Evening star., 1911-06-04

sE,mnoria naner. His career as Q nowspa,
per man was successful. as far as y
went, but his fame as country scnooF
master spread throughout Kansas. ioI II
1884 ana In 1887 he was q school prfncfpa
in Ackwood. Kan.
succeeding years saw him step hfgne1
and higher In the schools or quincy. Lii
coin and Topeka In this latter scnoo
system he came into contact with the ne
sro school problem. which. 1t Is psneVeo
Will be OF benefit to him in his duties IN
the District of Columbia He was su
pertntendent in Topeka from 1S92 until
1904. Since 1904 he has been ,ha as tne heae
On looking up his record and ao1Ht.
members of the board OF education nav
received word from educational experI
that Mr.. Davidson is probably the vefJ
hest man in the whole United States q
step into the position at the head OF the
Washington schools in the event OF MI
Stuarts stepping out.
Lecturer and Institute Worker.
In addition to tho work Mr.. Davidson
has done as a public educator, he has beer
a lecturer and an institute worker, and
has made progress into the pursuit OF the
scientific study Of education. He is
member OF prominent clubs In Omaha
He IL an author Of the history OF the
United States. and has edited series OF
classics Tor ScnOOl rea0lnS.
It has been only within the last week
that Mr.. Davidson has been talked OF
with any assurance that he would be Sc
lected. Previously many other men OF
experience in public education had peen
discussed The local field was cast aside
early in the discussion The members Of
the board OF education felt that no one
In the District Is able to cope with the
problems of the double school system ano
tho growing high school system. II MI.
- ,, ,ic
Men who have been in the school sys-
tenn here and who have gone out to other
fields have been considered. Some OF
these were clasSed as not OF the requisite
ability Others would not come here for
the money offered One Of the dark
horses" was Calvin Kendall Of Indian
apolis Eighteen months ago he was In
this city talking with members of the
board. and has been keeping in touch
with the situation ever since At present
there Is a rumor that he will be made
the next commissioner of education, and
Is not seeking a position as the head OF
a school system.
Up to last week there was every
chance that. should Mr.. Stuart ask to
be relieved Of his duties, a Philadelphia
man would be asked to take the posi-
ton. At the same time. Mr.. Davidson
was looming stronger on the horizon
Stuart's Conceded Success.
When Mr. Stuart becomes supervisor
OF intermediate instruction he will take
up familiar duties It was In the
graded schools OF this city that Mr..
Stuart won the love and confidence Of
teachers and pupils. Today the mem-
bers of the board Of education will say
that the graded schools present little
or no trouble, and that they are built
upon the firm foundation laid by Mr..
Stuart in his years Of effort In the
The big problems Of the present day
in the schools lie in the high schools.
1t is declared, which are growing, and
in the colored schools 1t fs an open
sistant superintendent and in charge OF
high school work, had daily troubles
with the administration of these higher
institutions of public education.
1t is the cost Of the high schools which
has worried some of the stanchest sup
porters of the boards policy. The double
system Of education made necessary by
the segregation of races in the District
presents an educational and administra-
tive problem which has an equal in very
few cities Of the country. fractional diff
ferences in the colored schools have al
ways given the superintendent problems
to solve, and these are only suggestions
OF the novelties of the situation which
will meet Mr.. Davidson, who has had no
experience. and little knowledge OF WASH
ington conditions.
Educated in Washington.
One Of the remarkable things about
Alexander T. Stuart Ii that his career
IS so linked with the public schools Of
Washington that the personal history
Of the man is hardly distinguishable
from the story of the growth Of the
school system. He went to school in
Washington from the day he first stepped
up TO his teacher in the first grade and
registered his name. When he left the
public schools he continued his education
in Washington. for he entered Columbian
University and graduated at the end Of
four successful years Thirty-fve years
later his alma mater bestowed upon
him the honorary degree Of master OF
arts.
From college he went back to the pub
lie schools as teacher. He was placed in
charge OF the seventh grade in the Frank
lin School. in the same building where he
now sits daily passing on the problems,
big and little. of the little boys and girls
Of the grades and the big boys and girls
of the high schools, and where he directs
OF 1.s0O instructors For a year or two
in his early career he left the schools
to- work for the Y. NJ. c. A. but that
were mere digression. for he came back
to the schools in 1877.
E Achieves Popularity.
There never was a man better known
or better loved than A. T. Stuart when
he was principal on Capitol Hill and su-
pervisor of that division from 1877 to 1890
He knew nearly every scholar by name.
and remembers nearly all of them to this
day. 1t was this close. personal touch
with the pupils and the everyday deal
ings with the teachers which made him
the expert that he is on graded school
matters. lie followed w. B. Powell as
superintendent, but made a record which
stands above nearly every other achieve
ment as director of intermediate instruc-
ZION.
In the strenuous days, now termed
under the general head Of "the Chan
ceilor episode" Mr.. Stuart offered to
take any position which the board saw
lit 10 give him. After Mr. Chancellor
was dropped from the head Of the
schools several years ago the board, at
a midnight meeting, chose Mr.. StHAFt
again as superintendent. They elected
him unanimously and begged him to
take the position.
When that temporary term came to an
end they elected him again He was
chosen without ripple Of excitement
last January for the years of 1911, 1919
and 1913 The offer to go back to the
work in which tens OF thousands of pu-
pills now grown up received their first
instruction comes entirely as a yolun-
tary act on his part
Statement BY DAY
AS TO PORTRAIT CASE