Today, I am thankful for all my teachers. Our classroom educators are the true unsung heroes who inspire us to succeed in life.
When I entered Jacksonville’s Samuel W. Wolfson High School as a sophomore, the first teacher I encountered on my first day of 10th grade was none other than Mr. Edward B. McDade. A former Marine, Mr. McDade was the consummate teacher of all things pertaining to mathematics. He had an uncanny ability to teach algebra with rigor and ease – and a flair for the dramatic. He kept the classroom entertained with his repeated trips to the blackboard to demonstrate to the students how to solve a complex mathematical problem. I was never bored, and so I took Mr. McDade’s math class in Analytical Geometry and Trigonometry during my Junior and Senior years, respectively. Sadly, he passed away in 2010. I never got a chance to thank him personally for all he taught me.
We all have teachers who made us who were are. These unsung heroes approach each new school year with a rigor, vigor, and enthusiasm that instills in young minds a love of learning. Today, I wanted to share the story of the only Founding Father who was teacher – someone who signed the Declaration of Independence, and, yet, few know his name.
John Witherspoon was a Presbyterian minister, an educator, and a college president who helped to define the nation’s character. In 1968, at the age of 45, he emigrated from Scotland to the US to become the President of the ‘College of New Jersey’ in Princeton, later renamed for the town. He discovered a school in disrepair, in debt, and in need of rigorous instruction. He immediately changed the college’s educational philosophy. He taught classes in history and divinity, mandated entry exams, & undertook a massive fundraising campaign. As a minister, he taught faith-based learning by asking his students to experiment & experience the world around them. He molded young men like James Madison, Aaron Burr, & William Bradford – as well as 21 senators, 39 congressmen, 3 Supreme Court Justices, & 12 state governors. He also rebuilt the campus and the fledging community around Princeton.
Our great teachers are rarely remembered. Take a moment to thank one of your former teachers today (Feb 5), on the 297th birthday of America’s first great educator, John Witherspoon.
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