Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-16
DIRECTORS MEETING
MANASSAS INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
BOARD IN SESSION.
Addresses by DR.. Edward Everett Hale,
Mrs. Mussey, Mr.. s. r. Bond
and Others.

DR.. Edward Everett Hale, chaplain of the
United States Senate, addressed the
friends and members of the board of d.
rectors Of the Manassas Industrial School
for Colored Youths at 4:3O pm. yesterday
in the chapel of All Souls Church, 14th and
L streets northwest. He told of his recent
visit to the school and of his pleasure in
seeing the institution which he and his
Boston friends have aided since its start in
1891. He spoke particularly Of the brave
and self-sacrificing spirit shown by its
founder, Jennie Dean, and stated that the
school, being an effort Of the colored peo-
pie led by her, to help themselves, made it
a peculiarly interesting institution. Moth
ing, said DIR. Hale, pleased him more in
visiting the school than to find that the
teachers are all cOlored, and to observe
that, they work with the fine, earnest spirit
that Jennie Dean seems to inspire in all
her co-workers.
From his experience the speaker gave the
board advice and outlined broader de-
velopment of the institution.
Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey and Mr.. Sam
uel r. Bond also spoke of the benefits and
advantages the school affords to the needy
country colored children, the class it is
designed to help.
Origin Of the School
1t was noted that when Jennie Dean went
north on her first trip as financial agent of
the Manassas school, DR.. Edward Everett
Hale was among her first friends. He saw
at once she was deeply in earnest and inn
PEELED by zeal to benefit her peOple-the
ex-slave children of the Bull Run region
He issued a circular from his Office ex-
pressing his confidence in her work and So
Letting financial aid toward it in April,
1891 In June she returned home with the
81 500 she had asked for as part payment
on the farm selected, which Is one mile
from Manassas, and on which three fine
buildings now stand. From that time, 1891.
until the present. DIR. Hale and his Bos-
ton and New York friends. have been the
unfailing champions of Jennie Dean and
her school and have given thousands Of
dollars toward carrying on the work.
Fffty-two years agO-in 1S52-Dr. Hale
aided the first colored school of any note
south of Mason and Dixons line - that
founded by Myrtilla Miner of New York,
and taught by her until her death in 1884,
and known as the Miner Institution for the
Education of Colored Youth. Miss Miner
located her school here in the District as
the farthest point south colored school
could be then located-it being against the
law to educate negroes In the slave states.
Miss Miner was an educated and refined
white woman, who had lived in the far
south as governess to planters children.
While there she decided that the ignorant
colored children needed her teaching more
and she went north to get money to start
a school to carry out her ideas. She went
to Boston and DIR. Hale entertained her in
his home and aided her in making her col
lections.
knowing the struggle Miss Miners school
had for existence half century ago, it is
peculiarly gratifying to DR.. Hale today to
see fiourishing colored school in the old
slave state of Virginia on the plains of
Manassas, as exemplified by the Manassas
school.