Dr. William
T. Lucky was born in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, April 14, 1821.
When
fourteen years of age, with his parents, he removed to Illinois.
At the age of sixteen he went to McKendrie College, Lebanon, Illinois.
There he entered upon a regular course of study, and remained in the college
until he graduated with the honors of his class, In August, 1842.
On the same day on which he received his diploma, he was elected professor
of mathematics in his alma mater, and after teaching two years, his resignation
was received with deep regret.
In August,
1844, Dr. Lucky was married to Miss Mary Searritt, and in October following
removed to Fayette, Missouri, for the purpose of establishing a first class
High School. This was his first individual enterprise, and it seemed
a very small beginning, as he opened his school in Fayette with six pupils,
and closed on Friday afternoon of the first week with two. But Dr.
Lucky was of sanguine temperament and full of energy, and hi peculiar faculty
as an instructor, his rare talent for governing, together with his genial
manner, soon filled his school-rooms, and there, with uninterrupted success,
he taught for seventeen years. Meantime, under Dr. Lucky’s labor
and direction, the High School increased, developed and finely resulted
in Howard Female College and Central Male College, both of which are now
in a flourishing condition.
In 1847
Dr. Lucky was ordained a regular minister in the Methodist Church, but
did not receive special appointments as a pastor. He regarded his
teaching as his special calling and profession. To become a thorough,
useful, Christian educator was a fixed desire and purpose of his life,
and he felt that to be vested with the authority of a Christian minister
would increase his opportunities for doing good in his chosen field of
labor.
Almost
in the beginning of the late war, these two colleges, with near three hundred
students in attendance, were suspended, and the buildings occupied by soldiers
during a greater part of the war. While things were in this unsettled
condition, Dr. Lucky was warmly solicited to come to the Pacific Coast
and take charge of a Methodist college at Vacaville, in Solano County.
He came to California in 1861, accepted the position as President of the
Pacific Methodist College, in which he remained five years, and through
many discouragements was successful in building up a fine school.
From
Vacaville Dr. Lucky went to Alameda, with the intention of opening a select
seminary for young ladies, but was delayed in his plans for want of suitable
buildings. At this time he was elected Principal of the Lincoln High
School in San Francisco. After filling this position for one year
with marked success, he was elected Principal of the State Normal School,
of which he had charge five years—three years in San Francisco and two
years after it was removed to San José.
While
living in San Francisco, Dr. Lucky became interested in the moral and spiritual
welfare of the many prisoners in San Quentin, and volunteered his services
as chaplain for two Sabbaths in each month, and for over two years he was
faithful to this new post of duty, employing every means possible to cultivate
the better principles of their nature and induce them to reform their lives,
and become honest men. It was largely the result of his individual
effort and labor that a chapel was built when the prison was enlarged,
and quite a large library of books was donated by the different churches
of the city.
In 1873
Dr. Lucky removed to Los Angeles, and there was appointed Principal of
the High School and City Superintendent. In both of these positions
he was successful and popular.
In 1876
he made a visit to many friends in the East. While there he visited
the Centennial, attended the National Educational Convention in Baltimore,
which convened in July, and a State Convention in St. Louis. He was
urged to remain East and accept the Presidency of his alma mater, and also
warmly solicited to return to Fayette and take charge of one of the colleges
he had been instrumental in founding. But, after having been identified
with the educational interests of California for fifteen years, he chose
to decline the kind offers made him there, and to return to California,
to take his place in the ranks and his part in the labor of elevating,
improving, and carrying on the grand system of education in this glorious
State.
Though
Dr. Lucky had a good constitution and seemed in perfect health for many
years, yet thirty years of mental labor and continued taxation of brain
work, proved too much for even him. He was suddenly stricken down
with disease which soon developed into paralysis of the brain, of which
he died in San Francisco August 21, 1876.
“Dr. Lucky was a man
of no ordinary powers, a man of even balance, a clear thinker, an extraordinary
teacher, and an impressive preacher. But few men were more active
and energetic than he in whatever he engaged in, and never seemed to tire
in his self-imposed task, and but few men have impressed themselves upon
more minds than did he. The record of his work is with us, his reward
is on high. His life of unselfish labor and usefulness will remain
a lasting monument to his memory.”
copyright © 1996-2004 Pamela Storm Wolfskill& Ron Filion. All rights reserved.