Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-23
HISTORY OF SCHOOLS
Public System Reviewed by
Superintendent.
HUNDRED YEARS AGO
CONDITIONS At BEGINNING oF
PAST CENTURY.
Those Who Aided in Perfecting Meth
DDS and Upbuilding Of Educa-
tional interests.

Superintendent Stuart in his review of the
public school centennial exhibition which
has attracted thousands Of visitors during
the week says:
"A chapter of great interest and value
might be written on the participation Of
men OF national repute in the development
OF JIblic education In the District Of Co
lrAnbia.
AS Is well known. Washington ardently
wishes to see national university at
Washington, and gave of his substance
toward that end
"Jefferson's keen interest In the educa-
tional future of our city. though not so
well understood, unquestionably bore inn
mediate fruit in his gift of money toward
the first free elementary school and his
active influence as president Of our first
board of education.
There is no doubt that his valuation Of
education as essential to national life and
development had been greatly enhanced
by his contact with the arts and culture Of
France, where he so long resided So the
great apostle Of the rights of the people
became at last an equally jealous champion
OF universal education.
Early Boards Of Trustees.
''The roster OF the earlier boards of trus-
tees contained such eminent names as
Robert Brent, nine times mayor Of WASH
ington, from 1902 to 1910; John Davis of
Able, Rev. Andrew T. Mccormick, who was
for nineteen years president Of the board of
trustees of the Eastern Free School; Judge
William Cranch, Daniel Rapine, John P.
Van Ness. Roger @. Weightrnan and Will
liam A. Smallwood, Peter Force, John w.
Maury, William B. Magruder, mayors of
Washington; Daniel Carroll, one OF the
original proprietors; George Watterston.
the first librarian Of Congress; George
Bfagden, John Coyle, jr., and Rev. William
Matthews, distinguished Catholic clergy
man.
Later in 1874 when the free school sys-
tenn had been In existence for nearly forty
YEARS with little to show for the earnest
lahors of successive boards Of trustees. hav-
ing an enrolment, including the Lancas-
terian School of only about 200 pupils In a
school population of 5000 William w. Sea-
ton,i one Of the editors Of the National
IHtelligencer and at the time mayor Of the
city, supported by Mr.. George j. Abbot. a
secretary to Daniel Webster and James F.
Halliday. a me- mber Of the city council.
united In a m wement which resulted In
1S45 in the rem ,deling of the school system
the city into four school districts and the
appointment of a single board OF twelve
trustees in place. of the two which had
been in existence since 1916.
'Dr. Edward Everett Hale was also asso-
ciated with this movement.
Mayor Nine Terws.
S"Mr Seaton was nine times reelected
mayor, and duing his entire term was
most assiduous in his efforts to build up
the educational interests of the city. Mr..
Abbot, for whom the Abbot School was
afterward named. probably did more to
promote reforms and to break down the
Ia hoo t1nv Np tic
day.
5 I'm this educational awakening John
Quincy Adams. Mr.. Justice Woodbury., Ca
leb Cushing and other men in public life
contributed their services In influencing
public sentiment favorably toward the bet
terment of the public schools. In later
years Prof. Joseph Henry, the great SCI
enlist and the head of the Smithsonian
Institution, was in constant touch with
those who had Mt heart the upbuilding of
the schools. Another mayor Of Washington,
Richard Walfach, who served from 1863 TO
1857, and presided as chairman ex-officio
over the meetings of the board OF trustees,
was instrumental early in his adminstra-
ton in the purchase OF the entire square
oe ground in which the school which now
bears his name was erected and which has
since furnished sites successfully for the
Towers School and the Eastern High
School. On a part of this lot was erected
in 1864 the first modern ten-room school
house in the District of Columbia, build
era of school-house construction, and which
today affords an admirable example of
school architecture.
The Franklin Unsurpassed.
'Tt was under Mayor Wallach's direction
also that another and far more pretentious
building was provided for. This was the
Franklin School, pronounced at that time
to- be unsurpassed In the country and
erected at an expense of over $500,
Mayor Waaiach's name must always be as
ISOLATED with the inauguration of the era
of improved school-house construction,
which has extended from 1864 to the pres
ent day. The distinguished educator. John
Eaton, Commissioner of Education from
March 16. 1870, to August 8. 1855, was an
other public man whose lively interest in
our local schools secured for them the
benefit of, his large experience and expert
knowledge of educational problems during
the whole of his incurnbency as the head
of the national bureau of education. In
recent years DR.. VIM. T. Harris has rem