Summer School Diary, part 1E - 1912

H --- Hovering there in sweet communion yet O --- O'er the faded blossoms of regret, O --- Offering all that's noblest -- grandest -- best, L --- Leaving unto God the hallowed rest. -- Georgina Bennett, and Anna Bradley.---

For some of us at some time come the good things in life, but not ordinarily for all of us at the same time. This Summer, for all of us at the same time in our midst, closely and intimately ours, was a most perfect type of womanhood --- an ex-teacher, a wife and mother and a helpful friend serving as an inspiration to all of us, inspiring us with higher ideals of educational efficiency and teaching us the wonderful virtue of giving smil-ingly and non-reluctantly the best we have to give. We highly prize this tribute of Fortune and say -"Long live Minnie Leslie Bray!"

History

I dare say that many who know of this Summer Session of the U of N will look upon it merely as some new innovation of the University's to bring itself more before the eyes of the public, or to imitate the customs of other states in conducting a summer session, rather than to look behind to the real needs of the teaching force of the state, which is really the force that created the Summer Session.

Too, they will think that its hist-ory does not extend farther back than the formal opening on June 24th 1912 or at the remotest date back to March 5, 1912, when the matter was voted upon by the Regents.

However there are a few items in the history of the session that will be interesting at least to the teachers themselves.

The need of some such session was first felt three years ago, when Deputy Supt. Bray was conducting a teachers institute in Douglas County. The institute was not long enough to satisfy the needs of the teachers who thought Berkeley too far distant and too expensive to attend. There

were ten teachers at the institute and eight promised to support a home summer school.

After the institute Mr. Bray broached the subject to Dr. Stubbs, who proved himself related to the "man from Miss-ouri" when he asked Mr. Bray to show him that the Nevada teachers would patronize a summer school. Mr. Bray said he thought at least forty would do so.

But an election campaign and stress of business kept the subject crowded back, but not out of Supt. Bray's mind and last winter the question was brought up at the various institutes and was approved by both teachers and deputies, and once more (Jan 10, '12) Supt. Bray reminded Pres. Stubbs of the matter, guaranteeing an attend-ance of from forty to sixty teachers.

Dr. Stubbs asked Mr. Bray to be present and lay the matter before the Board of Regents at a meeting held March 5, 1912.

Supt. Bray did as he was asked. Dr. Stubbs recommended the action and the Board of Regents unan-imously voted for the summer session. Manzanita, Lincoln, and the Dining Halls with the very

the very reasonable rates, which we have appreciated were pled-ged for use, and Dr. Ordahl and Miss Day were asked to draw up a course of study, which they did.

On July 31st another meeting of the Board of Regents was held dur-ing which it was unanimously voted to make the Summer Session a permanent institution.

This present session will close Friday, August 2nd with a Ban-quet at the Century Club. The teachers, instructors, and Regents with Dr. Stubbs and wife, Supt Bray and wife, Librarian Laym-an and wife, and City Supt. Bill-inghurst and wife, as honored guests will be present.

Now has this Nevada's first Summer School been a success. An enrollment of from forty to six-ty was promised. Eighty seven have registered, and the voices of the te-achers themselves in declaring how the class-work has given them new ideas, new aims, and new inspirations, speak louder than words flung from any pen could do. And the associations with our

State Superintendents, the Deputies, our Instructors, Dr. Stubbs and one another is an influence for good which never can be meas-ured by any methods of men-suration yet worked out.

We only pray that each new year will see the Summer School larger and better than the year before, and we hope to be miss-ionaries in publishing all the good things we know of the University of Nevada even in the remotest corners of this great sagebrush state.