DOCSLIB.ORG

Marvin S. Pittman: a Historical Inquiry of His Life, Legacy and Leadership

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Marvin S. Pittman: a Historical Inquiry of His Life, Legacy and Leadership Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Spring 2007 Marvin S. Pittman: A Historical Inquiry of His Life, Legacy and Leadership Pamela Frost Altman Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Altman, Pamela Frost, "Marvin S. Pittman: A Historical Inquiry of His Life, Legacy and Leadership" (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 262. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/262 This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MARVIN S. PITTMAN: A HISTORICAL INQUIRY OF HIS LIFE, LEGACY AND LEADERSHIP by PAMELA FROST ALTMAN (Under the Direction of Meta Harris) ABSTRACT This dissertation is an inquiry into the educational leadership style of Marvin Summers Pittman, April 12, 1882 – February 27, 1954. Pittman was a transformational leader with a vision to set goals that sometimes appeared to be ‘outside the box’ during his time as an educational leader. Pittman introduced new and innovative programs in education, including his zone plan for teacher training, and theories for the consolidation of schools. Pittman understood that education was the tool needed to give power back to the people, and to enable them to be productive citizens. Education was Pittman’s tool to bring the poor farm boy from the cotton fields into the classroom. This inquiry illustrates how Pittman proved himself to be an exceptional educational leader and administrator. Pittman transformed the campus at South Georgia Teachers College (SGTC) when he became President in 1934, by introducing ‘faculty organization,’ schools of instruction, and an expanded curriculum. Pittman’s legacy as an educational leader reflects his knowledge that college students needed more than just academics. He brought intellectual and cultural entertainment to enhance their educational experience. Pittman was fired during his administration as president at Georgia Teachers College (GTC), formerly SGTC, and now Georgia Southern University. Pittman struggled as an educational leader to ensure that all people had an equal opportunity to be educated in rural areas of South Georgia. His service to GTC was during the difficult years of the Depression and World War II, and the time when segregationist, Eugene Talmadge was governor of Georgia. Talmadge fired Pittman because of political differences. This inquiry into the life of Marvin Summers Pittman reveals him as an ethical, moral, scholarly and forthright individual. Former students provided testimony on how this man of unusual foresight and vision inspired them. Pittman was an authority on rural education, and an educational consultant in many countries. Index Words: Marvin Summers Pittman; Rural Education; Education; Transformative Leadership; Leadership Style; Educational Leader; Teacher Training; Zone Plan; School Consolidation; Eugene Talmadge; Georgia Higher Education; First District Agricultural and Mechanical School; Georgia Normal School; South Georgia Teachers College; Georgia Teachers College; Georgia Southern College; Georgia Southern University; College and University Presidents; College and University Educators; Collegeboro, Georgia; Statesboro, Georgia; Laboratory Schools. MARVIN S. PITTMAN: A HISTORICAL INQUIRY OF HIS LIFE, LEGACY, AND LEADERSHIP by PAMELA FROST ALTMAN B.S., Georgia Southern University, 1995 M.A., Georgia Southern University, 2002 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF EDUCATION STATESBORO, GEORGIA 2007 © 2007 Pamela Frost Altman All Rights Reserve iv MARVIN S. PITTMAN: A HISTORICAL INQUIRY OF HIS LIFE, LEGACY, AND LEADERSHIP by PAMELA FROST ALTMAN Major Professor: Dr. Meta Harris Committee: Dr. Ming Fang He Dr. Delma E. Presley Electronic Version Approved: May, 2007 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To my dissertation committee, I extend my sincere thanks for all your time and effort that you have given me over the past several months. You worked diligently with me when I had no idea which direction to take, and you helped point me in the right direction. To my committee, Dr. Meta Harris, committee chair and Assistant Professor of Leadership, Technology and Human Development; Dr. Ming Fang He, methodologist and Associate Professor of Curriculum, Foundations and Reading; and, to Dr. Delma Presley, professor Emeritus and Georgia Southern Historian—thank you. To my parents, Myrl (Smut) and Nolan Frost who told me all my life, “If you want something bad enough, work hard to get it,” thank you. Hard work and perseverance do have large pay offs. When I returned to college in 1993 after twenty-five years to complete my Bachelor’s degree, they told me repeatedly how proud they were of my accomplishments. When I walked across the stage December, 1995, I could feel the love and pride they felt for me. In 2002 I received my Master’s Degree and Mama was there supporting me, but Daddy had died in 1999. As the eagle soared over the stadium that day in May, I knew that he was looking on with pride and admiration. To my children, Mickey Altman, Brandi Beasley, Corbi Altman, and Caysi Warren, you have heard me, complain about tests and papers for fourteen years, thank you. You endured neglect, ill tempers, and benefited from the stress of a woman that often thought she had lost every ounce of her intelligence. You considered disowning me, but thankfully you stuck by me and encouraged me through it all. To my grandchildren, Hagan Beasley, Lane Beasley, Katelynn Altman, and Emily Altman, Me-Me is ready to vi enjoy some fun times with all of you. You have continued to want to be in my presence even during some difficult moods. Thank you for loving me through it all. To my husband, Jimmy, where would I be without you? You have been my rock when I needed to reach high ground, my anchor when I began floating away, and you have loved me thorns and all. Thank you for being there for me and allowing me to pursue my dream. To my editors, my sister Patricia Greuling, and my friend, Dr. Patricia Brandt your eyes and efforts gave me confidence in my completed work. To my colleagues at work, thank you for allowing me to be stressed a much of time, and for supporting me by working hard in my absence. And the last thank you is for God. Without Him none of it would have been possible. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. vi PROLOGUE ........................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER I 1 THE ROAD TO GEORGIA ...........................................................................13 CHAPTER II 2 THE BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSITY ............................................................43 CHAPTER III 3 PITTMAN COMES HOME TO THE SOUTH...............................................77 CHAPTER IV 4 GET RID OF THE FURRINERS: BATTLE CRY OF EUGENE TALMADGE.............................................................................................108 CHAPTER V 5 AFTER THOUGHTS....................................................................................136 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................143 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................151 A INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD APPROVAL ...................................152 B. A YOUNG PITTMAN..................................................................................153 C LETTER REGARDING ROSENWALD FUND ..........................................154 D OUSTING OF THE EDUCATORS ..............................................................155 E CALLING AMERICA...................................................................................156 F. DR. PITTMAN AWAITS TRIAL.................................................................157 viii- - G. PERMISSION TO USE FARM, FEBRUARY 12, 1944 ..............................158 H. THANK YOU TO PITTMAN FROM CHANCELLOR SANFORD....................................................................159 I. PITTMAN LETTER REGARDING SERVICE TO WAR DEPARTMENT IN GERMANY..............................................................161 J. SIEBERT LETTER REGARDING TELEGRAM FROM WAR DEPARTMENT ........................................................................................162 K. WAR DEPARTMENT TELEGRAM............................................................163 L. RETIREMENT APPROVAL........................................................................164 M LETTER WITH ATTACHED BOARD OF REGENTS MINUTES REGARDING RETIREMENT .................................................................165 N. 1942 REFLECTOR DEDICATION TO DR. AND MRS. PITTMAN......................................................................169 -ix - PROLOGUE The greatness of a college is not determined by its president but by its student body and alumni.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 18 Lc 117 0041 H. R
    18 LC 117 0041 House Resolution 914 By: Representatives Williamson of the 115th and Kirby of the 114th A RESOLUTION 1 Recognizing and proclaiming Walton County Bicentennial Celebration Day; and for other 2 purposes. 3 WHEREAS, Walton County was created on December 15, 1818, by the Lottery Act of 1818 4 and is named in honor of George Walton, who was a signer of the United States Declaration 5 of Independence and served as Governor of Georgia and United States senator; and 6 WHEREAS, Walton County, located 45 miles east of Atlanta in Georgia's beautiful 7 Piedmont region, is the state's 46th county; and 8 WHEREAS, eight governors were born or resided within the borders of Walton County, 9 including Texas Governor Richard B. Hubbard and Georgia Governors Wilson Lumpkin, 10 Howell Cobb, Alfred H. Colquitt, James S. Boynton, Clifford Walker, Richard B. Russell, 11 Jr., and Henry McDaniel, who as Georgia's 37th governor from 1883 to 1886, signed the bill 12 into law that established Georgia Tech as a technical university on October 13, 1885; and 13 WHEREAS, Good Hope in Walton County was the home of Miss Moina Belle Michael, the 14 "Poppy Lady," who established the poppy as a memorial to veterans; and 15 WHEREAS, Walton County comprises the cities of Monroe, the county seat, which was 16 incorporated in 1821; Between, incorporated in 1908; Good Hope, incorporated in 1905; 17 Jersey, incorporated in 1905; Loganville, incorporated in 1914; Social Circle, incorporated 18 in 1869; and Walnut Grove, incorporated in 1905; as well as the unincorporated communities 19 of Bold Springs, Campton, Gratis, Mt.
    [Show full text]
  • The Walker Heritage
    THE WALKER HERITAGE COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY MARIE STEVENS WALKER WOOD MERRIE WOODE MACON, GEORGIA 1956 © Copyright 1956 MARIE STEVENS WALKER WOOD Library of Congress Card No. 56-13024 ~ Printed in the United States of America FOOTE & DAVIES, INC., ATLANTA THE WALKER HERITAGE ARMS Ar, a chevron between three crosses, crosslets sa On a chief of the last as many stags heads cabossed of the first CREST A cherub's head, wings in saltire, ppr Mo'ITO Nil Desperandum MARIE STEVENS WALKER WOOD THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO MY HUSBAND BILLINGTON SANDERS WALKER Ill TO MY SON BILLINGTON SANDERS WALKER IV TO MY GRANDSON BILLINGTON SANDERS WALKER V BILLINGTON SANDERS WALKER V The Present is founded upon the Past, and the Past is uur guide for the Future. ALEX. BROWN FOREWORD OLLOWING a resurgence of interest in genealogy and Fmuch conversation in the family about collateral lines and allied families, my work was cut out for me when my grandson, the fifth Billington Sanders Walker asked for a history of the Walkers. Members of the family who had been collecting data for almost a lifetime put their material in my lap and gave me their blessings, pleased that the youngest of the loved and honored name was interested in its perpetuation. I accept the assignment with humility and a fervent desire to accomplish it worthily. My most difficult assignment, because it is a labor of love, will require much thoughtful planning and research, and were it not for the wholehearted cooperation of the Walkers, I should hesitate to undertake it.
    [Show full text]
  • Azu Etd Mr 2011 0264 Sip1 M.Pdf
    Georgia State Finances During the Great Depression Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Ho, Kenny Trung Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 23/09/2021 15:24:32 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/229774 Ho 2 Ho 3 Abstract of Kenny Ho‟s Honors Thesis Financial Status of Georgia from 1930-1937 Complied state financial data has not been closely analyzed between the years of 1930- 1937. In analyzing specific information about the receipts and disbursements of the state of Georgia as well as neighboring Southern states, more information can be divulged on how they handled the Great Depression. What is important about the topic is the situation that the states were currently facing during this time period, mirrors in some sense what the states are currently facing right in the present. With a wide and devastating economic downturn and the federal government literally stepping in to allocate funding and try to alleviate the burden on the economy, it plays similar to the Great Depression and The New Deal programs that allocated funding to the states to help the economy. The paper looks at the political structure of the state of Georgia, tax structures and other financial data to understand how Georgia dealt with problem, and areas in which they did not do so well.
    [Show full text]
  • (Page 55) Athens, Ga. June 10, 1915 the Board Of
    Minutes of the Board of Trustees Volume VII 1915-1931 (Minute began on page 55) (Page 55) Athens, Ga. June 10, 1915 The Board of Trustees met this afternoon at half past four o’clock. The meeting was called to order by Chairman D. D. McDaniel and was opened with prayer by Chancellor Barrow. Members Present: The roll was called and the following members answered to their names: Messrs. McDaniel, McWhorter, Adams, Hayes, Newton, Thompson, Bennett, Harris, Rowe, Hodgson, Meldrim, Atkinson, McCants, Thomas, Conner. Messrs. Rowe and Thomas, the new members, were presented to the board by the chairman, this being their first meeting with the board. Excuses: Excuses were rendered by Messrs. Simmons, Hughes, Miller and Goetchius. Messrs. Simmons and Hughes were excused for the session and the others until their arrival in the city. Minutes: Minutes of the board since last June and certain authorized auditions thereto were read and approved. Prudential Committee Minutes: The minutes of the Prudential committee for the last year were read. A letter from Chairman McDaniel to Judge S. B. Adams concerning the settlement of the Denmark will case and the actual settlement agreed upon in that case were ordered added to the other minutes on that subject, and with these additions the minutes of the Prudential committee were approved. Dr. H. V. Hardwick’s Diploma: On motion of Mr. McWhorter the Chancellor was authorized to issue the diploma of Dr. H. V. Hardwick, who was a Confederate veteran entitled to his diploma under the resolution of the board on the subject of conferring degrees on veterans who lost their chance to secure a degree by leaving college tot enter the service of the Confederacy.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    Notes Introduction 1. W. E. B. Du Bois, Darkwater: Voices from within the Veil (Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 1999, 1920). 2. Information in this paragraph, and the next two, is based on my interview with Milton and Ruth Brackbill, October 14, 1987, Sarasota, Florida. 3. Gyan Prakash, “Subaltern Studies as Postcolonial Criticism,” American Historical Review 99 (1994): 1475–1490. 4. Christopher Capozzola, “The Only Badge Needed Is Your Patriotic Fervor: Vigilance, Coercion, and the Law in World War I America,” Journal of American History, 88 (March 2002): 1356. 5. The only general history of the World War I draft in the past fifty years is the excellent John Whiteclay Chambers II, To Raise an Army: The Draft Comes to Modern America (New York: The Free Press, 1987). See also, John Whiteclay Chambers II, “Decision to Draft,” Magazine of History 17 (October 2002): 26–33. 6. The most complete description of this system is, Enoch Crowder, Second Report of the Provost Marshal General on the Operations of the Selective Service System through December 1918 (Washington: GPO, 1919). 7. Enoch Crowder, Final Report of the Provost Marshal General to the Secretary of War on the Operations of the Selective Service System to July 15, 1919 (Washington: GPO, 1920), 9. 8. Enoch Crowder, Report of the Provost Marshal General to the Secretary of War on the First Draft under the Selective Service Act of 1917 (Washington: GPO, 1918), 28. 9. Selective Service General Rules and Regulations, December 1917, Records of the Selective Service System, 1917–1919, Historical Files, Box 317, RG 163, National Records Center (NRC), College Park, MD.
    [Show full text]
  • Azu Etd Mr 2011 0264 Sip1 M.Pdf
    Georgia State Finances During the Great Depression Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Ho, Kenny Trung Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 01/10/2021 08:31:40 Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/229774 Ho 2 Ho 3 Abstract of Kenny Ho‟s Honors Thesis Financial Status of Georgia from 1930-1937 Complied state financial data has not been closely analyzed between the years of 1930- 1937. In analyzing specific information about the receipts and disbursements of the state of Georgia as well as neighboring Southern states, more information can be divulged on how they handled the Great Depression. What is important about the topic is the situation that the states were currently facing during this time period, mirrors in some sense what the states are currently facing right in the present. With a wide and devastating economic downturn and the federal government literally stepping in to allocate funding and try to alleviate the burden on the economy, it plays similar to the Great Depression and The New Deal programs that allocated funding to the states to help the economy. The paper looks at the political structure of the state of Georgia, tax structures and other financial data to understand how Georgia dealt with problem, and areas in which they did not do so well.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics in Flux: the Georgians Behind the Republicanization of the South
    Politics in Flux: The Georgians Behind the Republicanization of the South DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Mindy J. Farmer Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2011 Dissertation Committee: Susan M. Hartmann, Advisor Kevin Boyle Paula Baker Copyright by Mindy J. Farmer 2011 Abstract This dissertation examines the Republicanization of Georgia, 1948-1984, through the lens of three Georgian counties that exemplify the key social and economic divides that permeate the South. Pierce and Hancock are both rural, agricultural counties, with economies and, up until the last five years, populations in a steady decline, but while Pierce County’s citizens are primarily white, Hancock County’s are solidly African American. In comparison, DeKalb County, which contains a portion of the Atlanta metropolitan area, has steadily become more ethnically, racially, and economically diverse with Atlanta’s growth. In 1948, both Pierce and Hancock were part of the Democratic Solid South. Today, in state and national elections, Pierce votes solidly Republican and Hancock solidly Democratic, while for local offices Pierce, like Hancock County, continues to vote Democratic. In DeKalb, just as it was in 1948, neither party can claim a definitive hold on the electorate. I argue that that race and class are so intertwined in the story of the South’s realignment that the role of each is key to understanding the local voters’ decision to change their political party. In keeping with the timeline of those who criticize the myth of southern exceptionalism, I show how the Republican party emerged in DeKalb County the 1940s as a class-based institution introduced by postwar transplants.
    [Show full text]
  • Monroe * A. Narrative Description
    HISTORIC DISTRICT INFORMATION FORM I. NAME OF DISTRICT: / iX McDaniel Street Historic District — named because of the traditional neighborhood name and principal street in the district. II. LOCATION OF DISTRICT A. General Location 1. Describe in general terms the location of the district: District is located southwest of the CBD in Monroe, extending from South Broad Street west to the historic edge of the community. 2. Principal streets, highways, and geographic features ,- South Broad Street is in the eastern portion of the district. McDaniel Street runs the length of the district. 3. City: Monroe * 4. County: Walt on v/ B. U.S. Congressman and Congressional District: Doug Barnard — 10th District III . CLASSIFICATION : Occupied Buildings in the district are generally well-maintained. Past preservation work includes the individual nomination of the McDaniel-Tichenor House to the National Register. Current uses: residential, religious, and a cemetery. IV. DESCRIPTION OF DISTRICT A. Narrative Description McDaniel Street Historic District Page Two 1. General character, appearance, and historical development: District is essentially a residential area, with buildings dating from the 1830s to the 1930s. A number of architectural styles can be found in the district, which has several very large and fine houses. District developed as a residential neighborhood for Monroe's wealthy citizens. Lots in the district are generally large, well land­ scaped, and well maintained. An old, small ceme­ tery is also part of the district. Density of the district increases as one moves toward South Broad Street (eastern edge of the district). This development in the eastern part of the district ties McDaniel Street into the historical resi­ dential development that existed along South Broad (until broken up by commercial development of the 1960s and 1970s).
    [Show full text]
  • The New Deal Section Preview Section Preview
    SectionSection33 SSectionection PPreviewreview The New Deal As you read, look for: • New Deal programs, • New Deal programs in In 1932, President Hoover ran for re-election. His opponent was Governor Georgia, Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York. When Roosevelt accepted his party’s • Georgia’s governors, and nomination, he told the audience, “I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new • vocabulary terms: New Deal, deal for the American people.” Campaigning was difficult at times, because minimum wage, stretch out, Roosevelt had been struck with polio in 1921, and his legs were paralyzed. collective bargaining, rural He wore steel leg braces, but most people did not know about his paralysis. electrification, subsidy, and However, his spirits were high as he campaigned for the presidency, and he integrate. became very popular with the American people. Roosevelt won the election. In his inaugural address, Roosevelt said: We are stricken by no plague of locusts. Compared with the perils which our fore- fathers conquered because they believed and were not afraid, we have still much to be thankful for. Nature still offers her bounty and human efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our doorstep. His speech and his natural optimism won the people’s confidence. They be- lieved Roosevelt would try new ways to end the depression, which was, by then, felt all over the world. When Roosevelt took office on March 4, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat) Herbert Hoover (Republican) he took steps to fulfil his promise of “a new deal for the American people.” Roosevelt had no clear idea of how to deal with the depression.
    [Show full text]