Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-04
CRAFT HEADS HIGH SCHOOL
Rockford, NJ. Man Unanimously
Elected by Members Of Board.
ONLY ONE MAN IS VOTED OF
New Principal Comes Highly Recon-
mended by Educators and
school Men in Central
West.

E U. Graft. principal Of the Rockford,
ILL.,, High school, will be the next principal
Of the Omaha High school He was unani-
mously elected Wednesday afternoon by
the Board of Education sitting in special
session.
The nomination Of Principal Graft was
made by the committee on high school mat
ters, no other name being presented to the
board. The vote was taken by ballot
Following the election superintendent
Davidson read a number of letters from
prominent people who recommended the
Rockford man in the highest terms. Among
these we're letters from H. E. Deemer of
Red Oak, Ia, one Of the justices of the
Iowa supreme court; o. ]. Kern Of Rock
ford, ILL., Superintendent of the schools of
winnebago county. and an author Of an
acknowledged work in agriculture; DR..
John w. Cook, president of the Illinois
State Normal school at DeKalk; H. A.
HOLSTER Of Urbana, III. high school visitor
for the state Of Illinois, and John A. Keith,
president Of the Wisconsin, State Normal
school at Oshkosh.
Others in the Race.
Among other educators who have been
| considered for the place, some Of whom are
not applicants, however, are ]. F. Woolery,
! assistant principal OF the Omaha High
school; Frederick W. Sanders, principal OF
the Lincoln High school, E. L. Rouse,
principal of the training department in the
| State Normal school at Peru; T. w.
Butcher, president of the Oklahoma State
Normal at Edmond; f. B. Sherman OF the
Boys Industrial school at Kearney; r. D.
Merritt, superintendent of schools at
Waterloo, Ia; r. w. Pringle. principal OF
the high school at Appleton. Wis, and
George H. Thomas, superintendent OF
schools at McCook. Neb.
! Superintendent Davidson recently made
a weeks trip east and south for the pur-
pose of looking up educators and inspect
imp the work done with the idea of securing
| the best possible man for the place In
Omaha. A number Of school men were In
vited by him to come TO Omaha and talk
with the Board of Education.
Mr Graft visited Omaha about a weel
ago and talked with the late Dr. w. H
| Christie. chairman of the committee or
high school matters in the board. and the
doctor expressed his intention to recon
mend him for the position left vacant bS
the resignation Of Principal A. H. Water
| house. w. B. Christie, member of Tho
board, and who is confined to his hoem by
illness. was also favoraply impressed b,
him. He visited Omaha again Tuesday an(
met President Cole ard Members Kenned,
and Kennard who were out of the city a
the time OF his first visit.
The new principal is a young man, beinI
but S5 years old. He is a graduate Of LAX
Forest university at Lake Forest, ILL.,, AM
has taken advanced work at Chicago uni
versty. He was principal of the hisl
school at Red OAK Ia, three years; prin
cipal for the same length of time at Mar
shalltown, Ia. and is row completing hi
fourth year as principal of the high schoo
at Rockford. In the latter place he ha
had thirty-five teachers under him.
Mr.. Graft is married and has two chill
dren.
Principal A. H. Waterhouse closes hi
work in Omaha July and will so to Ere
mont where he has accepted the superin
tendency of the city schools. The facult!
of the high school will give him a farewell
reception Friday evening at the home o
Miss Kate McHugh, first vice principal o
the high school. at her home at 2OS3 Dodg
street.