Newark post., 1910-10-12

until long after the Revolution that
higher public schools were established
1t was necessary that private schools
be built to answer the needs oi the
citizens. These private schools were
oi course pay schools and they were
gcncrG.ly known as Academies
y number OF these Academies were
organized and partially supported by
churches, funds being raised by yearly
congregational collections. A board
OF trustees were appointed whose duty
IT was to examine the masters work,
disEurse the funds. and have superin-
tendence over the school. These
academies were usually patronized
only by the sect which established and
supported them
Sometimes the State would allow
lotteries, the proceeds OF which were
to be used for these schools. The
Mlddletown Academy was bui; with
moncy raised i'll this way. And our
own Academy at Newark was several
times aided hy lotteries. Other
Academies were built and supported
by pubic spirited men N the commun-
ity where the school seemed neces-
stances furnish the land for the
schools. but on the whole the support
came from private enterprise and gen
erosty
There was no Academy in Delaware
where more comprehensive cduca-
ton could be obtained than at that
n Dover. Here special advantages
were provided for students and ad-
vanccd courses in Greek, Latin and
Mathematics were given by able and
well trained instructors.
OF all the old Academies of our
State. that at Newark grew to be OF
great Importance. 1t is interesting
to us not only because it was in our
own home town and is the ste oi our
present High School. but because it
was one of the first secondary schools
in the land. Its origin may be traced
to the year 1898 When this school
was established its founders little
thought that they were setting in mo-
ton the educational current that gave
Delaware a college
he next important Academy to be
established was the Wilmington Acad-
emy founded in 1865. The first event
of Importance we hear from this in
stitutlon was its action at the out
brea kof the Revolution Its princi-
pal, Robert Patterson. trained his boys
i'll military tactics and at the outbreak
OF the war carried many OF them with
him into the Continental army. The
school was closed but was reopened
at the end OF the war
Another Academy OF interest was
bot ,G he II l.. -
that Lcwes took the lead in establish
ing schools. Tradition tells us that
: she had the first girls school in the
State and was the first to employ fe-
male teachers. The Lewes Academy
had an excellent reputation and en-
/ rolled many pupils from a distance
Middletown. Delaware CitN New
Castle, Georgetown, Smyrna. FELTON,
| Milford all had Academies OF later
origin
The courses OF the Acao mics were
modelled after those OF the English
and Scottish Grammar schools OF the
, same period. As the rate schools were
very poor and the masters lily pre-
| pared to teach, thc Academy really
| had two schools, an elementary school
/ III which the fundan, entail or common
school studies were taught and a
higher school in which the classics,
mathematics, Latin, Greek and logic
were the principal studies. The in
structors were almost without excep.
tion well trained students and men
who. held learning in high reverence
The school made little endeavor to
interest the pupil; although the work
OF the course was in many respects
dry and hard, and out OF harmony with
the prospective occupations OF the
pupils. no concessions were made The
mental discipline OF the Academy
course was undoubtedly OF great value.
The moral discipline was equally stern
| and rigid. and not so cruel as that ex-
crcised in the English grammar
schools
The tuition fees required from the
students seem small, but IN their day
they were sufficient to exclude the
greater part of the young people from