The true purpose of education is to teach a man to carry himself triumphant to the sunset.

Bailey frames education as preparation for a whole life rather than mere vocational training or the accumulation of facts. “Carry himself triumphant to the sunset” suggests self-possession, resilience, and dignity sustained into old age—the “sunset” of life. The triumph is inward: the educated person can meet change, loss, and limitation without surrendering purpose. In Bailey’s broader humanistic-progressive outlook (shaped by his work in agriculture, nature study, and public education), learning should cultivate character, judgment, and an ability to live meaningfully in relation to the world, not simply to succeed in examinations or careers.