Biographical sketch of J.M. Guilliams was a member of the first faculty and taught English from 1909 to 1911. Citation for this article is:

Stickles, Arnt. "John M. Guilliams," Teachers College Heights, March 1934, pp. 27-28.

The subject of this sketch was born in a log cabin, as have been so many people in America who later became prominent, in the very small village of Blakesburg, Putnam County, Indiana, October 16, 1857. The near ancestors on both sides of his family were sturdy pioneers one great-grandfather settling in Putnam County in 1821, where he owned a farm, a grist mill and a tanyard, and to show his interest in things spiritual, he set aside a few acres of his land for a church open to all denominations for services. The other great-grandfather settled in the adjoining county of Owen in 1815, one year before Indiana became the second state of the Old Northwest Territory. His forefathers from one side of the house came from Virginia, the other side from Kentucky.

When the boy John was four years old his father bought a farm in Putnam County through which flowed a beautiful creek with high sandstone bluffs. Putnam County abounded in rolling limestone sections, much of it covered with bluegrass, as well as a sandstone area, both regions in John Guilliams boyhood days still having an abundance of heavy timber. His own description of his home says: "The whole region was a paradise for a boy-the creeks furnished the water for swimming and fishing in summer and ice for skating in the winter." He attributes his love for botany, zoology and geology to the beautiful natural surroundings of his boyhood home.

Like most country boys who have ever made a reputation any one cares to know about, young John had a father who believed in the good old doctrine of earning a living by the sweat of his brow and began early to instill that doctrine in his son. He attended a country school for six months in the year, but adds with a sign that of his many teachers there only remembers two from whom he gained anything. But what is true in everyone's experience, there is almost invariably behind a boy who has ambition some great teacher. To John Todd he pays fine tribute of being "the best teachers of reading, spelling and sounds of English language I have ever seen." Also he was a most excellent teacher of geography and arithmetic and could inspire desires to know about the world at large, and inculcate not only ideas in young minds about hitching their wagon to a star, following Emersonian advice, but give them practical ideas about how to apply mathematics so as to the moon-in short this teacher had the happy faculty to inspire pupils to reach out and explore something for themselves. John say he, too, after a time, could measure distances without rope and chain as his chain had done, much to his own wonder and delight, and he adds this significant statement: "It seems to me a teachers greatest work is to drop a hint that will motivate his pupil to reach a distant end." His other great teacher was A.J. Farrow, a native of Kentucky, who had been a solider in the Civil War in Missouri, was a college graduate, and drifted over to teach young Hoosiers in Putnam County. This teacher was exceptionally well versed in history and literature and encouraged his pupils above all else, to broaden their thinking and experience through reading.

Hard work on the farm in summer and earnest school work in winter seemed to agree with John Guilliams for he grew into a thoughtful, handsome youth with a find mind in a healthful, vigorous body, all of which attributes even much of the youthfulness, he retains to this day. At the age of twenty he entered a small independent normal school at Ladoga, Indiana. This school was soon afterward moved not far away to Danville, the teachers were all educated at the famous Holbrook Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio. This school undeniably sent to all of America a great number of most excellent teachers. One of Holbroock's dictums was that "teachers teach as they are taught and not as they are taught to teach." Mr. Guilliams feels that this is true, and the eternal cycle of poor teachers and poor teaching is still unbroken and going on at a terrific speed.

At Danville College he was graduated from both the scientific and classical courses. Any one who has ever had known him will never challenge the statement that he not only received thorough training in the college at Danville, but he received what is better still, an inspiration and an urge to go on with his education along broad lines. This has given him a desire to know and to keep up tot his day with important developments in all the wide world. In passing it will occur to many former Western students that Dean A.J. Kinnaman was once president of Danville College.

Young John Guilliams was an expert mathematician and it was his ambition to become a civil engineer. At the time of his graduation he had a contract with a railroad company. But he changed his mind that fall, and through that decision he no doubt prevented the future from having a good engineer, but to the writer's way of thinking it was a lucky decision, since it gave an opportunity for that future to have a great teacher who would touch life at many more angles than would the civil engineer. He began teaching Greek, Latin and English in a private school in Danville, Illinois. In 1884 he was called to Honey Grove, Texas, in similar work.

One of the outstanding ventures if Professor Guilliams which has contributed to his success was his marriage in June, 1884, to Miss Fanny Cavens of Henry County, Illinois. Throughout the long years since then, Mrs. Guilliams has been to him a constant source of inspiration and helpfulness, a helper and sharer in his many successful endeavors. Following his marriage, Professor Guilliams taught for a short time in Kansas, then returned for a few years to assist in organizing a private school in southern Illinois. From Illinois, he went to Florida, where he taught at White Springs for two years. He organized and was principle of a private school at Jasper, where for eight years he was given credit of having the best school in Florida for the training of teachers. At one time almost half of the teachers of Florida had been his students. He spent his vacations teaching summer institutions for teachers in Florida and Georgia. It is evident that the spirit of Holbrook and Danville normal schools was effectively marching on even in the far away southland.

His next venture of importance in Florida brought Professor Guilliams to the head of the East Florida Military Academy at Gainesville. Here he taught most successfully for two years when he was called by President H.H. Cherry to become a member of the faculty of the old Southern Normal School located at Bowling Green, Kentucky. He was present and helped make the transfer when the old private school became the Western Kentucky State Normal School in 1907. He remained with the new institutional until 1911, teaching hundreds of students in large classes, working like a Trojan, never complaining or asking why, but doing thoroughly honest work in a most efficient way. No one has ever accused him of not knowing his subject which is of itself a tribute any teacher should appreciate.

In 1911 he left Bowling Green once more to return to Florida. After some years at St. Petersburg, he became had of the schools at Valdosta, Georgia. He remained in Georgia until 1920 when he was called to teach in the Normal department at Berea College. It was a splendid day for both Berea and Professor Guilliams that this veteran teacher could return to Kentucky, and he was peculiarly happy in his work at Berea. After teaching there seven years, he was retired with an annuity from active work, as is the rule in Berea at the age of seventy. It is especially pleasant to be able to say that what the psalmist had to say about those who are past three score and ten years of age, which is unfortunately true in most cases, is not true of Professor Guilliams. He and Mrs. Guilliams have a comfortable home, they spend their time in reading, in study, are alive to all the better things of these latter times, and are remarkably free from the days that "are full of trouble"; and neither do they complain with Solomon that these are evil days in which they find no pleasure.

Few teachers in America have had a longer, more varied career, or a more honorable one that has Professor Guilliams. He taught in a number of states and there is today a vast host of people whom he has inspired to rise above their dead selves and achieve something. They rise to call him blessed. What finer heritage could any teacher ask for? It was the writer's good fortune to be a colleague of his for some years at Bowling Green where he learned to admire his rugged honesty, his forceful effectiveness, his genuine sincerity, and his loyalty to his friends. Among the older students of Western Teachers College, who have arrived at the time in life when they can look back and appraise worthwhile things and separate grain from chaff, no one has more of their confidence and respect than has Professor Guilliams. These former students will join me in extending to him our sincere felicitations, our good will, and a desire to enter with him into the joys of a well-earned retirement. This wise teacher had today in a number of states many former students and friends who are glad and happy that with him school is neither out nor even adjourned.

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Additional information regarding John Guilliams:

Chapel address, College Heights Herald, April 2, 1937, p. 2

Obituary, College Heights Herald, Oct. 27, 1944, p. 2

UA36I Series 2, Box 1, Folder 23, John Guilliams Collection