Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-01
CITY AND DISTRICT.
SCHOOL BOARDS PAST AND PRES
EMF.
A Sketch OF One Of the Old institutions
of the City.

of the City.
HOW THE FREE SCHOOLS ORIGINATED AND THE
FIRST BOARD WAS APPoINTED-EARLY sTRUG-
Giles OF THE TRUSTEES IN ENDEAyORING TO
FOUND SCHOOL sYsTEM-THE DIFFERENT RE-
g ORGANIZATIONS OF THE BOARD-PROMINENT
CITIZENS WHO HAVE SERVED AS TRUSTEES, &C.
''No proposition TO abolish the school board"
remarked an old school official to a STAR re-
porter the other day when the school board
seemed to be threatened with abolition, will
lie approved by the public. The American idea
is TO have board to manage the schools. and
SO the school board has become one of the in-
st.tutions OF the land" The District school
board is as Old as the public school system
here. and. in fact, older, for the board came
into existence first. BY an act of the city coun-
Gil of Washington December ). 1904. provision
was made for a board of thirteen trustees to
have the superintendence of public schools
within the city OF WaShington-six to be
elected annually by individuals contributing to
the maintenance of the schools, ana seven to
be annually chosen by the joint ballots of the
council In pursuance OF this act the cOntribu-
tors elected on the third Monday OF july
1905. the following six trustees: Thomas
Jefferson. Thomas Monroe Gabriel Duval
Thos. finger. Jos. Bromley and John Tayloe
and on the ensuing Monday the council COM
pleted the board 10y electing Robert Brent VIM
Brent. Samuel H. Smith, VIM. Cranch. George
Bldgden. John Dempsie and Nicholas King
The board organized August 5th. 1905 Dy elect
in" Thomas Jefferson president, and Nicholas
King secretary pro TEN. The fame of the gen
tlenan elected president does not rest alone
upon his having been chosen for that exalted
place. He happened also 10 be holding at that
time the office of Chief Magistrate of the nation
bQt N have, fuilV tod no
new dignity conferred upon him tor he wrote a
letter OF some length from Monticello, August
18th. 1853 saying that he would willingly
undertake the duties proposed to me so far as
others OF paramount obligation will permit my
attention to them" subsequently, Robert
Brent was elected vice president of the board
and Washing tOn BOYD was elected treasurer
the law not requiring that the treasurer be
chosen from the members of the board.
THE FIRST SCHOOL
established under the direction Of the school
board does not appear to have been opened
until the 1st of January, 1906 The names of
the members of this first school board, the
fathers, or perhaps. more properly speaking,
the grandfathers of the public schools of Wash
ingtOn-fOr there have been one or two fresh
starts taken since their day are preserved in
collection OF old and time-stained Minutes OF
Proceedings" written out in full round hand
such delighted our fOretathers who seemed
To have had more time for practicing f1Ourshes
with pen than the present generation. The
names of three of them have been given to pub
lie school buildings. which stand as monuments
TO their services TO the city and the cause of
education The names of all OF this first board
OF trustees VIII DE met with frequently by the
student of the early annals of Washington as
they were prominent in public affairs. The Gus
tom inau@uratrl at the start. of filing the
board with persons of high standing as citizens.
hanft f.lp 81 hot
day- The list of those who have held the
office OF trustee includes many names of hon
OTed ami eminent citizens of the past and of
gentlemen now prominent in business and Off
cial circles.
TRIBULATIONS OF THE FIRST TRUSTEES
The difficulties that confronted the first board
cannot BE- easily estimated now. The members
OF the board appear to have been inspired with
a marvellous faith in the future of the capital
At an early meeting plan was adopted FOR car
Tying into effect the purpose of the act under
which the board hal been appointed Tie pro-
VISIONS Of this act a. the board INTERPRETED
them. contemplated the establ shment of an
Institution in which every species of knowledge
essential to the liberal education of youth NAV
eventually be acquired. ''Sach an institution"
said the report Of the committee that devised
tie plan. embraces three great departments
schools for teaching the rudiInents of know
e
COLLEGE in which the higher branches NAV
De taught: ard a university in which
the highest and most splendid attachments
may lie acquired" Tie committee. how
ever fecflhH9thGcd the cautious. gradual and
progressive disclosure" OF the features of
the plan "a time and circumstances dictated,
and that the board should undertake nothing
which IT did not actually possess the means of
effectir@ In this connection the committee
dropped a remark showing THAT the people of
tho sf.sff Ell ha1 aI-n
wisdom by PAINFUL experiences. 1T ought not
10 be forgotten, they said. that most of the
plans projected in the city have failed prnci-
patty, from undertaking them before the neces-
safy means were acquired" The committee
devoted tine remainder of its report to setting
forth ''rl;an OI an academy" to be limited at
the start to two schools. one 20 be situated
east OF the CaI tOl. and within half mile of it,
and the other within half a mile of the Presj-
dents house According 10 the act of the city
council these schools were to be sunported
partly by public funds, partly by private sub
Scr:ptiOns, and partly by tuition fees 70 be col
lected from parents who were able 10 paw The
act provided that 80 much Of the net proceeds
OF taXes laid or TO be laid on slaves. dogs,
licenses fer carriages aT~l hacks for ordinaries
ana tdVeinS. for retailing wines and spiritunuS
liquors for billiard tables for theatrical and
other aiEuSpHeHts. and for haIkers and ned
th.FS, NJ appropriated. a. the trustees NAV
decide 20 be necessary for the education Of the
poor OF the civ The amount thus appropriated
was not. however. 10 exceed Il 800. The COM
n,ittce appointed by tie council for soliciting
sUostT ptiOhS reported contribution of 50 7S2,
from i3l persons, OF which President Jefferson
paid go Notwithstanding the resOunuinc
preamble OF the act of tine council which called
tHe ScEOOl board into existence that body
appears 70 have appropriated for the schools
Reluctantly ana paTslmonlOusly. The sums
appropriated by the council tor thirteen wears
aggregated about :10. 500 Thus this board of
Thirteen oIgnided gentlemen, dreaming of
great university. likely to he coexteusye with
the United states and countries in their yicin-
lty. EI-t from month to month tor the pnrnos,
ei administering the routine connected with the
disbursement of moneys amounting to about
Sotp year for the support of the two little
scnC9lS- III there were any cyncs or pessimsts
htfht@a days who did not enjOv the abundance
or rath yOuchsafed TO the early fathers OF the
schools. II is not at all improbable that they
sneercd and ridiculed this struggling educa-
t.Onu enterprise. and that the grand uniyer-
SHY scheme seemed to them extremely gro
tes4ue. Washington was then a Struggling.
muddy village. with immense waste spaces and
Immense eXl ectatiOus.
RAPID CHANGES IN THE MEMBERSHIP.
IL is not to lie assumed. Of course. that the
same thirteen gentlemen served continuously
through these thirteen years. During that pe-
RED about sixty different persons served on the
board of trustees. The zeal OF many tagged
a years rolled on. without bringing about any
glorious result. No place of assembly was as
siGncd 20 them. These thirteen apostles of ed
ncatioA had 40 place to lay their official heads.
They were wanderers. They met sometimes in
The court room IN the Capitol at other times in
the city council chamber other places of meet
Il