1st President of Murray State University (Ky) (1923-1926) and (1933-1936)
1st wife was Rachel Ashcraft Carr
2nd wife was Mary W. Moss Carr
In the Murray State College News, Saturday, December 12, 1959, Dr. Carr said he was born in Goose Creek, Indiana.
Frank E Campbell Funeral Home (Ny) provided the Burial location for Dr. Carr on July 14, 2016.
∼
._________
First Head of Murray State,
Dr. J. W. Carr, Dies at 100
Served College 30 Years
As Chief Executive, Dean
The flag was down at half-mast here Friday in honor of Murray State's first president,
Dr. John Wesley Carr.
Dr. Carr, who had celebrated his 100th birthday Dec. 13, died Thursday evening at his home in Flushing, N. Y.
With the flag at half mast, Murray State College, which Dr. Carr once described "as being as fair as the Gardens of the Gods" was honoring the man who was able to foresee the future, the man who had dreams for Murray, and worked hard to make them come true.
The first beginning of MSC was in the Murray High School building with 365 students enrolled. Since that time Murray has grown to a college of 15 major buildings and more then 2,500 students.
Dr. Carr, who had been past the century mark for just over two months when he died, came to Murray in 1924 as the first president of the newly created Murray State Normal School. In 1926 when Dr. Rainey T. Wells became president of the school, Dr. Carr became dean of the college. Dr. Carr's knowledge of and interest in the school made his recall to the presidency in 1933 a natural one.
In 1938 Dr. James H. Richmond became president and Dr. Carr again resumed the duties of the deanship, which he held until 1940.
As president-emeritus, Dr. Carr saw no reason to stop working. His zeal and enthusiasm led him into many fields. He spent several years in accumulating data and writing a history of MSC, and was the author of numerous articles appearing in educational journals.
As a tribute to Dr. Carr for his service as dean and president of the school, and for being the author of the physical education law of Kentucky and the first Kentucky State Director of Physical Education, Murray State's health building was dedicated to him in 1937.
At the time of the dedication, Dr. Carr was 78 years old, still active, and still zealously working for Murray State at an age usually thought of as one of retirement.
Dr. Carr served as president of the elementary department of NEA in 1903, president of the department of superintendents in 1908, and for six years was secretary to the National Council of Education.
Dr. Carr began his career as an educator in 1885. He taught in high schools and was superintendent of public schools in three different areas. He received his A.B. and A.M. degrees from Indiana University. He attended New York University and Columbia University, receiving his Ph.D. degree from the latter in 1914.
Dr. Carr's first wife, Rachel Ashcraft, was the mother of three sons and one daughter. His second wife, Mary W. Moss was an instructor of English at Murray State.
On the occasion of his 100th birthday anniversary, Dec. 13, Dr. Carr was honored in a special edition of the College News, a special program of the Murray State Television series over WPSD-TV, Paducah, and by feature stories in Kentucky and Indiana newspapers.
The College News, Murray State University
Murray, Ky
Tuesday, February 23, 1960
∼
'Grand Old Man' Is Gone
Dr. John W. Carr, Murray State's
First President, Dies At 100
By MARY M. HOFFMAN
Sun-Democrat Staff Writer
Murray State College's first president, Dr. John Wesley Carr, died last night In New York, two months after celebrating his 100th birthday.
Dr. Carr, frequently referred to. as "The Grand Old Man of Murray State College," helped establish what was then called , Murray State Normal School In 1923.
From that time until 1953 he served variously as president, as dean, as president again, and finally as president emeritus.
Born December 13. 1859, in Lawrence County, Ind., Dr. Carr spent 87 years in schools, counting his student years. He was teacher, principal and historian as well as dean and president.
He served schools In Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey and Philadelphia, and was Indiana University's oldest living graduate.
To Murray At 64
Dr. Carr was 64 years old when he was named by the Kentucky state board of education to head the new school, which had been created by the legislature of 1922.
He had $116,000 raised by the people of Murray, plus $30,000 voted by the legislature, but no students, no faculty, and no buildings.
Dr. Carr went ahead with , his plans to open the normal school, which would encompass the four high school grades and the first two years of college, In temporary quarters at the high school building.
With a handful of textbooks, three full-time-and two-part-time teachers, Dr. Carr opened his school on September 24, 1923. First-day enrollment was 178, and within a few weeks had grown to more than 200.
A Turning Point
Meanwhile work had begun on the first building on Murray's campus. What is now the college's administration building was completed in August of the following year.
The college had three successive governing bodies in its first year. It operated first under the state board of education, and then, when a new administration came in during January, under the new board of education.
Finally, under the leadership of Ralney T. Wells, member of the state tax commission, and State Rep. Lee Clark of Murray, the legislature set up boards of regents for Murray and other state schools.
A crucial turning-point for Murray came In 1924, when the legislature provided that a certain percentage of the state's ad valorem taxes would be used for the support of the state schools. .
For Murray, that meant $134,967.73 in the first year, in contrast to the annual appropriation of $30,000 originally set by the legislature.
The 1924 legislature also provided $400,000 for improvements, and Murray was on its way to becoming the imposing plant it is now.
Dr. Carr was president until 1926, when he resigned to become dean and Dr. Rainey T. Wells became president. Dr. Carr always preferred educational work to administrative work, and in his position as dean could work more closely with students and teachers.
Dr. Carr was 64 years old when he assumed the duties of the new school's presidency, and he was 74 years old when he again became president in 1933, after Dr. Wells resigned. For three years he served as both president and dean, until Dr. James H. Richmond became president and Dr. Carr could again devote full time to the dean's position.
College Grew Up
In 1940 he retired, becoming "president emeritus and setting his sights on writing an oflicial history of the college. Murray became a four-year college in 1926, with the name of Murray State Normal School and Teachers College, and In 1930 became Murray State Teachers College.
Dr. Carr's feelings for his school were revealed in a statement he wrote for the Paducah News-Democrat when the normal school opened in 1923.
After describing the architect's plans, he continued: "But beautiful as this design is, it is not the REAL Murray State Normal School. The real school is a spiritual thing, something not made with brick and mortar, but which will grow as the lily grows when good seed is planted in good soil, moistened by the rain and warmed by the sun.
"It Is a place where teacher and student communicate with each other, become acquainted with inature learn about books and keep company with the great.
"The real normal school is a place where folks learn to know folks, to understand their possibilities and to see visions of better things ahead. It is a place also to learn to understand and to love children and to see the divinity that is within them."
The author of those lines got his first taste of school-teaching at the age of 17 at Bloomfield, Ind. At 19, he married one of his students, Rachel Ashcraft, who died in 1927. Dr. Carr's second wife, the former Mary W. Moss, died in 1948.
After his marriage to Rachel, young Carr went to work for his farmer father-in-law, but his heart wasn't in farming. Finally his father-in-law offered to send him to the University of Indiana, which he attended from 1881 to 1885, graduating with a bachelor's degree. He became principal of Bloomington High School in 1885.
He also found time to become a licensed Methodist minister, and occasionally preached in the Bloomington church.
Later he was principal at Muncie High School, and then, went to Anderson, Ind., where he became superintendent of the city schools. Afterwards he held similar positions in Dayton, Ohio, Bayonne, N. J., and Philadelphia.
Dr. Carr also attended Columbia University in 1908 and 1909, then New York University from 1911 to 1913. He took his doctorate of philosophy in 1913 and later took still another year of advanced work at Columbia.
Dr. Carr couldn't come to Murray for his 100th birthday celebration last December. Only his immediate family attended the quiet observance held in the home of his grandson, with whom he made his home In New York.
A special edition of the Murray College News commemorated the date, however, and a program devoted to him was televised over WPSD-TV. Letters of greeting from many of his friends were bound under special coyer and presented to him.
Funeral services for Dr. Carr will be held at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, Madison Ave., at 81st St., New York, at 2:30 p. m. Saturday.
The Paducah Sun-Democrat
Paducah, Ky
Friday, February 19, 1960, p. 1∼
1st wife was Rachel Ashcraft Carr
2nd wife was Mary W. Moss Carr
In the Murray State College News, Saturday, December 12, 1959, Dr. Carr said he was born in Goose Creek, Indiana.
Frank E Campbell Funeral Home (Ny) provided the Burial location for Dr. Carr on July 14, 2016.
∼
._________
First Head of Murray State,
Dr. J. W. Carr, Dies at 100
Served College 30 Years
As Chief Executive, Dean
The flag was down at half-mast here Friday in honor of Murray State's first president,
Dr. John Wesley Carr.
Dr. Carr, who had celebrated his 100th birthday Dec. 13, died Thursday evening at his home in Flushing, N. Y.
With the flag at half mast, Murray State College, which Dr. Carr once described "as being as fair as the Gardens of the Gods" was honoring the man who was able to foresee the future, the man who had dreams for Murray, and worked hard to make them come true.
The first beginning of MSC was in the Murray High School building with 365 students enrolled. Since that time Murray has grown to a college of 15 major buildings and more then 2,500 students.
Dr. Carr, who had been past the century mark for just over two months when he died, came to Murray in 1924 as the first president of the newly created Murray State Normal School. In 1926 when Dr. Rainey T. Wells became president of the school, Dr. Carr became dean of the college. Dr. Carr's knowledge of and interest in the school made his recall to the presidency in 1933 a natural one.
In 1938 Dr. James H. Richmond became president and Dr. Carr again resumed the duties of the deanship, which he held until 1940.
As president-emeritus, Dr. Carr saw no reason to stop working. His zeal and enthusiasm led him into many fields. He spent several years in accumulating data and writing a history of MSC, and was the author of numerous articles appearing in educational journals.
As a tribute to Dr. Carr for his service as dean and president of the school, and for being the author of the physical education law of Kentucky and the first Kentucky State Director of Physical Education, Murray State's health building was dedicated to him in 1937.
At the time of the dedication, Dr. Carr was 78 years old, still active, and still zealously working for Murray State at an age usually thought of as one of retirement.
Dr. Carr served as president of the elementary department of NEA in 1903, president of the department of superintendents in 1908, and for six years was secretary to the National Council of Education.
Dr. Carr began his career as an educator in 1885. He taught in high schools and was superintendent of public schools in three different areas. He received his A.B. and A.M. degrees from Indiana University. He attended New York University and Columbia University, receiving his Ph.D. degree from the latter in 1914.
Dr. Carr's first wife, Rachel Ashcraft, was the mother of three sons and one daughter. His second wife, Mary W. Moss was an instructor of English at Murray State.
On the occasion of his 100th birthday anniversary, Dec. 13, Dr. Carr was honored in a special edition of the College News, a special program of the Murray State Television series over WPSD-TV, Paducah, and by feature stories in Kentucky and Indiana newspapers.
The College News, Murray State University
Murray, Ky
Tuesday, February 23, 1960
∼
'Grand Old Man' Is Gone
Dr. John W. Carr, Murray State's
First President, Dies At 100
By MARY M. HOFFMAN
Sun-Democrat Staff Writer
Murray State College's first president, Dr. John Wesley Carr, died last night In New York, two months after celebrating his 100th birthday.
Dr. Carr, frequently referred to. as "The Grand Old Man of Murray State College," helped establish what was then called , Murray State Normal School In 1923.
From that time until 1953 he served variously as president, as dean, as president again, and finally as president emeritus.
Born December 13. 1859, in Lawrence County, Ind., Dr. Carr spent 87 years in schools, counting his student years. He was teacher, principal and historian as well as dean and president.
He served schools In Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey and Philadelphia, and was Indiana University's oldest living graduate.
To Murray At 64
Dr. Carr was 64 years old when he was named by the Kentucky state board of education to head the new school, which had been created by the legislature of 1922.
He had $116,000 raised by the people of Murray, plus $30,000 voted by the legislature, but no students, no faculty, and no buildings.
Dr. Carr went ahead with , his plans to open the normal school, which would encompass the four high school grades and the first two years of college, In temporary quarters at the high school building.
With a handful of textbooks, three full-time-and two-part-time teachers, Dr. Carr opened his school on September 24, 1923. First-day enrollment was 178, and within a few weeks had grown to more than 200.
A Turning Point
Meanwhile work had begun on the first building on Murray's campus. What is now the college's administration building was completed in August of the following year.
The college had three successive governing bodies in its first year. It operated first under the state board of education, and then, when a new administration came in during January, under the new board of education.
Finally, under the leadership of Ralney T. Wells, member of the state tax commission, and State Rep. Lee Clark of Murray, the legislature set up boards of regents for Murray and other state schools.
A crucial turning-point for Murray came In 1924, when the legislature provided that a certain percentage of the state's ad valorem taxes would be used for the support of the state schools. .
For Murray, that meant $134,967.73 in the first year, in contrast to the annual appropriation of $30,000 originally set by the legislature.
The 1924 legislature also provided $400,000 for improvements, and Murray was on its way to becoming the imposing plant it is now.
Dr. Carr was president until 1926, when he resigned to become dean and Dr. Rainey T. Wells became president. Dr. Carr always preferred educational work to administrative work, and in his position as dean could work more closely with students and teachers.
Dr. Carr was 64 years old when he assumed the duties of the new school's presidency, and he was 74 years old when he again became president in 1933, after Dr. Wells resigned. For three years he served as both president and dean, until Dr. James H. Richmond became president and Dr. Carr could again devote full time to the dean's position.
College Grew Up
In 1940 he retired, becoming "president emeritus and setting his sights on writing an oflicial history of the college. Murray became a four-year college in 1926, with the name of Murray State Normal School and Teachers College, and In 1930 became Murray State Teachers College.
Dr. Carr's feelings for his school were revealed in a statement he wrote for the Paducah News-Democrat when the normal school opened in 1923.
After describing the architect's plans, he continued: "But beautiful as this design is, it is not the REAL Murray State Normal School. The real school is a spiritual thing, something not made with brick and mortar, but which will grow as the lily grows when good seed is planted in good soil, moistened by the rain and warmed by the sun.
"It Is a place where teacher and student communicate with each other, become acquainted with inature learn about books and keep company with the great.
"The real normal school is a place where folks learn to know folks, to understand their possibilities and to see visions of better things ahead. It is a place also to learn to understand and to love children and to see the divinity that is within them."
The author of those lines got his first taste of school-teaching at the age of 17 at Bloomfield, Ind. At 19, he married one of his students, Rachel Ashcraft, who died in 1927. Dr. Carr's second wife, the former Mary W. Moss, died in 1948.
After his marriage to Rachel, young Carr went to work for his farmer father-in-law, but his heart wasn't in farming. Finally his father-in-law offered to send him to the University of Indiana, which he attended from 1881 to 1885, graduating with a bachelor's degree. He became principal of Bloomington High School in 1885.
He also found time to become a licensed Methodist minister, and occasionally preached in the Bloomington church.
Later he was principal at Muncie High School, and then, went to Anderson, Ind., where he became superintendent of the city schools. Afterwards he held similar positions in Dayton, Ohio, Bayonne, N. J., and Philadelphia.
Dr. Carr also attended Columbia University in 1908 and 1909, then New York University from 1911 to 1913. He took his doctorate of philosophy in 1913 and later took still another year of advanced work at Columbia.
Dr. Carr couldn't come to Murray for his 100th birthday celebration last December. Only his immediate family attended the quiet observance held in the home of his grandson, with whom he made his home In New York.
A special edition of the Murray College News commemorated the date, however, and a program devoted to him was televised over WPSD-TV. Letters of greeting from many of his friends were bound under special coyer and presented to him.
Funeral services for Dr. Carr will be held at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, Madison Ave., at 81st St., New York, at 2:30 p. m. Saturday.
The Paducah Sun-Democrat
Paducah, Ky
Friday, February 19, 1960, p. 1∼
1st President of Murray State University (Ky) (1923-1926) and (1933-1936)
1st wife was Rachel Ashcraft Carr
2nd wife was Mary W. Moss Carr
In the Murray State College News, Saturday, December 12, 1959, Dr. Carr said he was born in Goose Creek, Indiana.
Frank E Campbell Funeral Home (Ny) provided the Burial location for Dr. Carr on July 14, 2016.
∼
._________
First Head of Murray State,
Dr. J. W. Carr, Dies at 100
Served College 30 Years
As Chief Executive, Dean
The flag was down at half-mast here Friday in honor of Murray State's first president,
Dr. John Wesley Carr.
Dr. Carr, who had celebrated his 100th birthday Dec. 13, died Thursday evening at his home in Flushing, N. Y.
With the flag at half mast, Murray State College, which Dr. Carr once described "as being as fair as the Gardens of the Gods" was honoring the man who was able to foresee the future, the man who had dreams for Murray, and worked hard to make them come true.
The first beginning of MSC was in the Murray High School building with 365 students enrolled. Since that time Murray has grown to a college of 15 major buildings and more then 2,500 students.
Dr. Carr, who had been past the century mark for just over two months when he died, came to Murray in 1924 as the first president of the newly created Murray State Normal School. In 1926 when Dr. Rainey T. Wells became president of the school, Dr. Carr became dean of the college. Dr. Carr's knowledge of and interest in the school made his recall to the presidency in 1933 a natural one.
In 1938 Dr. James H. Richmond became president and Dr. Carr again resumed the duties of the deanship, which he held until 1940.
As president-emeritus, Dr. Carr saw no reason to stop working. His zeal and enthusiasm led him into many fields. He spent several years in accumulating data and writing a history of MSC, and was the author of numerous articles appearing in educational journals.
As a tribute to Dr. Carr for his service as dean and president of the school, and for being the author of the physical education law of Kentucky and the first Kentucky State Director of Physical Education, Murray State's health building was dedicated to him in 1937.
At the time of the dedication, Dr. Carr was 78 years old, still active, and still zealously working for Murray State at an age usually thought of as one of retirement.
Dr. Carr served as president of the elementary department of NEA in 1903, president of the department of superintendents in 1908, and for six years was secretary to the National Council of Education.
Dr. Carr began his career as an educator in 1885. He taught in high schools and was superintendent of public schools in three different areas. He received his A.B. and A.M. degrees from Indiana University. He attended New York University and Columbia University, receiving his Ph.D. degree from the latter in 1914.
Dr. Carr's first wife, Rachel Ashcraft, was the mother of three sons and one daughter. His second wife, Mary W. Moss was an instructor of English at Murray State.
On the occasion of his 100th birthday anniversary, Dec. 13, Dr. Carr was honored in a special edition of the College News, a special program of the Murray State Television series over WPSD-TV, Paducah, and by feature stories in Kentucky and Indiana newspapers.
The College News, Murray State University
Murray, Ky
Tuesday, February 23, 1960
∼
'Grand Old Man' Is Gone
Dr. John W. Carr, Murray State's
First President, Dies At 100
By MARY M. HOFFMAN
Sun-Democrat Staff Writer
Murray State College's first president, Dr. John Wesley Carr, died last night In New York, two months after celebrating his 100th birthday.
Dr. Carr, frequently referred to. as "The Grand Old Man of Murray State College," helped establish what was then called , Murray State Normal School In 1923.
From that time until 1953 he served variously as president, as dean, as president again, and finally as president emeritus.
Born December 13. 1859, in Lawrence County, Ind., Dr. Carr spent 87 years in schools, counting his student years. He was teacher, principal and historian as well as dean and president.
He served schools In Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey and Philadelphia, and was Indiana University's oldest living graduate.
To Murray At 64
Dr. Carr was 64 years old when he was named by the Kentucky state board of education to head the new school, which had been created by the legislature of 1922.
He had $116,000 raised by the people of Murray, plus $30,000 voted by the legislature, but no students, no faculty, and no buildings.
Dr. Carr went ahead with , his plans to open the normal school, which would encompass the four high school grades and the first two years of college, In temporary quarters at the high school building.
With a handful of textbooks, three full-time-and two-part-time teachers, Dr. Carr opened his school on September 24, 1923. First-day enrollment was 178, and within a few weeks had grown to more than 200.
A Turning Point
Meanwhile work had begun on the first building on Murray's campus. What is now the college's administration building was completed in August of the following year.
The college had three successive governing bodies in its first year. It operated first under the state board of education, and then, when a new administration came in during January, under the new board of education.
Finally, under the leadership of Ralney T. Wells, member of the state tax commission, and State Rep. Lee Clark of Murray, the legislature set up boards of regents for Murray and other state schools.
A crucial turning-point for Murray came In 1924, when the legislature provided that a certain percentage of the state's ad valorem taxes would be used for the support of the state schools. .
For Murray, that meant $134,967.73 in the first year, in contrast to the annual appropriation of $30,000 originally set by the legislature.
The 1924 legislature also provided $400,000 for improvements, and Murray was on its way to becoming the imposing plant it is now.
Dr. Carr was president until 1926, when he resigned to become dean and Dr. Rainey T. Wells became president. Dr. Carr always preferred educational work to administrative work, and in his position as dean could work more closely with students and teachers.
Dr. Carr was 64 years old when he assumed the duties of the new school's presidency, and he was 74 years old when he again became president in 1933, after Dr. Wells resigned. For three years he served as both president and dean, until Dr. James H. Richmond became president and Dr. Carr could again devote full time to the dean's position.
College Grew Up
In 1940 he retired, becoming "president emeritus and setting his sights on writing an oflicial history of the college. Murray became a four-year college in 1926, with the name of Murray State Normal School and Teachers College, and In 1930 became Murray State Teachers College.
Dr. Carr's feelings for his school were revealed in a statement he wrote for the Paducah News-Democrat when the normal school opened in 1923.
After describing the architect's plans, he continued: "But beautiful as this design is, it is not the REAL Murray State Normal School. The real school is a spiritual thing, something not made with brick and mortar, but which will grow as the lily grows when good seed is planted in good soil, moistened by the rain and warmed by the sun.
"It Is a place where teacher and student communicate with each other, become acquainted with inature learn about books and keep company with the great.
"The real normal school is a place where folks learn to know folks, to understand their possibilities and to see visions of better things ahead. It is a place also to learn to understand and to love children and to see the divinity that is within them."
The author of those lines got his first taste of school-teaching at the age of 17 at Bloomfield, Ind. At 19, he married one of his students, Rachel Ashcraft, who died in 1927. Dr. Carr's second wife, the former Mary W. Moss, died in 1948.
After his marriage to Rachel, young Carr went to work for his farmer father-in-law, but his heart wasn't in farming. Finally his father-in-law offered to send him to the University of Indiana, which he attended from 1881 to 1885, graduating with a bachelor's degree. He became principal of Bloomington High School in 1885.
He also found time to become a licensed Methodist minister, and occasionally preached in the Bloomington church.
Later he was principal at Muncie High School, and then, went to Anderson, Ind., where he became superintendent of the city schools. Afterwards he held similar positions in Dayton, Ohio, Bayonne, N. J., and Philadelphia.
Dr. Carr also attended Columbia University in 1908 and 1909, then New York University from 1911 to 1913. He took his doctorate of philosophy in 1913 and later took still another year of advanced work at Columbia.
Dr. Carr couldn't come to Murray for his 100th birthday celebration last December. Only his immediate family attended the quiet observance held in the home of his grandson, with whom he made his home In New York.
A special edition of the Murray College News commemorated the date, however, and a program devoted to him was televised over WPSD-TV. Letters of greeting from many of his friends were bound under special coyer and presented to him.
Funeral services for Dr. Carr will be held at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, Madison Ave., at 81st St., New York, at 2:30 p. m. Saturday.
The Paducah Sun-Democrat
Paducah, Ky
Friday, February 19, 1960, p. 1∼
1st wife was Rachel Ashcraft Carr
2nd wife was Mary W. Moss Carr
In the Murray State College News, Saturday, December 12, 1959, Dr. Carr said he was born in Goose Creek, Indiana.
Frank E Campbell Funeral Home (Ny) provided the Burial location for Dr. Carr on July 14, 2016.
∼
._________
First Head of Murray State,
Dr. J. W. Carr, Dies at 100
Served College 30 Years
As Chief Executive, Dean
The flag was down at half-mast here Friday in honor of Murray State's first president,
Dr. John Wesley Carr.
Dr. Carr, who had celebrated his 100th birthday Dec. 13, died Thursday evening at his home in Flushing, N. Y.
With the flag at half mast, Murray State College, which Dr. Carr once described "as being as fair as the Gardens of the Gods" was honoring the man who was able to foresee the future, the man who had dreams for Murray, and worked hard to make them come true.
The first beginning of MSC was in the Murray High School building with 365 students enrolled. Since that time Murray has grown to a college of 15 major buildings and more then 2,500 students.
Dr. Carr, who had been past the century mark for just over two months when he died, came to Murray in 1924 as the first president of the newly created Murray State Normal School. In 1926 when Dr. Rainey T. Wells became president of the school, Dr. Carr became dean of the college. Dr. Carr's knowledge of and interest in the school made his recall to the presidency in 1933 a natural one.
In 1938 Dr. James H. Richmond became president and Dr. Carr again resumed the duties of the deanship, which he held until 1940.
As president-emeritus, Dr. Carr saw no reason to stop working. His zeal and enthusiasm led him into many fields. He spent several years in accumulating data and writing a history of MSC, and was the author of numerous articles appearing in educational journals.
As a tribute to Dr. Carr for his service as dean and president of the school, and for being the author of the physical education law of Kentucky and the first Kentucky State Director of Physical Education, Murray State's health building was dedicated to him in 1937.
At the time of the dedication, Dr. Carr was 78 years old, still active, and still zealously working for Murray State at an age usually thought of as one of retirement.
Dr. Carr served as president of the elementary department of NEA in 1903, president of the department of superintendents in 1908, and for six years was secretary to the National Council of Education.
Dr. Carr began his career as an educator in 1885. He taught in high schools and was superintendent of public schools in three different areas. He received his A.B. and A.M. degrees from Indiana University. He attended New York University and Columbia University, receiving his Ph.D. degree from the latter in 1914.
Dr. Carr's first wife, Rachel Ashcraft, was the mother of three sons and one daughter. His second wife, Mary W. Moss was an instructor of English at Murray State.
On the occasion of his 100th birthday anniversary, Dec. 13, Dr. Carr was honored in a special edition of the College News, a special program of the Murray State Television series over WPSD-TV, Paducah, and by feature stories in Kentucky and Indiana newspapers.
The College News, Murray State University
Murray, Ky
Tuesday, February 23, 1960
∼
'Grand Old Man' Is Gone
Dr. John W. Carr, Murray State's
First President, Dies At 100
By MARY M. HOFFMAN
Sun-Democrat Staff Writer
Murray State College's first president, Dr. John Wesley Carr, died last night In New York, two months after celebrating his 100th birthday.
Dr. Carr, frequently referred to. as "The Grand Old Man of Murray State College," helped establish what was then called , Murray State Normal School In 1923.
From that time until 1953 he served variously as president, as dean, as president again, and finally as president emeritus.
Born December 13. 1859, in Lawrence County, Ind., Dr. Carr spent 87 years in schools, counting his student years. He was teacher, principal and historian as well as dean and president.
He served schools In Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey and Philadelphia, and was Indiana University's oldest living graduate.
To Murray At 64
Dr. Carr was 64 years old when he was named by the Kentucky state board of education to head the new school, which had been created by the legislature of 1922.
He had $116,000 raised by the people of Murray, plus $30,000 voted by the legislature, but no students, no faculty, and no buildings.
Dr. Carr went ahead with , his plans to open the normal school, which would encompass the four high school grades and the first two years of college, In temporary quarters at the high school building.
With a handful of textbooks, three full-time-and two-part-time teachers, Dr. Carr opened his school on September 24, 1923. First-day enrollment was 178, and within a few weeks had grown to more than 200.
A Turning Point
Meanwhile work had begun on the first building on Murray's campus. What is now the college's administration building was completed in August of the following year.
The college had three successive governing bodies in its first year. It operated first under the state board of education, and then, when a new administration came in during January, under the new board of education.
Finally, under the leadership of Ralney T. Wells, member of the state tax commission, and State Rep. Lee Clark of Murray, the legislature set up boards of regents for Murray and other state schools.
A crucial turning-point for Murray came In 1924, when the legislature provided that a certain percentage of the state's ad valorem taxes would be used for the support of the state schools. .
For Murray, that meant $134,967.73 in the first year, in contrast to the annual appropriation of $30,000 originally set by the legislature.
The 1924 legislature also provided $400,000 for improvements, and Murray was on its way to becoming the imposing plant it is now.
Dr. Carr was president until 1926, when he resigned to become dean and Dr. Rainey T. Wells became president. Dr. Carr always preferred educational work to administrative work, and in his position as dean could work more closely with students and teachers.
Dr. Carr was 64 years old when he assumed the duties of the new school's presidency, and he was 74 years old when he again became president in 1933, after Dr. Wells resigned. For three years he served as both president and dean, until Dr. James H. Richmond became president and Dr. Carr could again devote full time to the dean's position.
College Grew Up
In 1940 he retired, becoming "president emeritus and setting his sights on writing an oflicial history of the college. Murray became a four-year college in 1926, with the name of Murray State Normal School and Teachers College, and In 1930 became Murray State Teachers College.
Dr. Carr's feelings for his school were revealed in a statement he wrote for the Paducah News-Democrat when the normal school opened in 1923.
After describing the architect's plans, he continued: "But beautiful as this design is, it is not the REAL Murray State Normal School. The real school is a spiritual thing, something not made with brick and mortar, but which will grow as the lily grows when good seed is planted in good soil, moistened by the rain and warmed by the sun.
"It Is a place where teacher and student communicate with each other, become acquainted with inature learn about books and keep company with the great.
"The real normal school is a place where folks learn to know folks, to understand their possibilities and to see visions of better things ahead. It is a place also to learn to understand and to love children and to see the divinity that is within them."
The author of those lines got his first taste of school-teaching at the age of 17 at Bloomfield, Ind. At 19, he married one of his students, Rachel Ashcraft, who died in 1927. Dr. Carr's second wife, the former Mary W. Moss, died in 1948.
After his marriage to Rachel, young Carr went to work for his farmer father-in-law, but his heart wasn't in farming. Finally his father-in-law offered to send him to the University of Indiana, which he attended from 1881 to 1885, graduating with a bachelor's degree. He became principal of Bloomington High School in 1885.
He also found time to become a licensed Methodist minister, and occasionally preached in the Bloomington church.
Later he was principal at Muncie High School, and then, went to Anderson, Ind., where he became superintendent of the city schools. Afterwards he held similar positions in Dayton, Ohio, Bayonne, N. J., and Philadelphia.
Dr. Carr also attended Columbia University in 1908 and 1909, then New York University from 1911 to 1913. He took his doctorate of philosophy in 1913 and later took still another year of advanced work at Columbia.
Dr. Carr couldn't come to Murray for his 100th birthday celebration last December. Only his immediate family attended the quiet observance held in the home of his grandson, with whom he made his home In New York.
A special edition of the Murray College News commemorated the date, however, and a program devoted to him was televised over WPSD-TV. Letters of greeting from many of his friends were bound under special coyer and presented to him.
Funeral services for Dr. Carr will be held at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, Madison Ave., at 81st St., New York, at 2:30 p. m. Saturday.
The Paducah Sun-Democrat
Paducah, Ky
Friday, February 19, 1960, p. 1∼
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100 Years and 65 Days
Gravesite Details
Frank E Campbell Funeral Home (Ny) provided the Burial location for Dr. Carr on July 14, 2016.
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