The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1899-01-21
A Great Louisiana Educator.

The recently adjourned conven
ton of educators, in discussing the
public schools, extolled in elabor-
ate speeches all connected there
with, but somehow, in the praises
of the past and present champions
of the public schools of New Or
leans, there was no reference to the
man whom the Picayune thus eulog-
lzed in 1888: .sThe Nestor of the
intellect; the dean of journalism,
and the father OF the public school
system IN Louisiana, passes away
in Prof. Alexander DimItry.'
1t seems that to day his great
services to the cause of public edu-
cation, and his iabors in that direc-
ton, have been forgotten And
yet he was the first incumbent of
the superintendent chair of the
state public schools.
Alexander Dinitry was born in
New Orleans, La, Feb. 7, 1906;
died Jan. 80, 1883. His father,
Andrea Demetrios, a native of the
island of Hydra, on the coas' of
Greece, came to New Orleans in
1904, and was for many years a
merchant here. Alexander was
graduated at Georgetown College,
D. c., and soon afterwards became
editor of the New Orleans Bee.
He was subsequently a professor in
Baton Rouge College in 1884, and
was employed in the general post
office department. In I84e he
created and organized the free
system in Louisiana, and was state
superintendent of schools in 184S-
ST.
Isaac Johnson was governor of
Louisiana. He was, like Dimitry,
an ardent friend and advocate of
free public schools. Dimitry wrote
aud lectured on this subject, and
Governor Johnson appointed him
state superintendent of public edu
cation, to carry out the laws that
had been enacted to organize the
public schools throughout the state,
and put them into practical opera
ton. The people in the parishes
welcomed Dimitry with rejoicings,
for they knew that the time had
come at last when the child of the
poor man in Louisiana could enjoy
equal educational advantages with
the child OF tie rich man.
in the state department in Washing
ton, and latter was appointed
United States minister to Costa
RIGA and Nicaragua, and served
Louisiana. having resigned because
of the declaration of hostllities
between the North and South. For
the sake of principle he abandoned
yearly salary of S12, 900, and the
certain prospects of high diplomatic
advancement to cast his lot with
the confederacy.
He became chief of bureau of the
department.
In 1868 Dimitry was made assist
ant superintendent of the New
Orleans public sckools, and in 1870
was professor of ancient languages
in Pass Christian College. Prof.
Dimitry was master of several Ian
guages, and his favorite- study was
philology. He wrote many short
stories for ANIMALS in 1905,
under the signature of "Tobias
Guamerrius. Previous to 1916 he
had prepared, after many years of
research, "History of English
Names" but the manuscript was
destroyed by fire at the ST. Charles
Institute, Louisiana.
This is The man of whom not one
word was said when prominent edu
Gators, past and present, were
lauded to the skies, at the recent
meeting of educators in this city.
Alexander Dimitry's descendants
have inherited his intellectual qua
lities The eminent louisiana
vet lives in such worthy sons as
John Dimitry, Charles Patton Dimi-
try, Thomas D. Dimitry, writer's