National Republican., 1876-06-09
eoIoRED FUBLlc SCHOOLS.
High School, Normal Depsrsment-eraauat-
ing Exercises, ..

ing 14cIVAsoS,
The large hall in the summer school building,
Seventeenth and NJ streets northwest presented
last night scene long to be remembered. The
hall itself was a picture OF lovelinese the stage
being formed into a perfect flower bower, contain
ing the choicest exo:ies, the perfume from which
permeatcd the entire building. The flowers were
hung in graceful festoens around the arch which
eneireles the stage. Suspended from the ceiling
were numbers Of beautiful baskets containing
the loveIiest offerings Of nature. Immediately
over tae arch were the words, 'normal class"
with Cupid reclining between the two words. The
devotion OF the class to the memory ef the late
ChsTles Sumner was attested by the elegant and
tasty decorations which surrounded his admirable
lhCeness which graces the walls of the school On
the stage were seated the members Of the grad
uating class, their teacher, Miss Mary ]. Patter-
SON. Superintendent Cook Hon Robt Puryis.
Trustees johnson and Brooks. Among the au.
dieEee, which was one of the finest that ever as
sembled in W ashlngton, was Hon. John R. Lynch,
Hon. Robert Small, Hon. ]. Aarralson, Hon. John
NJ. Langston, Trustees Hoyey and Ditrick, ex-
Trustees Alfred Jones, VIM II. A. Wormley, VIM.
SyphaN, Chas- King and Archie Lewis, and Hon.
Geo. E Baker. r0
The exercises were opened with music, what
shall the harvest be-" by the class; after which
Superintendent Cook made the following intro
ductory remarks: .z--a
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: The committee on
teachers thought q word or two should be said on
this the hIst commencement occasion, relative to
the cOlOred schools Of Washington and George
town. and particularly to the origin, progress and
usefulness Of the school with which the depart
ment inviting Your presence and attention to-
night is connected. Prior TO the year 1852 which
may be regarded the beginning of tho free
school era for eoloTed children in the District of
Columbia, the free colored Population Of this Dis
tTict had enjoyed, with but slight Interruptions
in time. tho benots Of instruction in colored prf-
yate or pay schools for half o century. As early
as the year 1907, more than two thirds Of century
ago, school hGnse was b1Iit, furnished and sup
Piled with q teacher by three totally anlettered
colorcd men, who had just procured their freedom
al -ha
corner of Second street east and d street south,
which was almost, If not quite within hearing OF
nation.
Its erection was but year or two subsequent
TO the organization Of the first free schools for
the white children of this city. These two facts
of almost simultaneous Occurrence-ths estab-
fishing OF free schools only for the white children
Of this city out OF the common public fund and
the erection of house and establishment
therein OF school for eoiored children by three
illiterate colered men, out Of the savings Of the
HARD DAILY EARNINGS
OF life already more than h1lf despoiled by
wrong and oppression, present to history two
striking pictures; the former in its illiberality
and injustice and unfortunate and scathing re-
Election upon the ruling elements of society of
that day, and the latter in the appreciation OF
the value of education shown and in the energy
evoked for its attainment, proud monument TO
the qualities and capacities OF race. The mere
mention of the names Of those three men, George
Bell; Nicholas Franklin and Moses Liverpool,
should tncite to higher aspirations and their
memories should be reYered as those Of the bene-
factors of mankind.
cannot, perhaps, morc happily pass from this
period TO the next than through the following
glowing but
JUST TRIBUTE
by the Hon. Henry Barnard, ex Commissioner OF
Education, WHO, in his report to the Senate Of the
United States, in 1885, respecting schools in this
District says ..It is worthy of observation thai
in no case he's coored school ever failed for the
want Of scholars: The parents we're always glai
to send their children, and the children were
always ready to 60, even when too poor to be de-
Gently fed or clothed. When o school failed it
was for want Of money, and not for want of appre-
citation Of the benefits of education. The same
remarkable avidity for learning was then appar-
ent as is now so manifest among the whole body
Of the col0red population Of this District.
The coicred people of the District have shown
themselves capable, TO q wonderful degree of
supporting and educating themselves, while at
the same time contributing by taxation TO the
support Of the white scnools, from which they |
were debRrred, and that, too, when in numerous |
cases they had previously bought themselves and
families from Slavery at very great expense
their history furnishing eNRmple of coura ge |
and success, in the mist of trial and oppression,
scarcely equaled in the annals of mankind.-
At the breaking out of the rebellion there were |
about zoo children in attendance at the eolOrei
as the free colOred population at thai period was
ll000, the attendance at those schools Wss fatty
rroportionate to that of the public schools Of to-
day with their population Of i4,oOl. From those
100 pupils were formed the advanced classes in
tie schools Of the relief societies which succeeded
largely the pay schools, and which did commend |
able work in this community as late as the ear
1855.
In the school year 1890 it became paInrully |
apparent that the most advanced pupils in each |
OF the five school districts were prevented from
making that progress which proper grading |
would permit. The cause lay in the. multiplicity
oi classes under one teacher, 10 prevent
VACANT SEATS
in the face almost two thirds of the school pop-
ulatiCD. OF more than 5000 children. for whom |
there was no provision whatever. The cause of |
the small classes was in the neeessItOus cIrcum-
stances forcing tn laa
some before reaching, and others after having |
reached. the more advanced grades To permit |
this state Of things 10 continue to invite dis
cOuragement, and thereby, in frequent voluntary |
TO deprive many of the dement's to
be derived from higher instruction and the schools
OF much excellent material, which could be
shortly fitted for usefulness in this community |
and elsewhere.
The frequent interviews which We hays hal
With teachers Of those schools in that wear ali |
pointed 10 the one feasible plsn-that of consoIi- |
eating !he snal!! classes OF pups in each s;-iot
Of the game grade inia one school az syN central
point. This course was not o. - vnred b. 49, |
promotion Of the interests OF the pupils aG- :he |
schools as whole, but also by the utility ami
economy OF teaching force i offered. II vas Do !
ievcd that the main objection to ii, which lay in
some instances in the distance between the home |
and the school, would be outweighed by the supe- |
riOr advantages for instruction which the school |
would afford
In November Of the following school year
Cs1C-'5ll the suggestions of the past year were |
adopted by the board of trustees in the transfer |
Of those classes to the basement Of the Fifteenth
street PTesbyte church and their consolidation
into the school since known as the Preparatory |
High school On motion Of Mr.. w. H A. WOrmley, |
member of the board. Miss L. J. Hutchins. then |
in charge Of Grammar No. /, Second district, was |
forty two pupils transferred from the several dis
tricts TO this central school were divided into two
classes-one in the seventh and the other in the |
sixth year Of the public school course years nearly
corresponding to the eighth and seventh Of the |
present course At the exp ration Of
TEE SCHOOL Y-r,
Miss Hutchins having resigned, Miss n. ]. Pat |
terson, who had been appointed in l.6s-'70 prsci-
pal Of the C-street school, Third district. Lin
coin, was assigned 10 the charge of this school. |
After a little more than years service in this
school she was succ eeded by Prof Il. 7. Greener. |
at the beginning OF the school year lSI3'74, Miss
Patterson was again called to the prncipalship Of
this school, which she still holds.
The teachers who have held assistant positions |
more or less in the work it has accomplished are
Misses a. +. Howard. ". =. Robinson, L. F. |
Barney, G. E. Parke, L. Z. Jean, L. L. Moten
and +. W. SOmerville.
From y pupils in ls7O-'7I. in the sixth and
seventh years Of the course, the school has grown
to 10 in 1915 T6, in the eighth, ninth and tenth
years of the course and the special or normal class
OF the GOrty-two forming this school in l3TU-'7I |
adverse circumstances caused many to withdraw
we're provided for, before the completion Of the
course entered upon, by the necessities of these |
and other schools in the demand for teachers. |
Nothing can be greater in exemplfncation Of the
Of this school than the fact that of the
twenty four girls who first entered II fourteen Of
hem have become teachers, and Of the eighteen |
boys three are known to be teachers, and probably
here are others. OF the classes entering since |
Is first year twenty-seven are known to have be- |
,ome teachers. In the almost six years Of its ex-
stenee this school has furnished not less than
orty-four teachers. Many Of them have been |
employed in these schools and, with some excep- |
tiOns, have given satisfaction. Some to-day, In |
point Of attainment Of results and general prof. |
cieney in the schoOl-room, are considered among
the most valued of the corps.
At the conclusion of Mr. Cooks remarks, the |
programme was carried out: silent |
Cities" Margaret E. Beckett; "The Object Of
Education" John T. Freeman; Fashion, the