Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-01
people, and seemed to have an influence in form
ing their style of discourse. Or perhaps they
had more time than their descendants to polish
their sentences

people, and seemed to have an influence in FORM
ing their style OF discourse. Or perhaps they
had more time than their descendants to polish
their sentences.
DEFECTS OF THE EARLY SYSTEM
1t was not, however, altogether lack Of money
that made the public schools langulsh for so
many years. These schools were. in fact, char
ity schools, the only children entitled to tuition
free from charge being the children of INDECENT
parents. As a consequence the schools failed
to receive the patronage of the well-to-do
classes, and also OF many poor people who were
reluctant to bring upon their children the re-
proach of pauperism. Various distinctions made
in the schools between poor scholars" and pay
scholars served to check progress, and caused
division in public opinion. which was not at
all favorable to the growth of the free school
system
In 1920 the city council forbade the reception
OF any pay pupils" and opened the schools
only to children whose parents were unable to
pay for their tuition. The records of the school
board for many years after the year 1918 have
been lost. The history of the doings of the
school board Is wrapped in an mpenetrable haze
but evidence that the school board continued to
exist. and that the two Charity schools were
kept alive, is found in scraps of reports from
passages appearing now and then in the
annual messages of the mayor. and from
an occasional comment in the public journals of
the day. The attendance at the schools SLOWLY
ih'itetstu DuL not III proportion 10 the growth
OF the city. and the city council also slowly
and begrudgngly increased it's allowances
Mayor SeatOn, upon his accession to office,
began to consider means for renedying the
deplOrabe state of affairs connected with the
pubiIc schools. AS result of his appeals and
admOnitions the school system was again reOr-
ganiZed in 1874. Appropriations were obtained
Tor establishing new schools. The present
school system really dates its existence from
this period. Some slight distinctions between
ir still afv,tn i,,nI
but this incompatblity was finally removed in
1918, when all tuition fees were abolished
THE ERA OF PROSPERITY SETS IN.
From that time the popularity of the schools
continued to grow rapidly and appropriations
were increased. The trials which beset the
early board disappeared. In 1916 a room in the
City Hall was allotted for the use of the board,
which was no longer required to 'meet around"
Through all the changes in the form of govern
lGent of the District the school board has pre-
served IFS identity though the number of MEM
bers prescribed by law has been varied.
CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE BOARD
The first change in the constitution of the
board was made in July, 1916, when the council
at the suggestion of the trustees, established
two boards, one composed of nine trustees to
have supervision of schools in the first and
second wards. and the other composed of seven
trustees in the third and fourth wards When the
system was reOrganiZed in 1874 these separate
boards were consolidated into one composed of
three trustees from each o. the four wards Of
Washington. When the territorial form Of gov
eminent was abolished in 1874 the three boards
of trustees for Washington. Georgetown and
the county, and the board of trustees of the COL
ored schools were consolidated into one board
OF fifteen members. which number was shortly
afterwards enlarged to nineteen, eleven being
appOrtiOned to Washington, three to George
town and five to the county. In 1882 Congress
reduced the number of members to nine.
PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN TRUSTEES
Among the gentlemen who have served on
the board of trustees since the reorganization
in 1914 We're Peter Force j. C. McKeden R.
Farnham. G. J. Abbott, Thomas DonOhO, N.
Young, and t. Blagden who were members at
the time of the reorganization, when a new
impetus given to the schools. A. Coyle, ].
F. Callan. n. C. Towle became members in 1916;
V. Harbaugh. J. T. Van Kyswck. A. G. Davis,
". B. Randolph. and c. Ashford in 1S47; p. F.
Bacon and DR.. J. +. Morgan in 1913; j. F. Hall
day and J. b. Ellis in 1919: James Adams and
p. N. Pearson in $780, Dr. G.. VI. Dove in
1852; 6. X. Ruff in 1853; DR.. F. Howard, W.
Lord. and S Y At Lee in 1854: Or. s. A. II.
Mckin. Joseph II. Bradley. I. ]. Magruder.
William Dixon and Theodore Wheeler in 1855;
7. p. Morgan and j. c. Hardness in 1857; W. B.
Randolph. James Iawrenson. W. p. Young. J.
f. Willett, and +. Whyte in 1858. NJ. II. Miller.
J. Ii. Brodhead. and J. E. HOlmead in 1860;
John l.arcombe. c. Albert. and J. L. Cassel in
1861; Il. F. Morsell. Il. Ricketts,, c. H. Uter-
mehle, W J. Rhees. F. D. Stuart 0. c. Wight,
aud j. o. Wilson in 1862; r. B. Ferguson. J. P
Tustin and ". J. MUItagh, in 1868; John Hitz
in 1866; W. Z. Wood ward. T. Edward Clark. r.
{. Fox. and W. T. johnson in 1865
While many of the gentlemen named above
are dead, large portion are still active and in
fluential citizens. Since 1866 the board has
comprised al different times many well-known
citizens of the District. The list embraces Ed
mund F. French, Joseph NJ. Wilson, Brainard Fl.
Warner, Simon Wolf. Anthony Hyde, William
Henry Browne, Robert Reyburn George White.
Joseph l.. Pearson. Charles NJ. Matthews, Tall
madge A Lambert. Edward Temple Thomas
Somerville, henry Johnson, VIM. Henry Smith,
Charles II. Cragin, John Randolph, o. X. Harris,
John II; Brooks, W. W. Curtis, Appleton P.
Clarke. James II. smith, William Birney. C. B.
PGrvis. ". p. Dodge. B. G. Lovejoy, Benjamin
+. Lloyd. III. A. GFisweld, George F. Mcclellan
James G. Dulin. Thomas B. Marche. W. J.
Stephenson. Is. Robinson. A. G. Richards VIM.
II. Crook. William b. Evans. c. B. Smith, A. p.
Pardon. Isaac n. Cary. Edward Baldwin, DR..
George C. Samson. Madison Davis William H.
4. WOrmey, Chaplin Brown.
The present board is composed of Messrs B.
G.. Lovejoy, John II. Brooks William H. Baum,
A. T. Clark. W. W. Curtis. II. A. Griswold,
James Fl. Smith and c. b. Purvs. There is one
vacancy. cccasoned by the recent resignation
of Mr. b. H. Warner -.
THE GEORGETOWN TRUSTEES.
The events sketched above relate solely TO the
trustees and schools of Washington city,
Georgetown, which until within recent wears.
always had a separate municipal organization.
maintained its own school board until the con-
sciidation in 1874. The history of free schools
i'll Georgetown begins with the establishment
OF the Georgetown free school i'm 1911. This
was started by private subscription and man
aged by trustees chosen by the subscribers
Among the early members of this board were
Thomas COrcOraI. John Abbot, Robert Bever-
ley, Robert Munro, William MarbuFy and others
who were then prominent among the business
men of Georgetown. The city council, in 1912,
appropriated 81 600 to help the trustees erect an
addition to their building. and in 1915 began
70 make yearly appropriation OF s. 900 in aid of
the school. The trustees never appear to have
0een embarrassed by such trials as met the
board in Washington. In the year 1912 the
corporation assumed the entire expense of the
schools and provided for the appointment of a
beard OF seven guardians The schools con-
tiHued and thrived under this board of guar
dlans until ii was consolidated in 1874 with the
W aShiE2ton board. The first board of guardians
OF which any record is extant was that organ
iZed IN January. 1S4S which was composed of
Thomas Brown, John Myers. Charles E. Eckei,
William Mex. Osborn, George Shoemaker.
Thomas Jewell. and Charles E. Mix Upon the
territorial reorganization the name OF trustee
was adopted instead Of guardian and the
new board appointed by Gov Cooke was com
posed OF Anthony Hyde G.. w Beall. C.. d.
WEIGH. W. L. Dunlop. William W. Curtis. C. S.
Rams5urg and F. W. Moffat