|
One of the prominent
educators in the province of Alberta is William Alvy Stickle, principal
of the Normal School at Camrose, until August, 1923, when he becan e
professor of mathematics at the Normal School at Calgary. lie comes of
U. E. Loyalist and Scotch descent, and was born in Northumberland
County, Ontario, on the 3d of February, 1872. The early part of his life
was spent on a farm, but at the age of nineteen he definitely decided on
an educational career and entered the Campbellford high school. After
completing the non-professional course for second class teachers, lie
attended the County Model School at Norwood in 1891 and the Ottawa
Normal School in 1894, graduating from the latter with honors and a gold
medal.
After several years of
public school teaching Mr. Stickle completed the work for a first class
certificate, graduating with honors from the Ontario Normal College,
Hamilton, in 1901. Then followed nine years' principalship of model
schools, first at Renfrew, then at Port Arthur. At the latter place Mr.
Stickle also acted as supervisor of public schools for three years and
earned an enviable reputation as a teacher, an organizer and an
administrator. Later he completed the courses for the degrees of B. A.
and B. Paed. from Queen's University, Kingston.
Answering the call of the
west, he came to Alberta early in 1910, taking a position as principal
of the new Riverside public school in the city of Calgary. Here his
interest in children from foreign-speaking homes came to the attention
of the department of education and in 1913 he was selected to take
charge of the "English School for Foreigners," which the government was
opening at Vegreville. After two and one-half years at the head of this
institution, lie was promoted to an inspectorship, with headquarters
first at Tofield, later at Red Deer. In 1917 he was appointed to the
staff of the Camrose Normal School as teacher of psychology and
mathematics, and in special preparation for the new work took a summer
course at Columbia University. On the appointment of Mr. G. F. McNally
to the position of supervisor of schools for the province Mr. Stickle
was selected to succeed him as principal of the Normal School, a
position which he filled successfully for five years, and in which he
won the confidence and esteem of both teachers and students. In August,
1923, he was transferred to Calgary, as Professor of mathematics in the
Calgary Normal School.
In 1902 Mr. Stickle
married Miss Jean Davidson of St. Thomas, Ontario. Their family consists
of one son, William Grant, born in 1906. Although naturally of it quiet,
retiring disposition, both Mr. and Mrs. Stickle have always taken an
active part in church and community activities, and their earnest
support can ever be counted upon in the furtherance of any movement for
the benefit of the community at large. |
