Evening star., 1909-05-17
A FITTING MEMORIAL
Dedication of the LuCretia
:; Mott School.
LOCAL OFFICIALS HEARD
4
Structure Pronounced Most Modern
+; School in District.
=,
ADDRESS BY MRS. TERRELL
:, Discusses Life and Work of the
- Woman After Whom the New
- Building Has Been Named.

Leading officials of the District govern
,ment and OF the schools participated to-
day in the ceremonies attending the dedi-
ncation of the new Lucretia Mott School
building, at 4th and W streets.
Present at the ceremonies were several
hundred pupils of the school, many of
them parents: large delegation repre-
senting the Howard Park Citizens Asso-
.siation and others interested in the public
schools of the National Capital.
The dedication exercises continued from
] 80 to 3 o'clock this afternoon, and were
held in the assembly room OF the new
structure. Capt James f. Oyster, presi-
dent of the board of education, presided.
The exercises opened with the singing of
America by the pupils Of the school
and with an invocation by Rev. j. Milton
.Waldron, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church..
80 Congratulations were extended by w. V.
Cox, vice president of the board of edu-
'tation. and Supt. A. T. Stuart made an
address on The New Schoolhouse. DIR.
1 Nv. Y. Tunnel. representing the Howard
Park Citizens Association, made an ad-
dress felicitating the community on the
completion of the new school structure.
his subject being The School and the
Community.
-. huQfeSS ny IuIS. ASA1clt.
'.-rhe Life and Work of Lucretia Mott"
was the subject of an interesting address
by Mrs. Mary Church Terrell, member
Of The board of education. The Mott. 1t
was pointed out, is one of the few school
buildings in the city named after wom-
an and a former school teacher. Follow
ing a picture of Lucretfa Mott was pre-
scented to the school by Rev. d. E. Wise
/; sZens Association.
The Next Appropriation Bill was the
subject of a short address by Richard r.
..sHorner, another member of the school
board: and he was followed by Commits
sioner H. 3. F. MacfarIand, who spoke
Hopefully of "The Future" The benedic-
-tion was pronounced by Rev. s. n. Brown,
pastor OF the Lincoln Temple Congrega-
5EonaF Church.
Several musical selections were also on
the program. Miss Lola johnson played
a May Day." by Walthew, and F. Weir
played Mendelsohn's "Andante. After
the exercises the school pupils. under the
direction cf Prof. j. T. Layton, sang THE
Battle Hymn of the Republic"
- In presenting congratulations. Mr.. Cox
pronounced the 1ott building 1.-The most
complete and up-to-date public school
building in the District of Columbia He
told of the efforts of the board of educa-
, ton to obtain the necessary appropriation
for the structure. and declared that the
:. board would endeavor to have proficient
, teachers prepare receptive pupils to pass
out OF these doors fundamentally equip
ped for what awaits them beyond
. Aim of the School Board.
II want to ssure those present. he de-
clared. what you so well know, and that
Is that what this board wants is not ap-
Ilause. what 1t wants is not popularity
what 1t wants is not sentiment; what it
/ u m & haS sod
merit. practical business machine, that
j works day and night for the education of
+. the children: public schools that perform
their mission by producing intelligent citi-
F, zenship. the hope of free government. This
board is exact and demands good service
and obedience to the laws and its rules.
Its endeavor is to be fair alike to tax
payers. patrons and employees. 1t is not
unnecessarily inhumane. as shown by the
bill to retire teachers after long and faith
/. full service and for disability. The Co1IA
missioners have promised their support to
, the bill, an1sSe want yours If we are to
: secure this beneficent legislation, which
will do more for the uplfft of the schools
ftitan any measure thus far proposed and
with little cost to the taxpayer.
Mr. President, let it be understood we
have no axes to grind. s!e have no ene-
mics to punish and no friends or rela-
tives to award. We have no favors to
f, ask w 18th us the thankleSS task of look
ing after the welfare of $4,000 children
the men and women OF tomorrow, is a
solemn duty"
Work of Lucretia Mott.
Mrs. Terrell confined her remarks to an
Appreciation of Lucretia Mott Mrs
Terrell went back in history 40 years
ind f.io tured little girl of six years
tofsage living on the Island of Nantucket,
whose name was Lucretia Coffin. When
Iucretia Coffin married her name became
Mott. Mrs. Terrell referred briefly to
Iucretia Cofffn's grandparents, who she
said, were among the number who bought
efe Island Of Nantucket from the Indians.
6n 1!sr mothers side Iucretia was de-
~seended from the family II which Benja-
min FRANKLIN belonged. and on her faith
-sTS side Isucretia came from family
/! of honest. strong, God-fearing Quakers,
IL When Lucretia was eleven years old
+, her parents moved to Boston, where she
attended the public schools. At the age
!, of thirteen she was sent to a private
school in New York Two years after
, this, when she was only fifteen years old,
she had advanced so rapidly I'm her
studies that she was appointed by the
! authorities te be teacher in this school
When she was eighteen years old she
married James Mott, who had taught in
ssIIe school with herself Soon after their
b. positions as teachers and went to Phila-
delphia to live, where James Mott en-
gagged III business. About this time the
war of 1872 broke out, which seriously
s injured business all over the Unit ed
States. In the meantime Lucretia's s father
i died and left her mother with five chill
hren To support In order to help her
husband and her mother Mrs. Mott be-
gan 10 teach school again. When she
was twenty-five she entered upon the
ministry In the Society of Friends.
:. But I.ucretia Mott shines more bril-
.liantly In the galaxy of the good and
great" Mrs. Terrell said. because of her
work as an abolitionist and her efforts to
, improve the condition of woman than be-
cause of anything else she did In her long
and useful career. Together with WIZ
liam Lloyd Garrison. Benjamin Lundy
John Greenleaf Whittier the poet and
Others James and Lucretia Mott formed
The American AntiSlavery Society in
ds:;;::, %
Example to Emulate.
= After rapidly sketching Mrs. Mott's $
fight against slavery and her career as a
friend of peace Mrs TerrelI said in