JOHN W BULKLEY

JOHN W. BULKLEY, was born in Fairfield, Conn., on the 3d of Nov., 1805. With such elementary instruction as the Common Schools of his district could furnish, his father destined him for some mechanical occupation; but young Bulkley had a taste for reading and intellectual pursuits, and managed to com mence a course of mathematical and classical study at Clinton, New York, with a view of entering an advanced class in Hamilton College, and after graduating, of devoting himself to the Christian ministry. Being obliged to suspend his preparation on account of ill health, he betook himself to school-keeping in 1825, as a temporary resort, but found therein a congenial sphere of labor. After teaching six years in a District School of his native town, he was invited in 1832, to open a private seminary in Troy. New York, where his success was such as to make his services sought for in several Academies, and large public schools. He accepted a position in a new public school in Albany, in 1838, where he continued to teach for thirteen years, until he was called to conduct a large graded school in Williamsburg, in 1850, and his Normal Class of the teachers of the public schools, who assembled every Saturday, for the purposes of professional study. In this field he continued until 1854, when he was elected Superintendent of the Public Schools of Brooklyn, including Williamsburg.

From the first hour he felt himself a teacher for life, Mr. Bulkley began to collect and master the literature of his profession, and to coöperate with other friends of education for the purpose of arousing public and parental interest, diffusing information, and introducing improvements into the organization, administration, instruction and discipline of schools. He was one of the originators of the Troy Teachers' Society in 1836, and attended the Convention of Teachers and friends of education in Albany, in February, 1837, and was one of its committee to arrange for the important Educational Convention held in Utica, in May following, at which meeting he delivered an Address on "The Studies, and the order in which they should be taught in Common Schools." At this convention a State Society for the Improvement of Common Schools was formed, of which Jabez D. Hammond was made President. He was one of the projectors of the Renssalaer County Education Convention at Troy, in 1837, at which a County Education Society was formed.

Mr. Bulkley was President, and T. W. Valentine, Chairman of the Business Committee of the Convention of Teachers held at Syracuse, on the 30th and 31st of July, 1845. In this convention originated "The Teachers' Association of the State of New York,"* of which Mr. Bulkley was the first President, and the "Teacher's Advocate," a weekly paper, of which E. Cooper was appointed editor. Mr. Bulkley has not confined his labors to educational meetings in his own city, county, and state, but has attended and addressed the American Institute of Instruction, and the American Association for the Advancement of Educa tion, as well as the Conventions and Associations of several States.

A history of this Association will appear in the “Am. Journal of Education," for June, 1864.

1860.

THE FOURTH SESSION, OR THIRD ANNUAL Meeting of the NATIONAL TEACH-ERS' ASSOCIATION, was held at Buffalo, on the 8th, 9th, and 10th of August, 1860, with the following officers elected in 1859.

INTRODUCTORY LECTURE-Objects and Mission of the National Teachers' Asso-ciation. By the PRESIDENT.

The Scholarship of Shakspeare. By Prof. EDWARD NORTH, of Hamilton College, Clinton, New York.

Our Professional Ancestry. By RICHARD EDWARDS, Principal of City Normal School, St. Louis, Missouri.

The Ph sophy of Education. By W. H. WELLS, Superintendent of Public Schools, Chicago.

The Study of Matter, and the Progress of Man. By E. L. YOUMANS.

The Teacher and his Work. By JOHN KNEELAND, Principal of High School, Roxbury, Massachusetts.

The Special Educational Wants of our Country. By J. W. HOYT, Editor of Wisconsin Farmer, Madison, Wisconsin.

The National Importance of the Teacher's Profession. By J. N. McJILTON,. Treasurer of Public Schools, Baltimore, Maryland.

The Gods. A Poem. By ANSON G. CHESTER, Editor of Buffalo Express School Statistics. Report of Committee. By C. S. PENNELL.

Phonetic Alphabet.

Report of Committee. By Z. RICHARDS.

RESOLUTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS.

The American Journal of Education.

Professor PHELPS, of New Jersey, offered the following resolution:

Resolved, 1. That we hereby express our high appreciation of Barnard's "American Journal of Education," as the most complete and comprehensive educational periodical that is published in the English language.

2. That the teachers of the country owe it alike to their own elevation and improvement, and to the general advancement of education, to give this Journal their most hearty coöperation and support.

3. That we can and will raise a list of one hundred new subscribers to the Journal at our present meeting.

The resolutions were ably discussed, and heartily concurred in by Messrs. PHELPS, of New Jersey; NORTHROP, of Massachusetts; McJILTON, of Maryland; W. H. WELLS, of Illinois; MCELLIGOTT, of New York; RICHARDS, of Washington City; WICKERSHAM, of Pennsylvania; SAWYER, of South Carolina; ANSORGE, of Massachusetts; HENCKLE, of Ohio; and PHILBRICK, of Boston. Adopted.

Oral Instruction, and the proper Use of Text-Books.

Mr. ANSORGE, of Massachusetts, opened the subject, and was followed by STOWITZ, GREENLEAF, and WEBSTER, of New York; E. P. STONE, and NORTHROP, of Massachusetts; MARVIN, of Ohio; and MCJILTON, of Maryland. Adult Education.

Discussion was introduced by Mr. SHELDON, of Massachusetts; who was followed by H. K. OLIVER, of Massachusetts; and THOMPSON, of New York. Closed with the following resolutions.

Resolved, That the education of adults, who, from any cause, have been deprived of its blessings, in their earlier days, is a subject worthy the attention and sympathy of all teachers, and friends of humanity.

Resolved, That we heartily commend the formation of adult classes, in connection with evening schools, to the attention and coöperation of School Committees, Boards of Education, and Philanthropists, in all our large towns and cities, where such persons are usually found.

The Heating and Ventilating of School Buildings.

The subject was introduced by Prof. PHELPS, of New Jersey, and further discussed by RICHARDS, of Washington; HENCKLE, of Ohio; and WELLS, of Chicago, closed with appointing Messrs. PHELPS, RICHARDS, HENCKLE, WELLS, and NORTHROP, a committee to report to the next meeting.

Physical Culture.

Introduced by resolutions by Mr. WHITE, of Chicago, and discussed by RIOHARDS, GROSVENER, and OLIVER.

Resolved, That this Association recognizes a thorough and judicious system of physical culture, as the only basis for the full and complete development of our mental and moral faculties; and that any system of instruction, which does not actively recognize the importance of physical education, fails in accomplishing the great ends of education.

Resolved, That we urge upon school committees, and others in charge of public instruction, the propriety of introducing into all our schools, by positive enactment, the careful observance on the part of teachers, of a system of schoolroom gymnastics adapted to the wants of all grades of pupils.

Proceedings of the Third Annual Meeting, &c., held at Buffalo, August 8, 1860. 82 pages. Lectures by Prof. NORTH, Mr. WELLS, Mr. YOUMANS, Mr. KNEELAND, Mr. HOYT, and Mr CHESTER, were not published.

consisting of Messrs. Sheldon, of Mass., Nestlerode, of Iowa., Edwards, of Missouri, Phelps, of Conn., Phelps, of New Jersey, Stone, of Illinois, and Gildersleeve, of New York.

Mr. Phelps, of New Jersey, offered the following resolution, in relation to Barnard's American Journal of Education:

"Resolved, 1st. That we hereby express our high appreciation of Barnard's American Journal of Education, as the most complete and comprehensive educational periodical that is published in the English language.

"2nd. That the teachers of the country owe it alike to their own elevation and improvement, and to the general advancement of education, to give this journal their most hearty co-operation and support.

"3d. That we can and will raise a list of one hundred new subscribers to the Journal at our present meeting."

The resolutions were ably discussed, and heartily concurred in by Messrs. Phelps, of New Jersey, Northrop, of Mass., McJilton, of Maryland, W. H. Wells, of Illinois, McElligott, of New York, Richards, of Washington City, Wickersham, of Penn., Sawyer, of S. C, Ansorge, of Mass.,. Henckle, of Ohio, and Philbrick, of Boston, and adopted.

A dispatch was received from Schenectady, dated Aug. 8th, to the following effect:

"The New York State Sabbath School Teachers' Association sends greeting to the National Teachers' Association, now in session in Buffalo; and would rejoice in being permitted to acknowledge your members as fellow-members and laborers in the great work of the moral education of the children and youth of our land. We respectfully tender our best wishes for the largest measure of success to attend the deliberations of your body. Unanimously adopted. "Alonzo C. Paige, President of the Convention.” The Association authorized the President and Secretary to return a suitable response.

The Association adjourned to 71⁄2 o'clock p. m.

Evening, 72 P. M.

The session was called to order by the President.

Mr. Cruikshank, chairman of a committee appointed. at the last session, to prepare a system of By-Laws and Rules of Order, made the following report: