Evening journal., 1913-06-16
PROF. WAGNER,
COMMISSIONER
J OF EDUCATION
Nest Chester Normal Man to
| Supervise Rural Public
8 Schools
MARKS BEGINNING
OF NEW SYSTEM

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER, Del, June 16.-Governor
Charles R. Miller today announced
Che appointment of Professor Charles
A. Wagner, of the State Normal School
ut West Chester, Pa. to be State Com
missioner of Education for Delaware.
under law passed by the recent
Legislature. He will assume his new
duties within a ew days. The office
is newly created, and the salary is
$4,000 a year. Mr.. Wagner will have
supervision over the rural public
schools of Delaware on side of in
corporated cities and towns He will
not have authority over the Whining
ton schools. which are in charge Of
the Board of Education of that city
or of the schools Of incorporated
towns of the state, but his authority
will extend over the schools in the
rural districts The appointment is for
four years, dating from Mey I
Governor Miller has considered the
appointment of a Commissioner Of
Education for two months. for the ap-
pointment is to mark the beginning Of
q new educational system for Della
ware, designed to uplifi the rural
schools and their methods. and mould
them into lines thoroughly modern.
As displeasing as II may be TO many
persons. IL has been recognized for
some time that the rural schools of
Delaware, and particularly the edu-
Cational system for the rural sec
tions have been in urgent need of inn
provement and advancement into lines
more progressive. As q result Of
careful study of conditions the state
Board of Education recommended that
the Office of State Commissioner of
Education be created. the commits
eiOner to cooperate with the board in
Improving and building up the rural
schools. The legislature passed a law
creating the office.
The Governor has been desirous Of
getting The best man available for
State Commissioner Of Education.
and had many applications sr6m
Delawareans ard also from educators
living IN other States, who desired TO
be Commissioner of Education Hc
offered the place to Everett c. John
son. of Newark, who declined IL be-
cause he did not care 10 give no his
business. While Governor Miller
made no statement as to the appoint
ment Of Professor Wagner. which
was announced for the Governor nv
Secretary Of State Thomas W Nil
- L.
came to the conclusion that under
the circumstance the greatest good
of the rural school system of educa-
tion would come from the appoint
ment as Commissioner of Education
of nonresident of recognized abil-
ity. who could bring into the State
new methods and new point Of view.
In looking about for a man for the
office Governor Miller finally decided
60 appoint Professor Wagner. Of the
West Chester Normal School, Who
was highly recommended. II vas
printed in these columns several
weeks ago th.t the Governor vas
considering seriously the appoint
ment of Professor Wagner. One Of
the men who recommended him was
Professor Claxton. National Comnus-
eiOner of Education.
Mr.. Wagner is PROFESSOR of educa-
ton at the West Chester Normal
School and has been connected with
that institution for about seven years.
where he is very highly regarded Ho
Is a graduate of West Chester Nor
NAL School and of Ursinus College,
and also was graduated from the Uni
Versity of Pennsylvania with degree
of Doctor of Philosophy. lie Is ~
years old, for ten years was superin
tendent of schools of Cheltenham. Pa
has been member Of the faculty Ci
summer schools, and has taught Ia
several educational institutions He
Is regarded as well qualified for the
NeW Office.