you may write a large encyclopedia on what you dont don't know Another good thing to do as early in life as possible ble is to |