Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/486

 426 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1877. He was killed by an explosion and was buried in the old Lorimier cemetery in Cape Girardean. For the year 1877-78 the board chose as principal Mr. C. H. Duteher, an experienced teacher and former member of the faculty of the Warrensburg State Normal school. Mrs. Cheney remained in the faculty as instructor of geography and history. Associated with these were DeWitt Roberts, instructor of mathematics; Lillie E. Skaats, instructor in rhetoric, German and drawing, and Martha R. Moon, instructor in arithmetic and pen- manship. It was announced that members of the senior class would act as assistants. Principal Duteher was an active and ener- getic man and associated with himself several men who had great influence in moulding the character of the school. The attendance con- tinued to increase and the courses of study were enlarged so that the school experienced a healthy growth. Among the men who were later associated with Mr. Duteher and who had great influence, were Nelson B. Henry, teacher of English language and literature, and A. E. Douglas, a teacher of Latin and assistant in the English department. In 1881 Principal Duteher resigned his po- sition to accept a position in the Warrens- burg State Normal and was succeeded by Richard C. Norton. The title of the head of the school was changed at this time from principal to president, a title which is still in use. Mr. Norton came to the Cape Girardeaxi Normal from "Warrensburg and had had ex- perience as a teacher in many different po- sitions. He remained with the school until the fall of 1893, serving as its president for twelve years. It is not too much to say that President Norton exerted a remarkable in- fl.uence in shaping the character of the school and putting it on a firm basis in the thought and affection of the people of Southeast Mis- souri. During his administration the attend- ance increased from 225 in 1881-82, to 392 in 1891-92. This attendance of 392 was the high water mark in what we call the old Normal school, meaning by the term that part of the school's history before the destruction of the old building bj' fire. President Norton gathered around him a group of men and women who were well suited to the work of the school and who exerted a great influence upon its growth. The head of the department of science was W. D. Vandiver who was afterward president of the school. John S. McGee was professor of mathematics. He was also president at a later time. The English department was in charge of James Underwood Barnard, one of the ablest and strongest of the group. Mr. Barn- ard was afterward a member of the facvdty of the University of Mississippi, later head of one of the great public schools of Kansas City, where he died in 1909. Besides these there %ere others whose names and work became fa- miliar to many himdreds of students. L. G. ilcConachie was for a time in the history department. He later became a member of the faculty of "Wisconsin University and a writer on the science of government. Mrs. S. F. Fuhri was a member of the English de- partment, as was Miss Nellie Gordon. It was during President Norton's administration that Miss "Winifred Johnson began that con- nection with the school which was to continue for so many years and to do much to make the school popular. The department of music was in charge of Otto Eckhardt, long a mem- ber of the faculty and known to all the stud- ents for his untiring interest in their various activities. It must be remembered in considering the