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George Williston Nash

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George Williston Nash

Birth
Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin, USA
Death
30 Jun 1944 (aged 75)
Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington, USA
Burial
Canton, Lincoln County, South Dakota, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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He was a state superintendent of schools for South Dakota.


George Williston Nash was President of Western Washington State College in Bellingham, Washington, from 1914 to 1922.

Pierre Weekly Free Press, 3 Dec 1903, page 7:

"Plain Talk (Vermillion). Knowing the bride, we can extend our heartiest congratulations to Supt. G.W. Nash on the event of his marriage last week Tuesday to Miss Adelaide Warburton, at the home of the bride's step father, Judge Fuller of Pierre. She is a young lady of rare accomplishments and beauty, a sweet singer, and has a heart given to kind words and noble deeds. The wedding was an elaborate affair, friends of the contracting parties from all parts being in attendance, and several hundred people extended congratulations at the reception held in the evening at Judge Fuller's home."


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Bio from "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904), pp 610-611.

 

GEORGE WILLISTON NASH, state superintendent of public instruction, is almost a native product, for his parents brought him to the home in Lincoln county in his infancy. He, however, is a native of Janesville, Wisconsin, where he was born in 1868, and is the son of Newman C. and Jennie (Williston) Nash, and comes of good old Anglo-Saxon stock. The name, indeed, is a thoroughly characteristic Saxon product, primarily being "At the Ash," but, yielding to the penchant of the old English yeomen to abbreviate, became first "At'nash" and finally assumed its present form.

 

Something more of family history will appear in the sketch of Newman C. Nash in this volume. The earlier years of George W. Nash were spent on the homestead claim of his parents, near Canton, but in 1877 his father purchased the Sioux Valley News, and thereafter the home was in Canton, where he attended school and assisted his father in the printing office, soon becoming an excellent printer. In 1885 he entered the preparatory course in Yankton College, from which institution he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1891. In the meantime, however, he had for a year, in 1888-9, associated with James F. Hall in the publication of tile Sioux Valley News, his father's newspaper at Canton, the latter being at the time engaged in the publication of another newspaper at Hot Springs. The next autumn, after his graduation, the subject accepted a position as an instructor in Augustana College at Canton, where he Continued until called to Yankton in January 1893, to become principal of Yankton College Academy. In 1894-5 he went abroad and studied in the University of Leipzig, Germany, and traveled extensively in Europe. In the autumn of 1895 he resumed his work in Yankton and his alma mater conferred upon him the degree of Master of Science. During the summer vacations of 1896 and 1897 he pursued his past graduate studies in the University of Minnesota, and the latter year was advanced to the professorship of mathematics ,and astronomy in Yankton College, a position he continued to hold until he resigned in 1902 to become state superintendent of public instruction. 

 

Professor Nash's work in this department has demonstrated his ability, energy and untiring industry, as well as his fertility in devising methods for the advancement of education and arousing enthusiasm and co-operation among educators and boards of education. Upon his recommendation the legislature passed the uniform certification bill, by which teachers' certificates become uniform and valid in every county. The standard of requirements to secure certificates, by graduates of state institutions, was also raised. He at once adopted the plan of visiting the members of the school boards in annual convention in each county, a plan which has resulted in arousing the utmost enthusiasm, permeating into every school district. He is compelling the reciprocal recognition of South Dakota's state certificates in other states, by refusing to recognize any state's certificates unless that state reciprocates by according equal favors to those of this state. He proposes that our standards shall be as high as any and then shall receive the recognition to which they are entitled. 

 

Professor Nash possesses all of the qualifications for successful leadership upon educational lines. He is deliberate in forming a judgment, but that judgment when once formed is unshakable, vet his manner is so agreeable and his methods so fair that new friends come to him with every accomplishment. Persistence and thoroughness are controlling characteristics in all of his undertakings and failure is unknown and unrecognized in him. It is difficult to characterize some men without clearing in the superlative and George Nash is one of this class. His conduct and success thus far in life are infallible prophecies of a further career of great usefulness in enlarged fields of activity. 

 

Professor Nash was married on November 17, 1903, to Miss Adelaide Warburton of Pierre, the daughter of Judge and Mrs. Fuller. The subject is a member of the Congregational church and of the Modern Woodmen and Home Guardians; He is also a member of the executive committee of the State Historical Society.

He was a state superintendent of schools for South Dakota.


George Williston Nash was President of Western Washington State College in Bellingham, Washington, from 1914 to 1922.

Pierre Weekly Free Press, 3 Dec 1903, page 7:

"Plain Talk (Vermillion). Knowing the bride, we can extend our heartiest congratulations to Supt. G.W. Nash on the event of his marriage last week Tuesday to Miss Adelaide Warburton, at the home of the bride's step father, Judge Fuller of Pierre. She is a young lady of rare accomplishments and beauty, a sweet singer, and has a heart given to kind words and noble deeds. The wedding was an elaborate affair, friends of the contracting parties from all parts being in attendance, and several hundred people extended congratulations at the reception held in the evening at Judge Fuller's home."


-------------------------------------------------------------------


Bio from "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904), pp 610-611.

 

GEORGE WILLISTON NASH, state superintendent of public instruction, is almost a native product, for his parents brought him to the home in Lincoln county in his infancy. He, however, is a native of Janesville, Wisconsin, where he was born in 1868, and is the son of Newman C. and Jennie (Williston) Nash, and comes of good old Anglo-Saxon stock. The name, indeed, is a thoroughly characteristic Saxon product, primarily being "At the Ash," but, yielding to the penchant of the old English yeomen to abbreviate, became first "At'nash" and finally assumed its present form.

 

Something more of family history will appear in the sketch of Newman C. Nash in this volume. The earlier years of George W. Nash were spent on the homestead claim of his parents, near Canton, but in 1877 his father purchased the Sioux Valley News, and thereafter the home was in Canton, where he attended school and assisted his father in the printing office, soon becoming an excellent printer. In 1885 he entered the preparatory course in Yankton College, from which institution he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1891. In the meantime, however, he had for a year, in 1888-9, associated with James F. Hall in the publication of tile Sioux Valley News, his father's newspaper at Canton, the latter being at the time engaged in the publication of another newspaper at Hot Springs. The next autumn, after his graduation, the subject accepted a position as an instructor in Augustana College at Canton, where he Continued until called to Yankton in January 1893, to become principal of Yankton College Academy. In 1894-5 he went abroad and studied in the University of Leipzig, Germany, and traveled extensively in Europe. In the autumn of 1895 he resumed his work in Yankton and his alma mater conferred upon him the degree of Master of Science. During the summer vacations of 1896 and 1897 he pursued his past graduate studies in the University of Minnesota, and the latter year was advanced to the professorship of mathematics ,and astronomy in Yankton College, a position he continued to hold until he resigned in 1902 to become state superintendent of public instruction. 

 

Professor Nash's work in this department has demonstrated his ability, energy and untiring industry, as well as his fertility in devising methods for the advancement of education and arousing enthusiasm and co-operation among educators and boards of education. Upon his recommendation the legislature passed the uniform certification bill, by which teachers' certificates become uniform and valid in every county. The standard of requirements to secure certificates, by graduates of state institutions, was also raised. He at once adopted the plan of visiting the members of the school boards in annual convention in each county, a plan which has resulted in arousing the utmost enthusiasm, permeating into every school district. He is compelling the reciprocal recognition of South Dakota's state certificates in other states, by refusing to recognize any state's certificates unless that state reciprocates by according equal favors to those of this state. He proposes that our standards shall be as high as any and then shall receive the recognition to which they are entitled. 

 

Professor Nash possesses all of the qualifications for successful leadership upon educational lines. He is deliberate in forming a judgment, but that judgment when once formed is unshakable, vet his manner is so agreeable and his methods so fair that new friends come to him with every accomplishment. Persistence and thoroughness are controlling characteristics in all of his undertakings and failure is unknown and unrecognized in him. It is difficult to characterize some men without clearing in the superlative and George Nash is one of this class. His conduct and success thus far in life are infallible prophecies of a further career of great usefulness in enlarged fields of activity. 

 

Professor Nash was married on November 17, 1903, to Miss Adelaide Warburton of Pierre, the daughter of Judge and Mrs. Fuller. The subject is a member of the Congregational church and of the Modern Woodmen and Home Guardians; He is also a member of the executive committee of the State Historical Society.

Gravesite Details

Thanks to Nancy Hagood for providing biographical information for this memorial.



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