VERSATILE PEDAGOGICAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF A GRADUATE OF RIGA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE JĀNIS STIPRAIS (1870–1946)

Summary. The research discusses continuous effort of a pedagogue, economist and journalist Jānis Stiprais (1870–1946) in his pursuit to obtain education and his versatile pedagogical activities in Tomsk (Russia), Tukums , Valka and Riga, as well as the contribution he made in such areas as journalism, folklore and social work. J. Stiprais shared his knowledge of economics gained at Riga Polytechnic Institute (RPI) with the students at the University of Latvia (UL), Latvia People’s University and Vilis Olavs Commercial School; in the first half of the 20th century he was the principal of educational institutions in Tukums , Valka and Riga, he also was one of the signatories of the Memorandum of the Central Council of Latvia on 17 March 1944. In the recognition of J. Stiprais merit for Latvia, he was honoured with the highest award of the Republic of Latvia – the Order of the Three Stars. Memorandum of the Central Council of Latvia,


Introduction
Many representatives of the Latvian intelligentsia, including a number of prominent pedagogues, came from Piebalga. It is also a home town of a pedagogue, economist and journalist Jānis Stiprais, who despite his modest financial situation obtained university education and served his people for many years, educating youth.
Numerous press articles dedicated to J. Stiprais started to appear already during his lifetime. Nowadays, memories about the pedagogue are carefully retained at his Alma Mater. The interest in his highly appreciated contribution may be evidenced by both this research developed in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of J. Stiprais and an article in the RTU newspaper «Jaunais Inženieris» (Young Engineer), published to celebrate his 130th birthday in 2000 [1]. The works translated by J. Stiprais, his books and newspaper articles, as well as the articles dedicated to his personality and heritage published in the periodicals have been preserved in the Latvian libraries, whereas his personal file of a pedagogue, a personal file of a lecturer of the UL, a passport of a citizen of the Republic of Latvia and other documents are stored in the State Historical Archive of Latvia of the Latvian National Archives.
Being a true Latvian patriot, J. Stiprais signed the Memorandum of the Central Council of Latvia in 1944. One of the latest publications about J. Stiprais is his biography, which is included in the biographical dictionary dedicated to the signatories of the Memorandum published in 2014 [2]. It should be noted that some inaccuracies have been made while compiling the mentioned biography of J. Stiprais, since neither the original documents nor his Curriculum Vitae were used -the name of his father was spelled incorrectly, the years of his pedagogical activity were also not recorded accurately. The aim of the present research is to study pedagogical and social activities of J. Stiprais and to clarify his biographical data. The main research method used in this paper is analysis of literature sources.

Childhood, School and Study Years of Jānis Stiprais
Jānis Stiprais was born in Vecpiebalga Parish on 31 August 1870. His birth was registered with the Congregation of Piebalga, his father Andžs was a farmer [3]. This is also confirmed by J. Stiprais autobiography written in the early 20th century [4]. Later, in some documents, including the passport of the Republic of Latvia, the name of J. Stiprais father was recorded as Antons [5], this name later also appeared in several published pieces of research [2].
For two years, Jānis studied at Kaibēni School, educators and writers brothers Matīss (1839-1920) and Reinis (1848-1926) Kaudzītes were his first teachers. Then for four years he studied at Skujene Parish School, then -at Tsar Peter I Vocational School in Riga, which he graduated in 1892. Jānis' father passed away when he was in the 4th grade of the vocational school and thus Jānis had to provide for himself. Jānis was   exempt from paying tuition fees at the vocational school, however, he had to pay apartment rent. He could not timely cover it and thus accumulated debts. To settle his obligations, he started to give private classes to the host's children and later to other children. Studying in the 5th grade of the vocational school, teaching private pupils J. Stiprais earned a considerable amount of money for that time -10 roubles per month. He soon also earned a job as a transcriber for a district court translator. It was not easy, because he often delivered four private lessons a day and returned to the rented apartment only after nine o'clock in the evening. In the absence of private lessons, he wrote for newspapers and translated for money [4].
In September 1892, J. Stiprais entered the Department of Agriculture of Riga Polytechnicum, but in 1893, he had to interrupt his studies due to material considerations -he had to pay for his studies at a private university. For the next six years, he worked and saved money for education. In the autumn of 1899, J. Stiprais resumed his studies at Riga Polytechnic Institute (RPI), which had been reorganized in 1896, this time choosing to study at the Department of Commerce [6]. In his spare time, he continued working as a tutor, as well as earned money by selling firewood. After gaining some knowledge of trade, J. Stiprais began to teach it to others, and later established private trade courses [4]. As a student, in 1892 J. Stiprais joined the oldest Latvia-based corporation of the Latvian students «Selonija», he later worked in its Society of Philistines. J. Stiprais graduated from RPI in 1904, in the same year as the Latvian public figure and publicist Vilis Olavs . It is interesting to note that later J. Stiprais worked in the school named after Vilis Olavs.

Translations, Journalism, Compilation of Folklore
Already during his university years at the end of the 19th century, J. Stiprais earned his living by translating. For example, he translated a book «Edisons» by the Russian writer and translator Andrei Kamensky (Андрей Васильевич Каменский; 1843-1913) from Russian. It was published in 1892 by the Department of Useful Books of the Riga Latvian Society [7]. It is quite possible that J. Stiprais translated the autobiography of an American inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) not only for financial reasons, but also out of personal interest, since he was studying engineering.
The translations from the German language by J. Stiprais should be also named -the tragedy «Marija Stjuarte» (Maria Stewart) by the German poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) and the drama «Fricītis» by the writer Hermann Sudermann (1857-1928). Both plays were staged -in 1896, the theatre of Riga Latvian Society performed «Marija Stjuarte» and in 1904, Riga New Theatre staged «Fricītis».
Already during his study years, J. Stiprais collaborated with almost all newspapers that were published in Latvian at that time. In his autobiography, J. Stiprais wrote that during the summer holidays of 1902, he headed the Foreign Section of the newspaper «Baltijas Vēstnesis» [4]. Later he worked as a collaborator in the newspapers «Dzimtenes Vēstnesis», «Līdums», «Tautas Balss» and from 1919 to 1940, in the newspaper «Brīvā Zeme».
In 1908, J. Stiprais' article «Mūsu tirdzniecības mācību iestādes» (Our Trade Educational Institutions) was published in the newspapers «Dzimtenes Vēstnesis» [8] and «Zemkopis» [9]. It discussed the history of these schools in the Russian Empire, which at that time included the territory of the present-day Latvia, legislation for their establishment and operation, and popularity, as trade was considered by J. Stiprais to be the cornerstone of the well-being of the Latvian people. He also mentioned his Alma Mater -RPI, whose future graduates of the Department of Commerce started working already during their studies, working in shops as accountants, holding responsible positions at the banks and in trade, receiving good salaries. Prospective entrepreneurs also used to teach languages, but at that time it was a highly competitive field, so remuneration was rather low. However, J. Stiprais was a selfless pedagogue who primarily worked for the sake of a noble idea rather than due to monetary considerations.
In the 1920s and 1930s, J. Stiprais also published various articles in periodicals, including reflections on schooling and childrearing. For example, with regard to the choice of schools, J. Stiprais wrote to parents that a good education can be obtained not only in big cities. He noted that if farmers opt to send their children to study in the city, as a result, children may not only lose connection with their parents as well as the love of the countryside, the parents may also lose control over their children's use of leisure time and the process of education. Based on observations of J. Stiprais, in large schools, where the number of pupils is about a thousand, «a rare teacher knows his pupils by name» [10].
J. Stiprais considered education one of the basic values in life. Having acquired education himself, he wanted to make sure as many people as possible obtain it as well. His pursuit of education and spiritual values came from the family and society where he spent his childhood -Piebalga, Vidzeme, where the ideas of fraternal congregations were widespread. Brothers Kaudzīte, who maintained close connections with the fraternal congregations and their pupils at Kaibēni School, also played a major role in this regard. As J. Stiprais wrote in his memoirs, they «not only gave knowledge but also the laid down foundations of morality», made pupils accustomed to work and order, instilled a desire to pursue noble goals [11]. J. Stiprais sticked to these values throughout his life and had always spoken well about both brothers-teachers, who were excellent pedagogues and educators able to engage pupils also in their free time, for example, doing sports. There was a self-built skating rink near the school, the skates were mostly homemade -with a blade driven and secured in a wooden block, which was either a self-wrought scythe or some other suitable piece of iron. There were no enough homemade skates for everyone, many skated with one skate or borrowed the other skate from others. Pupils also skied and rode on the sleds. The teachers -brothers Kaudzīte -also went into sports. For example, Matīss Kaudzīte had «light metal skates that could be attached with a screw to the heel of the boot» [12]. The children rode from the hill with a single ski made of aspen wood by local craftsmen. Pupils called skis luģes. They were shorter and wider than those we use today. The pupils neither knew nor used ski poles. On the other hand, the pupils held ropes tied to the front of each ski, which made it possible to change the direction of the ride or, when descending the mountain, they helped to maintain balance [12].
J. Stiprais loved to get involved in the discussions about science, art, literature, ethics, noble goals, tasks and success. This is evidenced by his article «Vienkāršība dzīvē un audzināšanā» (Simplicity in Life and Upbringing) published in 1923 [13]. He also pointed at the negative social phenomena, such as extravagance, revelry, and pursuit of wealth. From a young age, he believed that people should not be divided into rich and poor, and that regardless of their descent and material status, people can sit at the same table side by side. Even as a young man, J. Stiprais called for abstinence from alcohol abuse and exaggeration in clothing. He reported on these issues at an event organised by the Society of Philistine (Senior Members) of «Selonija» on 14 January 1929 [14]. His report was titled «Vienkāršība dzīvē un audzināšanā» (Simplicity in Life and Upbringing), it was copied and sent to all active members of Latvian corporations. J. Stiprais discussed the above-mentioned issues pointing out that the money earned should be spent prudently and evenly, the family and the school should increase the level of morality of young people. The pedagogue, economist and journalist said in his report, «Academically educated citizens should not follow in the footsteps of unbalanced bacchanals and follow their lead, take them as a paragon for themselves and waste their hard and honestly deserved possessions. The peoples belonging to the culture of Western Europe do not practice wasteful revelry and excessive eating and drinking that continue   until the next morning, undermining their health and impairing their ability to work. We have inherited these entertainment habits from the east. Such lifestyle is not suitable for our circumstances, because a person may spend more than one's monthly income during a single evening» [15]. At the end of the report, J. Stiprais summoned, «Let's teach simplicity and thriftiness not only with words, but with all our lives, then the new generation, nation and society will follow the set standard and live up to an excellent example» [15].

Pedagogue's Work
J. Stiprais became acquainted with the profession of a pedagogue in 1893. After he had to discontinue his studies, he worked for one year both as a private teacher and as a teacher at a private girls' school in Kandava, then for two years -as a private teacher in Valmiera at the home of a writer and Pastor of the Valmiera St. Simon Congregation, Jānis Neilands (1840-1915), then for three years -as a teacher in Jaungulbene [16]. Later, he worked as a teacher near Ikšķile, teaching the sons of two manufacturers, preparing them for enrolment in a vocational school [4]. While he studied at the university, he was involved in the pedagogical activity teaching to the private pupils. In 1904, immediately after his graduation, he went to Russia and began working as a teacher at a stock exchange commercial school and trading evening courses in the Siberian city Tomsk. In 1906, the young engineer returned to Latvia and in August began working as an inspector at Tukums School of Commerce.  In 1922, J. Stiprais started to run the Riga City Secondary School No. 1, and from 1929 -the Gymnasium (now -Riga State Gymnasium No. 1). When he started working as a principal in Riga, he already knew some teachers. For example, Juris (Georgs) Lerhs (1881-1967), who had taught mathematics at Tukums School of Commerce. While performing the duties of the Principal, J. Stiprais, being a good psychologist, was able to resolve conflicts and reconcile the parties to the conflict. He managed to maintain unshakable inner peace and prudent composure. One of the graduates of 1927, later a poet Leonīds Breikšs , believed that Principal J. Stiprais knew all his pupils as if they were his own children [19]. Although he was strict, the pupils respected and appreciated him. When the students were caught doing something naughty or misbehaving, he asked, «Boys, is it really the way you should behave?» [19]. He expressed serious and though over wishes and kind words of encouragement to the graduates of the school. In 1934, J. Stiprais left the Gymnasium. His position of the Principal of Riga City Gymnasium No. 1 was taken over by a public official, diplomat, pedagogue, theologist, and journalist Pauls Oto Gailītis   [20], You are school's father and the guardian, For whom every pupil is dear and good, And yet you're leaving for another job, Your name here will stay grand and great! We see you with a youthful vigour Walking only where your duty calls; But your work and thoughts will be devoted Forever to the new generations of Latvian schools. And now, parting from our school, You will leave, but your work will stay alive. Recalling this, new generations will repeat: «You -First Gymnasium's First Kriwe!» [21].  [22].
In addition to pedagogical work at school, J. Stiprais had been working as a lecturer at the University of Latvia since 1922, teaching Business Correspondence in Latvian and German and Introduction to Cooperative Business [23]. He continued this work at the University also after retirement. He also taught Business Correspondence in Latvian at the Latvian People's University [24]. J. Stiprais also delivered lectures at Krišjānis Barons Folk University [25].
J. Stiprais made a considerable contribution to development of textbooks. He compiled a self-study German language handbook, providing learner the opportunity to learn grammar and some useful words, which was published by J. Rauska Publishing House in Valka in 1918. The handbook contained sample conversations, trade letters and petitions, and texts for reading. In 1919, two ABC books for primary schools were published -«Strauts: mazā ābece» (Strauts: Little ABC) and «Strauts: ābece» (Strauts: the ABC). His book «Strauts: lasāma grāmata pamatskolām» (Strauts: A Book For Primary Schools) in four parts (1923)(1924)(1925)(1926)

Social Activities
J. Stiprais, a pedagogue, economist and journalist, is often referred to as a social and cultural worker [22]. He worked at the Society for the Promotion of the League of Nations (LN) founded in Latvia in 1923. The aim of the Society was to promote the development and further establishment of the LN, to support Latvia in this organization, and to popularize the ideas and tasks of the LN in Latvia. The LN was the most important international organization after World War I, the predecessor of the United Nations. Jānis Čakste (1859-1927) was one of the founders of the promotion society [26]. Significant

Conclusions
Jānis Stiprais, a pedagogue, economist, journalist and social figure, was «the most prominent personality, an extraordinary figure at the school he managed for twelve and a half years during the existence of Riga City Gymnasium No. 1» in the first half of the 20th century [28], a God-given talent [29]. He is one of the RPI graduates who disseminated the knowledge he gained at the university to his students in commercial schools, gymnasiums and universities both as a pedagogue and as the author of textbooks for future entrepreneurs, reading books for primary schools and social science textbooks for secondary and gymnasium students. Thanks to our knowledge and love for the work of pedagogues, we still remember J. Stiprais now, more than seven decades after he passed away. His legends, fairy tales and stories of Latvian folk retain their cultural and historical value.
In the course of the research it was clarified that although two different names of J. Stiprais