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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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14 History University of Illinoi was soon to bo a power in moving the public mind toward the ends desired by the friends of industrial education.8* Among the leaders taking part in the third convention were: Bronson Murray of Ottawa, who was chosen president; John A. Eennicott of Cook county, John Gage of Lake county, John David, Ira Porter, and others. Jonathan Turner was not present. The discussion in the convention on various portions of the Granville plan revealed the fact that some of the leaders were even more radical than Turner. John A. Kennicott, a man who had been educated in the east as had Turner, joined issue with that paragraph of the Turner plan which related to the introduction of a classical course. He said he would oppose the idea without reservation or stint. He could not consent even to a qualified admission of the possibility of its ever becoming "expedient" for them to have anything to do with dead languages, or any of the intellectual lumber, so reverenced and interwoven with the systems of education in the classical schools. He concluded by saying: " W e must keep to the necessary, and the practically useful branches of education; and leave mere i learning! and conventional usage, to the old systems, and the old schools, where all such stuff properly belongs.'3 Kennicott said he considered "this the sole bad feature in Turner's admirable general plan." 3 4 John Davis did not approve of a distinct classical department and he thought that the language used by Turner did not advise but merely suggested that it might be expedient sometime in the future to have the means to impart a classical education to those who might desire it in addition to the practical course. John Gage and George Haskell both thought it would never be expedient to have such a course. Unopposed the stream of eloquence rolled on. The climax was reached by the address of one Seth Paine. Of him Kennicott, apparently with considerable enjoyment, reports: "Seth Paine, with all the fire of his singularly energetic and progressive ••Turner said of the league: fi (It) gave us a name, a power, and a foothold." He said that Murray proposed it. Turner to John P . Reynolds, November 28, 1865, Illinois State Agricultural Society, Transactions, 5:37; for organization of league see appendix, p. 425. u Pra4rie Farmer, February, 1853.
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