A Voice from the Past

A Voice from the Past
Tuesday, April 25, 2023 by Phyllis Kester

1890 McCormick School in Wichita, Kansas

This week I made a delightful discovery regarding my father, Buel Melvin Smith. I remember him as a loving father, grandfather, and spouse for my mother. However, for the last twenty-three years before his retirement, he was also the principal of McCormick Elementary School in Wichita, Kansas.

Since I possessed some of his old unmarked reel-to-reel audio tapes and didn’t know what was on them, I recently had them digitized to find out what I had. Several were absolute treasures. While checking one tape that I thought was blank, I suddenly heard my father’s distinctive voice that I hadn’t heard for over thirty years. Apparently, his secretary, Mrs. Harrold, secretly recorded his remarks to his elementary school faculty at the end of their 1964-65 year and then put the unmarked audio reel among his things for someone to discover—which I just did 58 years later. It really illustrated the change in education.

I’m sharing the transcript below because you might find it interesting to know what one elementary public school principal said to his faculty in the 1960s. If you’re like me, it may bring back memories of an earlier era as you see what he said as he briefly expressed his heart to his faculty at the end of their school year.

McCormick school room with old desks

Buel M. Smith to his faculty:

“As the school year of 1964-65 comes to a close with two of our astronauts flying through space at a speed most of us cannot comprehend, I’m reminded of our tremendous responsibility as teachers of young boys and girls. We’re sure they will be called on in their lifetime to carry out assignments that at this moment have never been even in the thoughts or the dream stage. Are we doing the best to prepare our youth to meet these challenges? We recognize that it is too late to change the year of 1964-65, but what about 1965-66? What are your plans for the summer? Will they make you a better teacher next year? I wish that I were gifted with words that would challenge you with this responsibility as I feel it. I hope each of you has a pleasant, relaxing, and fruitful summer that will prepare you for the big year of 1965-66. May we pause and give thanks for the year that we have completed.

“Our Father in heaven, we pause to recognize that all good things come from you. We know that we have made many mistakes this year, but if you can take our efforts and turn them into masterpieces in the lives of our boys and girls, this is the miracle that we beg of thee. We thank thee for each member of this faculty. Help them to understand that the most minute details in the overall planning program of our boys and girls are for their best. May we never lose sight of the humble example you left us in the Good Book. Make us humble and willing not to think of self but of how we can help boys and girls become better young men and young women of tomorrow. May we always recognize the importance of the three Rs in our educational program. But may we never lose sight of the importance of living each day in a sincere, upright way as though we knew it would be the last day that we would live.

“As we each go our separate ways today, we beg of thee a special blessing for each member of the faculty. Forgive us for the words we have spoken in haste or that were sharp. Help us to lay aside petty thoughts and unite us as one big family working together for the best year of our lives at McCormick School, for the year 1965-66.

In Thy precious name, we pray. Amen

“May God bless each of you.”

Buel M. Smith Principal, McCormick Elementary School

When he retired in June 1977, he said: “Words cannot express my deep feeling for this community and the joy I have felt just to be one of those who helped to mold the lives of your youth. Any success that we have achieved has been through the coordinated efforts of a dedicated capable faculty supported by you parents.”

As his daughter and a retired educator myself, my heart’s cry is that we would return to that unity between parents and educators in working for what is best for our youth and our country.

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