A PROMINENT EDUCATOR-Prof. W. J. Shoup died 1893

SHOUP, WHIPPLE, MCAFEE, GIENDINING

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 1/29/2017 at 11:58:20

Dubuque Daily Herald, November 13, 1893
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THE LATE PROF. SHOUP
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Biography of the Principal
of the Lincoln School
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WAS A PROMINENT EDUCATOR
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A Cultured Gentlemen Who’s Life
Was Devoted Successfully to
Teaching and Literary Pursuits – His
Death a Great Loss to the Public
Schools
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In Saturdays issue of the Herald brief mention was made of the death of Prof. W. J. Shoup, principal of the Lincoln School.

William J. Shoup was born in Kittanning, Armstrong County, Penn., on the 15th of March 1846. In 1843 he removed with his parents to Galesburg, Ill. His boyhood was spent on a farm not far from that town. In 1864, having reached the age of eighteen, he enlisted as a recruit to the 48th Ill., being the fourth son his widowed mother had given to the union armies. In the pursuit of Hood, after the siege of Nashville, he was struck down by sickness during the dreadful forced march through the icy rain and freezing rivers. His life was despaired of, but after many months in hospital he recovered, but with a weakened heart destined later to strike him down in the prime of manhood and usefulness. After his return from the army he entered Knox College at Galesburg, Ill. He was a through and faithful student, and in mathematics a brilliant one. After his graduation he entered the profession of teaching. He taught in Batavia, Fairfield, Marysville, Hartford and Indianola in this state, and for one term in Bellevue, Neb. From Bellevue he came to Dubuque, Jan. 1, 1874, to take charge of the Fourth Ward school, a position in which he thereafter held, with the exception of about two years absence on account of illness.

In 1877, Iowa being without an educational journal, he began the publication of the Iowa Normal Monthly. This journal he and his wife edited for seven years. It was a moderate success in a financial point of view, and an unqualified one from the standpoint of interest, character and ability.

In 1880, he was president of the State Teachers Association. He was the first superintendent and one of the founders of the Summit Sunday School. This school was at first organized as a union school, and Mr. Shoup was its superintendent until it got a vigorous start, when it was decided to transfer its management to the Congregational church.

In October, 1883, his incipient heart disease fully developed. After a few months’ struggle with the increasing disease he was obliged to sell the Normal Monthly and suspend his school work. In August, 1884, he was given up by his physician; yet railed again, steadily gained during the year, and did some excellent literary work, writing sketches of travel, stories and poems for the Overland Monthly.

In 1885, he resumed his position at the head of the Lincoln School. By dint of great care and constant nursing his health was fairly maintained for a year and he wrote a number of educational works: “Shoup’s Graded Speller,” “Easy Words for Little Learners,” “Shoup’s Graded Didactics” in two volumes, and “The History of Science and Education,” the latter being a revision of the second volume of the Didactics. All these works were marked by Prof. Shoup’s strong originality, sounds sense, teacherly skills, and vigorous and attractive literary style.

On Jan. 26, 1890, Prof Shoup was stricken with paralysis – or strictly speaking embolism. In time he recovered his speech, and could walk through with some difficulty, but his right arm remained powerless. With characteristic energy he taught himself to write with his left hand.

The school board, by allowing him to resume his work with the aid of a special assistant, undoubtedly did the best thing possible to prolong his life and make his closing years not altogether without pleasure and satisfaction. Still his life since the stroke of paralysis was one of constant suffering, mental and physical.

Three weeks before his death he took a turn for the worse. At the close of the first week of his illness he wrote out his resignation as principal, but owing to the advice of his physician and at the entreaties of his assistant he withheld it in the hope of a possible recovery–a hope that he did not himself entertain. At midnight of Friday he seemed for a moment stronger and better; asked to sit in his easy chair and rose and seated himself without assistance. He slept quietly for two hours, then awoke in distress. His watching wife turned to get an opiate to relieve him, but hearing a gasping groan sprang to his side and he died almost instantly in her arms.

Prof. Shoup will be gratefully remembered by thousands of young people of Dubuque, who knew, respected and loved him as their teacher.

Since he came to this city he was a member, and for many years an elder of the Second Presbyterian Church.

In every relation of life he was a man of unswerving integrity and of usual ability and force. As long as his health permitted any activity, he was the recognized leader of the educational forces of Dubuque. He was married on the 29th of June, 1871, to Miss Samantha Whipple, who had been his classmate at Knox. He leaves two daughters and four sons – Grace, George, William, Erwin, Margaret and Arthur.

Prof. Shoup is also survived by three brothers, United States Senator Geo. L. Shoup of Salmon City, Idaho; J. S. Shoup, of Sioux City, superintendent of schools of Woodbury County; Hon. James M. Shoup, of Challis, Idaho; also by two sisters, Mrs. Robert McAfee, of Allegheny, Pa., and Mrs. James Giendining, of Salt Lake City, Utah.

His lectures before the Y. M. C. A. some years ago on scientific subjects are favorably remembered. He was a member of the Round Table Club, which flourished some years ago, and a student of Egyptology and the Oriental religions. He was a member of the Grand Army and delivered a notable Memorial Day address at Linwood some years ago. His record as a solider was excellent and exemplified that “The braved are the tenderest, The Loving are the daring.”