ELWOOD CHAPPELL PERISHO

ORATOR OF THE FACULTY

"The orator of the faculty." Not a bad cognomen, eh? Rather something to be proud of, especially when the "faculty" happens to be that of a state university. Distinction? We guess "yes."

And the "orator"—who is he? Listen! while we whisper to you, "Dean Perisho,"of our State University at Vermillion,

Have you ever sat in an audience where this great overpowering personality was the speaker? And have you listened to him come to one of those soul-stirring climaxes—one of those magnificent perorations like the one he uses in closing his great economical temperance lecture? If you haven't, avail yourself of the very first opportunity. Hear him repeatedly ask, "What is the price of a boy?" and then as often reply, "I don't know; but this I know, etc." Here he launches out into a review of the response of a whole nation in seeking the return to their parents of various kidnapped children. It is one of the grandest things in all literature. Really, it would make the "Boy orator of the Platt" envious.

Orator? Yes; a great thinker, a gifted speaker, and a man possessed of that great, grand, awe-inspiring something that no man can explain which we call personality.

"With charity for all; with malice toward none;"—that's Perisho every day in the week. He loves his fellowmen. His big manly heart fairly bubbles over with an exuberance of joy; it is a great perennial spring at which thousands may sip the sweet nectar of his friendship and still not impoverish its supply. It's a great geyser pumping out a flood of good cheer to those about him. From it radiates a radiant hope and an unflinching loyalty. Heart? Heart! Man alive! he's all heart. It vibrates from his crown to his toes. It shakes his huge physique like matted flax being run through a threshing machine.

Perisho lives close to nature. It has been his life's study. The stone which the wicked farm-boy throws at the warbling lark, to Perisho becomes an emerald, an object for deepest study, a manifestation of the handiwork of his Creator. Instead of throwing it away at a harmless bird, he cracks it open with the relish of a squirrel cracking open a nut. In it he sees the fossil—the withered form of a little ichthyolite that has lain since God called the ancient planets to sing in hallowed unison their glad hozannas when this old world of ours was pronounced habitable for man!

Ah! the difference in life. One man, with his horny hands and uncultered brain, becomes a stonemason and spends his life in silent drudgery laying upon each other stone after stone. To him they are mere objects for domestic use. The other man, with a cultured brain and with keen powers of observation, sees in the furrowed lines of these same stone the finger prints of a God. One lives to drudge; the other lives to bless. One lives to himself; the other to his friends. One lives to die; the other dies to live again. One is educated; the other is not. One is a Perisho; the other, a machine.

Although a geologist by training and choice, Dean Perisho is equally at home among the flowers. He climbs the rugged mountain sides to chisel out for classification and study a new specimen of stone. High above the seas' level his observing eye catches a glimpse of a dainty flowret lifting its little face heavenward from a tiny crevice in the rock. He slips along the dangerous ledge to the flowret's side. With the same compassion and tend which would cause him to refrain from throwing a stone at a bird, he takes pity on his little blossoming friend, bends it toward him to inhale its fragrance, lets it remain on its stem, says to it, "Continue your worship," and he continues to climb.

Oh! the soul of a man that sees God and worships all about him. Perisho would even take issue with that portion of Gray's Elegy wherein the pious poet said,

"Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air."

To a great soul like Perisho's, that articulates with all nature about it, the little flowret struggling for existence through the stubborn crevice on yonder lonesome mountain side, may never have been beheld by the eye of man; but this does not prove to him that its existence has been in vain or that it has "blush [ed]unseen" and "waste [d] its sweetness on the desert air." Oh! on; not to Perisho. He believes that during the long summer months, while it pushed its tiny rootlets deeper and deeper into the crevice, in its struggle for nourishment and for life, and while its baby petals were bathed with fragrant dews at night and gave off their perfume heavenward during the day, it was merely lifting its silent voice to God and paying homage to its Maker.

Yes, ah! yes: give us God in the flowrets and in the rocks; and then stand beside us Dean Perisho as our interpreter, and we will forever rejoice.

HIS CAREER

Dean Perisho came into life as a farmer's son in the old Hoosier state of Indiana. After attending country school for a number of years, he prepared for college at Carmel Academy. He spent four years at Eartham College, Richmond, Indiana, receiving his Bachelor's Degree from that institution. After graduating from college Professor Perisho became a member of the faculty of Guilford College, N. C. The first year he acted as Proctor and assisted in mathematics and science. After that he was made a full professor, but he still held the position of proctor. He also acted as president during the latter's absence.

He resigned at the end of five years to take post graduate work at the University of Chicago, where he specialized on geology. In this institution he held both a scholarship and a fellowship. He was also Prof. T. C. Chamberlain's assistant in United States Geological survey work.

After two years in Chicago he earned his Master's Degree, and then left to accept a position in the State Normal School at Plattville, Wisconsin. Here he taught and lectured.

In 1903 Professor Perisho was elected to the head of the geological department in our State University at Vermillion; and shortly thereafter he was chosen State Geologist for South Dakota. Upon the death of Dean Young, of the State University, he succeeded him to the deanship of the College of Arts and Sciences, which position he still holds. As ranking dean of the institution he assumes control during President Gault's absence.

LECTURER

Dean Perisho began his career as a lecturer when he was still in North Carolina. While in Wisconsin he lectured repeatedly on educational and scientific subjects. After reaching South Dakota, he continued to develop this side of himself, until today he is regarded as one of the "big" public speakers of the northwest. He has broadened out the scope of his addresses so that they now include social and other general subjects.

Think of it! During the late spring and summer, this year, he gave the commencement addresses before one State Normal, six high schools, and six eighth grade classes. He also lectured in nine county institutes, and did survey work for the state. He received twenty-nine invitations for lectures on the same evening. His lecture work is also receiving marked attention outside of the state. This fall he has lectured in Indiana, in Ohio, and in Pennsylvania. These addresses were delivered before colleges, universities and big educational rallies. On October 24, he appeared before 1,500 teachers at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Here be was preceded on the program by Dr. Nathan Schaeffer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Pennsylvania; by Dr. Chas. W. Kent (University of Virginia) and by Dr. Nathan Butler, (University of Chicago.) Pretty distinguished company! Tough competition! But South Dakota did not get a setback, and she never will when Dean Perisho goes out to represent her. We gather the following from the Wilkes-Barre newspapers:

Perhaps the most interesting speaker of the afternoon was Prof. Ellwood C. Perisho, Dean of the University of South Dakota.—The Evening Times.

Prof. Ellwood C. Perisho, Dean of the University of South Dakota, was one of the surprises of the afternoon. Professor Perisho is a brilliant man who has an excellent delivery.—The Times Leader.

Out of about thirty clippings collected from South Dakota papers, and from those of adjoining states, attesting Dean Perisho's success as a public man, we shall use but five. These are brief but characteristic of the others:

"His scholarly address was listened to with rapt attention by the exceptionally large crowd that came out to hear the speaker."

"Professor Perisho is one of the most polished speakers and one of the deepest thinkers, among the state's gifted educators."

"The commencement address given by Dean Perisho in the opera house last night was not only scholarly and eloquent, but

so full of practical and common sense ideas, that we doubt if a better one was ever heard in this city."

"Prof. Perisho is an orator who delights an audience with his elegant diction and charming dramatic effect. His voice is strong, pleasant and captivating, and his every sentence denotes the love of education."—Canton Leader.

"The arrival of Professor Perisho has infused new spirit and enthusiasm into the institute. His inspiring talks are well worth hearing. This was made evident by the general stampede to his classes on Monday."—Scotland Journal.

In addition to his teaching and his lectures, Dean Perisho has given to the public five valuable documents from his own pen. These are:

"The Drainage history of Southwest Wisconsin."
"The Ores of Southwest Wisconsin."
"The Geology of the Rosebud Reservation."
"The Bad Lands of South Dakota," and
"The Work of a State Survey."

Recent publication done: (associated with S. S. Visher in each case except last two.)

"The Geography of South Dakota." Published 1912 by the Rand McNally Co.

"The Geography and Geology of Mellette, Bennett, Washabaugh and Todd Counties, South Central South Dakota." Published 1912 in Bulletin 5, South Dakota Geological Survey.

"The Geology of Harding County," published in Science, March, 1911.

"The Geography and Geology of Harding and Perkins Counties " Northwest South Dakota. Bulletin 7, South Dakota Geological Survey.

A key to the names of common rock for the use of the nonspecialist.

"The Rock Formations of South Dakota," their physical and economic characteristics, thickness, age, etc. This and the preceding published by the University.

Facts about Bennett and Mellette Couty. Widely printed in newspapers.

The Annual Report of the State Geologist 1909-1910; also 1911-1912, in the newspapers.

Dean Perisho was honored recently as follows:

Elected to fellowship in American Association for Advancement of Science. (Only three or four others in South Dakota.)

Write-up in "Who's Who in America" 1912-13. (Only forty others in South Dakota.)

Write-up in "American Men of Science." (Only ten others in South Dakota.)

Repeatedly urged to become candidate for governor, 1911-12. President of South Dakota Conservation Congress 1911; re-elected 1912.

Secretary of Association of Deans of the State Universities of America.

BACHELOR

Among politicians, Thomas Jefferson was, and Senator Kittredge is, a bachelor; in literature Irving and Whittier remained bachelors; while, locally, in educational affairs, Professor Kerr, of Brookings, and Dean Perisho, are bachelors. These men have all achieved distinction in their chosen lines, not because of their bachelorhood, but in spite of it. However, without growing too immodest, we should like to suggest to Dean Perisho that he hang out a sign containing Sam T. Clover's beautiful poetic advertisment.