Springfield-Greene
County LibraryPROF. WILLIAM L. MUSICK. It has been truly said that "a good education is the best inheritance that parents can leave their children." Riches may take to themselves wings and fly away, but a good education will last through life. One of the prominent educators of Greene County, Mo., is Prof. William L. Musick, who inherited his push, energy and enterprise from sterling Welsh ancestors, his grandfather, Uel Musick, having been born in that country. Upon leaving his native land to seek a home in America, he first settled in North Carolina, but later became one of the original pioneers of Missouri, which at that time was a territory. He was a pioneer of St. Louis County, Mo., where he cleared up a large farm of 300 acres from the heavy timber with which it was covered. With heart and soul he identified himself with every interest of his adopted country, and upon the opening of the War of 1812-14, he enlisted in the service and rendered effectual aid to the cause of the Americans. He died at the advanced age of eighty-five years on his old homestead in St. Louis County. His son, Francis M. Musick, was born on that farm in 1832 and his youth was spent in attending the common schools and in learning the details of farm life. He was married to Martha A. Twilly, a daughter of a prominent farmer Judge Allen Twilly, of Franklin County, Mo., and to their union a family of ___ children were given: Thomas W., U. S., Lulu, Mattie, and Bell. Mr. Musick served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and took part in the battles of Pea Ridge, Iuka, and Corinth. He is yet living, and has a comfortable home and a good farm in Franklin County, Mo., where he is highly regarded as a public spirited and law abiding citizen. William L. Musick, his son, and the subject of this sketch, was born on the old homestead, October 22, 1860, and after receiving a common school education he entered Jones' Business College of St. Louis, Mo., where he took a thorough course in its various branches, later studying shorthand in the Dickson School of Shorthand, at Kansas City, Mo. He then became stenographer for. the Pacific Express Company at Kansas City, after which he was offered and accepted a professorship, in the Central Business College of Leavenworth, Kan. In 1890 he came to Springfield and against a great deal of, competition founded the Queen City Business College, which is one of the best institutions for gaining a practical business education in the West. The curriculum embraced five courses of study: Commercial, typewriting, shorthand, the actual business course, and telegraphy. Besides superintending this institution Prof. Musick devotes personal attention to teaching, and has five congenial, effective and efficient aids. The attendance, at times, reaches 100 pupils, while the average attendance is about seventy, and the pupils not only come from the surrounding country, but are largely drawn from the neighboring States. They are carefully drilled, thoroughly instructed, and many of the graduates of the Queen City Commercial College are occupying important and lucrative positions. Prof. Musick's methods are original and unique, and in teaching the important study of writing business letters, he uses over 700 actual letters obtained from the letter books of some of the leading business men of the city, by permission, eighteen different heads of business being used, and thus the pupils acquire a practical experience in letter writing. The institution has five different offices arranged for teaching actual business--wholesale and retail, commission, banking and merchants' exchange. Another practical feature of the college is the actual work done for the business men of the city such as circular work, letter writing, copying, etc. The Queen City Business College is one of the most practical and efficient institutions for gaining a solid business education to be found anywhere in the West, and the people have begun to realize this fact. Prof. Musick is a fine penman, an expert shorthand writer and a practical educator, a man of action, a positive character, and is well informed on all subjects of general interest. He takes, a personal interest in the welfare and progress of his pupils, and those who come from a distance find good homes among the citizens of Springfield. Prof. Musick was married on the 25th of February, 1886, to Miss Lucy C., daughter of Judge Abner and Isabella (Johnson) Donaldson, of Harrisonville, Mo., and to them have been born two children: Elmer L. and Nellie. The Professor and Mrs. Musick are members in good standing of the Baptist Church and he is superintendent of the Sunday School, president of the Young Peoples' Society of Christian Endeavor and a member of the Y. M. C. A.
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