Joseph Baldwin
Encyclopedia
Early Life
Baldwin was born to Joseph and Isabella (née Cairns) in New Castle, PennsylvaniaNew Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
. His lifework has been characterized by a pair of related tensions: between religious zeal and a recognition of the need for teachers well-educated in secular subjects, and between potentially opposed emphases on technical training and the liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
in teacher preparation. He founded a series of educational institutions which survive into the present day, each of which still bears some mark of his influence.
A story told by his sister relates that, while plowing his father's fields, upon reaching the end of each furrow, he would pick up a book, find where he last left off, read the next paragraph, put the book down, and proceed to plow the next row. Headed back across the field, he meditated on the newly acquired fragment of knowledge.
Primary Education
He was educated in Bartlett's Academy, near New Castle, PennsylvaniaNew Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
. At the age of 18 he began keeping a diary which bears witness to a religiosity which would remain deeply interwoven with his educational philosophy throughout his career. "Saved" during a serious illness at fourteen, he continued to struggle with his "direful condition" in a search for salvation. He visited the sick and dying and attended the dead. Conversion and baptism renewed him (April 2–3, 1845), and he dedicated himself to serving Christ (May 1, 1845). At this early period, a sense of the tension between his religious and worldly impulses is evident. Secular reading was one of his distractions. He lamented: "I have spent a considerable portion of my time in reading History and Biography and thus have neglected the most important of books to wit the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. May in future make this my study and may I use it as my sword" (September 14, 1845).
Dedications
Even at the age of eighteen, he had consciously dedicated himself to a religiously-conceived mission of educating the young. He thought "Youth" (such as himself), deserving of eternal punishment but nonetheless worth "saving". In 1847, he attended school a full forty weeks and worked about a month and a half. Practicing what he preached, when he was invited to a party, he chose to spend his time studying rather "than in hurtful folly" (February 6). Passing a room where "many youths were engaged in mirthful danceing [sic]", he writes, "I was struck with the reflection that all these thoughtless youths must soon appear before the judge of all" (March 10). His stated ambitions evince an ambivalence between the desires for prominence and service: "I long to become an orator; that I may do good to my fellow men."Higher Education
In 1848, Baldwin entered Bethany CollegeBethany College (West Virginia)
Bethany College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the oldest institution of Higher Education in West Virginia.-Location:...
, where he would take the B.A. in 1852. While at Bethany, he lived in the home of the school's founder and President, Rev. Alexander Campbell, founder of the Disciples of Christ Church. There he studied, recited, debated, and helped to form an "economical society" whose members pledged to assist one another in case of sickness; he became its president. Baldwin excelled, ranking first or second in his classes. His censure of other youths, including his fellow students, continued: "Alas follish [sic] young men! You do not feal [sic] the values of life" (April 5, 1849). In his later career as an educator, he would show no mercy to students found guilty of his three horrors: dancing, card-playing and drinking.
In emotional affairs as in professional, Baldwin's diary evidences a strong sense of priorities. In August 1849 he went to the county meeting in the company of one Emaline McC., "whom I think would make a suitable companion for me for life ... If it is the will of God to spare my life & hers, and if he so permit, we may be united by the bans of matrimony; after I have completed my College course."
Back in school in September 1849, Baldwin spent his days writing to this same Emaline (who would not, in fact, become his life-partner), studying hard, and finding "Pope Homers Iliad" truly admirable, if filled with much of which he disapproved. Reading Cicero, writing compositions and orations, Baldwin demonstrated an iron discipline, which he would later expect of his students. Partly contradicting his dedication to a higher spirit is his self-puffery: "Declaimed in society a piece called 'The Whiskers.' Succeeded better than ever before. One remarked publicly that it was the best he had ever heard. But O! how far short of what I desire, what vast heights still remain to be assended [sic]."
After graduation Joseph Baldwin went west to pursue the newly emerging professional career of a college professor. In 1853 he taught at the Platte City Male and Female Academy in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and by 1855 he was co-principal of a collegiate institution in Savannah, Missouri
Savannah, Missouri
Savannah is a city in Andrew County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,762 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Andrew County.Savannah is part of the St...
.
Marriage
On August 26, 1852 he married Ellen (or Ella) Sophronia Fluhart (b. 1828, OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
- d. November 26, 1924, San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
). It had been his intention to enter the ministry, but his responsibilities as a newly-married man required him to make a living as a teacher. In the spring of 1856, he helped found the Missouri State Teachers Association and was elected Vice President. The following autumn, he returned to Pennsylvania and enrolled at Lancaster County Normal School to receive training specific to his newfound vocation.
Career
From 1857 to 1863, Baldwin led normal schools, including the Farmington Male and Female Seminary (Burnettsville, IndianaBurnettsville, Indiana
Burnettsville is a town in Jackson Township, White County, Indiana, United States. The population was 346 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Burnettsville is located at ....
) and a new institution at Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties....
. Founded originally as Farmington Academy in the southwestern part of town, in 1858 Baldwin opened the Indiana Normal. This was Indiana's first Normal School and the fifth in the United States.
At Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties....
, Baldwin provided the first impetus to higher education. A joint stock company, the Normal School Association, was organized in 1859 under Baldwin's direction, placing emphasis on the "normal" method of instruction to prepare students to become teachers. This was an early example of the spirit, at once scientific, evangelical and entrepreneurial, which characterized all of Baldwin's educational projects. Center Township provided $3,000 for the construction of a Normal Building. The money was provided on the condition that the township would have the use of the four lower rooms for a free school known as the Indiana State Normal School of Kokomo. He taught a few students in a one story frame building near the present intersection of Mulberry and Main Streets Classes at the Normal School began in 1863-64.
Military Service
Although never really robust in health or constitution, during the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Baldwin organized Company B of the 118th Indiana Infantry, a company made up of Kokomo students. Capt. Baldwin and the 30-40 men of his command served from July 1863 to March 1864, and saw action at Blue Springs (October 10, 1863), Walker's Ford (December 2) and Tazewell (January 24, 1864). After the war he moved to Logansport, Indiana
Logansport, Indiana
Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,396 at the 2010 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana, at the junction of the Wabash and Eel rivers, northeast of Lafayette.-History:...
, where he became Principal of both Logansport Seminary and Cass County Normal School.
In February 1867, Baldwin resolved to found a new teacher-preparation institute. With the advice of Major J. B. Merwin of St. Louis, editor of the American Journal of Education, and his own nephew, J. J. Grigsby of Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
, he selected Kirksville as the location. Another factor that helped Baldwin decide on Kirksville was the availability of a ready-made structure -the Cumberland Academy Building - that fulfilled all the needs for the school. Built in 1860, the building, located on the corner of Mulanix and Hickory Streets (now Memorial Park), resembled a church, complete with a tall steeple. It had served as McNeil's headquarters during the Battle of Kirksville
Battle of Kirksville
The Battle of Kirksville was a battle in the American Civil War, fought in the town of Kirksville, Missouri, on August 6, 1862. The Union victory helped consolidate Federal control over northeastern Missouri.-Battle:...
. It was originally built to house a school known as the Cumberland Academy. Baldwin leased the building for $100 per year.
Normal Schools
On September 2, 1867, the North Missouri Normal School and Commercial College opened. In 1870, the state legislature provided for the creation of the normal school system and Baldwin, who was named a member of the organizing Board of Regents, offered his school to the state. His offer was accepted, and the school came under state control as the First District Normal School on December 29, 1870; Baldwin was named President.When Baldwin's North Missouri Normal School outgrew the Cumberland Academy building, a site was chosen for a new building. At the time, the new location selected for the school was a cornfield just outside the Kirksville city limits. To meet the state's demands that the school be located inside the city limits of a county seat, the Kirksville city limits had to be extended to include the property.
Although not named formally, the building became known as the Normal Building (and much later, "Baldwin Hall"). An impressive tower in the center of the building rose 126 feet (38.4 m) up toward the sky, creating a landmark that was visible for miles. Historical documents state that approximately 600-700 students could be accommodated in the building, which was divided into teachers' rooms, a library, a laboratory, a large assembly room, recitation rooms, as well as other various rooms. The large hall had a 35 feet (10.7 m) ceiling that featured beautiful open timber work. The entire cost of the Normal Building was $101,400 - all a testimony to Baldwin's powers of organization and persuasion, and the regard with which this newcomer was held in the community. The institution Baldwin founded would grow to become Truman State University
Truman State University
Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri, United States and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. About 6,000 students attend Truman, pursuing degrees in 43 undergraduate and 9 Graduate programs. It is located in Kirksville in...
.
Sam Houston Normal Institute
In 1881, Baldwin was on a lecture tour, and by a chain of circumstances not fully known, was elected principal of one of the institutions he visited. Baldwin left Kirksville in 1881 to become the third principal of the Sam Houston Normal Institute (now Sam Houston State UniversitySam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located in Huntsville, Texas. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first...
), replacing the recently resigned president, H.H. Smith, and bringing along his daughter Olivia Baldwin as the founder of the Art faculty; his daughter Zoe would also teach there. Under his presidency, in 1890, Old Main was built and occupied, allowing space for an additional year of study for students wishing to remain beyond the traditional two-year program – part of Baldwin's lifelong efforts to enforce rigor and depth in the training of public school teachers.
He created seven departments of study for the Institute: professional work; natural and physical science; English and literature; vocal music and calisthenics; rhetoric, etymology, and physiology; and elocution, drawing, and penmanship. He served from 1881–91, leaving to accept the newly created chair in Pedagogy at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. His chief achievement was to raise awareness of the need for teacher training specific to the requirements of public school administrators and teachers of specialized subjects in the high schools. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 1897, and died January 13, 1899, aged 71. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Children
Baldwin had nine children: Icilius Victor Baldwin (1853), Anabel B. Baldwin Sublette (1856), Olivia Artemesia Baldwin (1858), Coramantha M. Baldwin Haston (1860), Joseph Rolla Baldwin (1863), Rachel Irene Baldwin(1865) Harold Baldwin (1868), Norma Mable Baldwin (1870), and Zoe Lenore Baldwin Sublette (1874).Publications
While living in Texas he wrote several books on education:- Art of School Management (1881)
- Elementary Psychology and Education, a text-book for high schools, normal schools, normal institutes, and reading circles, and a manual for teachers. (1887) another ed. D. Appleton, New York, 1897
- Psychology Applied to the Art of Teaching (1892)
- School Management and School Methods (1897)
Honors
Bethany College (West Virginia)
Bethany College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the oldest institution of Higher Education in West Virginia.-Location:...
in 1891. He is memorialized at Truman State University
Truman State University
Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri, United States and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. About 6,000 students attend Truman, pursuing degrees in 43 undergraduate and 9 Graduate programs. It is located in Kirksville in...
by Baldwin Hall ("Old" Baldwin, the building Baldwin himself constructed, burned 1924; the cornerstone for "New" Baldwin was laid in 1938), the prestigious annual Baldwin Lecture, and the Joseph Baldwin Academy
Joseph Baldwin Academy
The Joseph Baldwin Academy, or JBA, is a summer program of two three-week sessions for gifted students going into grades 8-10. It is intended to provide opportunities for social growth as the students explore college life and take university-level courses...
for Eminent Young Scholars. There is also a lifesize bronze statue of Baldwin on the quadrangle.
The Education Building at Sam Houston State University, built in 1918, was meant to be renamed for Baldwin in 1981, but was demolished the next year. Also, they say that the lantern of Joe has been seen in Maco so they named it Maco Light.
Additional reading
- Stallones, J. R. (1997). The Strange Case of Joseph Baldwin: A Study in the Politics of Education. Journal of the Midwest History of Education Society. 24: 39-45
- Images of Baldwin, his statue, some descendants, the Cumberland Academy Building, and Old Baldwin Hall before and after the fire are available from the Truman Review
- The following rare volumes include their call numbers at the Pickler Memorial Library (Truman State University):
- Knight, Homer L. Joseph Baldwin: Pioneer Educator. Kirksville, MissouriKirksville, MissouriKirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
, Simpson Printing, 1957. LB1705 B3 - Matthews, James Carl. Joseph Baldwin: a dedicated teacher educator, Kirksville, MissouriKirksville, MissouriKirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
, Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, 1959. LB1705.B3 - Contributions to education (George Peabody College for Teachers); no. 111. Thesis (Ph.D) - George Peabody College for Teachers, 1932. LA2317.B14 M3
- Knight, Homer L. Joseph Baldwin: Pioneer Educator. Kirksville, Missouri