Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-23
PENN CHARTER SCHOOL.
A Philadelphia Institution Ably Run
by Maine Men.

The Philadelphia Times recent.
had an interesting sketch Of Richart
Mott Jones, the head Of the famou:
Penn Charter school of that city. Mr.
Jones is native of China in this coun
ty ard is of a family famous both fol
its educators and it's men eminent il
other professions. Two others Of thu
leading teachers of the Penn Charter
School are Maine men, Frederick L
Smith and Daniel E. Owen. Both are
from York county and both are Bow
! doin men, the former in the class OF
SO and the latter in $50. Mr.. Smitl
who has been with the school II years
| is brother Of Senator Geo. H. Smitf
of York county. Here is the sketch OF
the distinguished head of the school:
| From the halls and classrooms OF
many colleges in the great centers OF
learning there are hearts that turr
back fcndly to the Old Penn Charter
School with reverence and affection fol
its wonderful headmaster, DR.. Richard
| Mott Jones. 10 William Penn, who
chartered 1t, the school owes Its origin
TO Doctor Jones, who has broadened
ard developed it into the finest prepar-
| atory school in America, an army OF
| boys owe the seeds Of their SPLENDID
| training. and whatever attachments
| they have won in the higher plane of
scholarship.
Many a person who has passed the
tall iron gate of the scnoo1 yard on
Twelfth street, during the hours of en-
ercise in the open, has seen the broad,
robust figure of Doctor Jones nlingling
with his charges at play a boy with
them in spirit, full of Zest for rugged,
| healthful sport, but never losing con-
troll over their tribute and respect for
| him as their beloved schoolmaster.
Doctor Jones among the boys is Il
leader, and the boys who have followed
his lead in their early steps carry Il
| happy memory of it through their
lives.
The Penn Charter School, so familiar
| to Philadelphians by name, is the
oldest preparatory school in America.
In reputation no other school of its
class in the country eXcelS it. 1t is
rather a singular coincidence that the
| man who has made that reputation
| for it came from the same town
in kernebec county, Maine. where
the heads of two equally famous
schools of the intermediate typs hail
from. They are DR.. Hanson, who has
| been for half a century at the head of
| the Watervlle Classical Institute, and
DR. Chadwick master of the Boston
| Latin School. With DIR. Jones, OF the
Penn Charter, they make a rather
curious and certainly distinguished
| tcin Of hn e. n
| indelible traces of their high learning
on the preparatory training of youth.
From the little kennebec village Dr.
| Jones drifted southwark, taking his
collegiate course at Haverford, on the
completion of which he spent four
years abroad; two in England study
| ing the great system of public schools
there, and two on the continent study
| ing modern languages in France and
Germany. The first steps of his peda-
gogic career were taken as headmaS-
ter of Oak Grove Seminary, in Kenne-
bee county, Maine. From there, thirty
| four years ago, he came to Phiadel-
| phia to take the leadership Of the ven
| cradle school for boys chartered by
| William Penn.
In the beginning of that task he laid
| the foundation of LIES undertaking,
which has secured to him an inefface-
able record of scholastic ability and
enterprise. and established the fame of
the Penn Charter School far and wide,
In the high conception of his work
at the start, DR.. Jones surrounds
himself with a staff of trained schol-
ars. That in itself was an innovation.
nf ri No nj,
paratory schools. One of the earliest
| accretions to his staff, teacher of
| French. was an Oxonian scholar train
ed in the literature Of both languages.
He was engaged at salary higher
than was then paid to the headmaster
Of any preparatory school in the coun-
try. This was a strong move, but Il
was the policy that DIR. Jones aimed at
establishing, and he has effectively
carried it out
Dr. Jones was leader in the intro
duction of athletics in the preparatory
school course. The motto, Sans mems
| IN corpore Sano," has always received
his full share of encouragement, and
from the beginning healthful physical
| exercises has been part of the daily
class coutine at the Penn Charter
School
The teaching methods have always
been conservative. Thorough drill in
the elements of English and Latin
and wholesome adherence to those
| old-time notions of punctuality and
| regularity are at the foundation of
the system. For the last ten years an
average of sixty boys year have gone
| up from the Penn Charter rolls to the
colleges and universities OF the coun-
try. When they are confronted by the
entrance test their path is found ia
be an easy one. Their preparatory
training has been complete and the
way is paved for them
The scholarship Of DR.. Richard Mott
Jones and the high standard of his
preparatory school have received inst