ABSTRACT

Vernon Louis Parrington was promoted to full professor and the students advanced to sophomore courses in argumentation, modeled on his Harvard forensics class, and composition, featuring the history of the English language with an emphasis on etymology and dialect. Beginning in the fall of 1899, tutors from among the advanced students started assuming the preparatory load until full-time preparatory instructors were employed two years later. Parrington was freed from teaching French and German when a full-time modern language instructor was hired in 1900, although he continued to teach two courses in French yearly. Coming to Oklahoma had given him opportunities to advance professionally, gaining an increased salary and freedom to develop new courses. A week later came the news of the death of Bertha White, a former Emporia student with whom he had become seriously involved the summer he moved to Norman. In Parrington’s case the delay in Emporia and retreat in Norman produced fruitful results.