Hertzler, Silas (1888-1975)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1975 Jul 17 p. 3

Birth date: 1888

text of obituary:

Retired Education Professor Dies

Goshen, Ind. — Dr. Silas Hertzler, 86, who served as director of teacher education and chairman of the division of education and psychology at Goshen college for 24 years, died Sunday, July 6, at Greencroft Nursing Center here.

Following a family prayer services and burial in Violett Cemetery on Thursday morning, July 10, a memorial service was held at the College Mennonite Church, of which he was a member. Rev. John Mosemann officiated.

Dr. Hertzler was on the Goshen College faculty from 1920 to 1958. He was originally appointed professor of religious education, and also served as principal of the academy, college registrar and director of the summer session.

His career included teaching at Tabor college, Hillsboro, Kan., 1960 to 1964; at Hesston College (Kansas), and Phillips University, Enid, Okla. He was a member of a number of professional education and psychology associations, and served on the Mennonite Board of Education. In 1919 and 1920 he engaged in relief work in Syria under the American committee for Relief Work int he Near East.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1975 Sep 25 p. 11

Birth date: 1888 Jul 27

text of obituary:

DR. SILAS HERTZLER

Dr. Silas Hertzler, 86, a resident of Greencroft Central Manor, Goshen, Ind., died on July 6,1975 at Greencroft Nursing Center where he had been a patient since March 26. Professor emeritus of education and psychology at Goshen College, he was born in Baltimore, Md. on July 27, 1888 of Amish-Mennonite parents, Joseph Kanagy Hertzler and Nancy Miller Hertzler.

On April 20,1924 he married Anna Rose Weaver at La Junta, Colo. She died in May 1974. A son, Paul David, died in November 1956. His four surviving children are: Mrs. Mary Elizabeth (Robert) Hostetler, College Station, Texas; Mrs. Ruth Charlotte (Ellis) Croyle, Archbold, Ohio; John M. Hertzler, Goshen; and Mrs. Joanne (Jere A.) DeVilbiss, Ashland, Mo. Also surviving are 11 grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. Mary Hertzler of Greenwood, Del.

He received his early education on a farm near Baldwin, Md. and graduated from Towson, Md. High School in 1909. He graduated from Goshen College in 1913 with a bachelor of arts degree, received a bachelor of divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in 1917, and a master's degree in psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1918. He also studied at Garrett Biblical Institute, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the University of Minnesota and Union Theological Seminary in New York.

In 1927 he received his doctorate in psychology from Yale University where he was a Sterling Scholar and in doing so was one of the first members of the Mennonite Church who remained a member of that faith to receive the doctorate degree.

His teaching career spanned 52 years beginning in grade school in Kalona, Iowa in 1912. He was a high school teacher from 1913 to 1915 at Mennonite Collegiate Institute, Gretna, Man. In 1923-24 he served as an instructor at Hesston College (Kansas) and in 1928 served as visiting professor at Phillips University, Enid, Okla.

In response to a draft deferment received because he was in seminary during World War I, he volunteered for overseas service with American Friends Service Committee and served as administrator of a children's home in Sidon, Syria from 1919-20 with the American Committee for Relief in the Near East.

He was a member of the Goshen College faculty from 1920 to 1958, when he retired. Originally appointed as assistant professor of Religious Education, he also served Goshen College in other capacities. He was principal of the Academy for one year, college registrar for seven years, and director of the summer sessions for 13 years. He served as director of teacher education and chairman of the division of education and psychology for 24 years and after formally relinquishing the title, he continued to supervise many student teachers until his retirement. Because teacher education has always been the vocational field chosen by the largest number of Goshen College students, it is probable that he counseled more students concerning their academic program than any other individual faculty member. He felt teaching was a challenging opportunity to fulfill his own personal call as a Christian. By word and example he led many others to accept this same challenge.

From 1958 to 1960 he taught mathematics at Oslo Township Junior High School near Elkhart, Ind. From 1960 to 1964 he was a member of the faculty at Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kan.

Dr. Hertzler was an avid reader and a writer of numerous articles and book reviews for professional publications. For 40 years he wrote annually for the "Mennonite Quarterly Review" an article on "Attendance at Mennonite Schools and Colleges" and contributed other articles to MQR as well. For a number of years he was a regular reviewer of professional books in Teacher Education for the scholarly journal, "Educational Administration and Supervision."

He was a member of the John Dewey Society, the Philosophy of Education Society, the National Society for Study of Education, the American Society of Professors of Education, was a life member of the American Psychological Assn., and the Philosophy of Education Society, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mennonite Historical Society. At the time of his death he was one of four honorary members of this Board.

From 1931 to 1946 he served as the Goshen College alumni member of the Mennonite Board of Education. In 1970 he received an honorary award certificate and a listing in the National Registry of Prominent Americans. He was the author of "The Rise of the Public High School in Connecticut" and also wrote and published "The Hertzler-Hartzler Family History" published in 1952. Genealogy was a consuming interest of his during the many years of compiling data for his book. Even though it was published in 1952, he kept updating his "working copy” until a few months before his death.

He was a member of the College Mennonite Church, Goshen, where a memorial service was held on July 10, 1975 with Pastor John H. Mosemann and Dr. Mary N. Royer in charge. Interment was made in Violett Cemetery near Goshen.