Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-28
THE LATE ANDREW J. MouLDER.
A WashinGtOnian Who Attained High
HOnors on the Pacific Coast.

A WashfnEtOnian Who Attained High
HOnors on the Pacific Coast.
Mr.. Andrew J. Moulder, superintendent of
public instruction CT San Francisco, and
enc of the most widely known and talented
educators of the Pacific coast, who died
suddenly October IA, was a native of this
city. Mr. Moulder was born here in March,
1925. He was educated at the Columbian
College Of which institution he was, at the
age of seventeen years, made assistant
professor of mathematics. He also acted as
instructor to the family of Robert L. Ran
dolph of Virginia. During the seven years
Mr.. Moulder taught at Columbian he put in
large part of his time studying law. He
went to California in 1850. For a few
months he was engaged in quartz and pla-
Ger mining, but in December, 1850, was en-
gagged as a reporter of the San Francisco
Herald, afterward becoming managing ed
itor OF that paper.
The first public office Mr. Moulder held
was that of controller of the city of San
Francisco, to which he was elected on the
democratic ticket in 1855. He was made
superintendent of the board of funded COM
missions and funded the debt of 1856. In
1857 Mr.. Moulder became identified with the
educational institutions of the state through
his election as state superintendent of pub
lie instruction, and his work was appre-
ciated so highly he was reelected in 1860.
He organized the first state normal school,
the first teachers institute, the first edu-
cational convention and established some
thing that Appropriated uniform system
of text books. He also wrote a work on the
school laws, and on school architecture of
which a large edition was circulated, and
which aided considerably in bringing order
into the schools out of the chaos of those
early days. Mr.. Moulder was nominated
for the third term as state superintendent
of public instruction, but he declined to
make the canvass, as ii was his desire to
visit Europe and study the school system
of the old world. He was commissioner of
the state Of California to the Vienna expo
sition. Upon his return from Europe in
1865 Mr.. Moulder was appointed by Gov.
Haight member of the first board Of re-
gents of the University of California. He
was active in placing that institution on a
ported the abolition of tuition fees and the
opening of the university to all corners, wo-
men as well men, free Of charge. He
afterward became secretary of the free
library, and in 1882 he was elected superin-
tendent of public schools by the largest ma
jority obtained at any election in the city,
and later acted as secretary to Mayor Pond.
At the last election he was again chosen to
fill the important position of supertnten-
dent, being supported by all classes, demo-
Gratis republicans and populists.
His funeral took place at the Trinity
Episcopal Church. The services were SIM
pie, as requested by the deceased. The
flags v ere at half-mast from all municipal
and school buildings, and floral tributes
filled the church. The services were very
impressive. Mr.. Moulder was an uncle of
the Misses Abbot, Mrs. Barharin, Mrs. Gen.
Thomas Duncan, Lieut.. and Mrs. Downs
L. Wilson, Col John NJ. Wilson and Mr..
Charles c. Duncanson, all of this city.