Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1904 — MANY TEACHERS MEET. [ARTICLE]

MANY TEACHERS MEET.

National Association Opens FortyThird Convention at St. Louis. Tho forty-third annual convention of the National Educational Association formally convened Tuesday at the world’3 fair grounds in St. Louis when the first of the general sessions was called to order in Festival Hall. Later the sessions of the different educational departments were convened in various halls throughout the grounds, the whole constituting the general convention of the association. As the majority of the educators failed to register upon arrival, but went directly from the trains to their various stopping places, it is not definitely known how large was the attendance, but it is known that many thousands of persons came to St. Louis for the express purpose of attending the convention. •* * Festival Hall has a seating capacity of about 2,500, but had tlie hall been several times as large it would not have accommodated the crowd. Educators from every portion of the United States and many from abroad constituted the vast throng that endeavored to find entrance to the hall, and the musical program that wns arranged ns preliminary to the convention was continued for some time after the hour set in order to permit the delegates to arrange themselves comfortably. The convention was called to order by Fresident John W, Cook, who is president of tlie Northern Illinois State Normal School, DeKalb, IIL He introduced the first speaker, W. T. Carrington, superintendent of public instruction of Missouri, who welcomed the educators to St Louis and to the exposition. A second address of welcome was made by C. M. Woodward, president of the St Louis Board of Education.

The next speaker was F. Louis Soldan, superintendent of public instruction of 6t Louis.