The Washington herald., 1917-05-04
BOARD NAMES THURSTON
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the second to this motion also and II
/ was carried.
! Again the applause for Mr.. Thurstor
4 broke forth. He asked II he might say
few words. The president recognized
him.
Il want to express my very deep and
! sincere appreciation to the members ot
the board for my reelection" he said
'T want to pledge myself to give al
my strength and all my will and all
my heart to the work which I have
carried on for the last 25 years"
Again he was enthusiastically ap-
plauded.
Mrs. Margarita S. Gerry. who is be-
lieved to have voted for Mr.. Thurston
and in opposition to DR.. Van Schaick,
said every member OF the board had felt
for some time the presence Of certain
elements" but with a difference OF
emphasis.
- do not think there has ever been
time before when the president has
put all the facts before the board men,
bers and the public and sought to gain
an EXPRESSION of these divergent views, /"
she said.
by the very force Of DR.. Van Schaick' s
character he could have shifted the vote,
but he did not attempt to do that" she
said.
Vote Kept Secret.
Just how the board divided upon Mr..
Thurstons reelection may never be
known with certainty.
John B. L.arner. William T. GallIher,
Ernest H. Daniel and Mrs. Margarita s.
Gerry, however, quite openly supported
Mr.. Thurston.
% AZ -....t-s--- ,..-.h.-. NJ. e,,st-
Root Rhodes, Mrs. Coralie 2. Cook, DR..
J. Hayden Johnson and Fountain Peyton.
one, one rallied to the support of the
present superintendent.
This bitter hght has ended and Super
intendent Thurston has been reelected"
said DR.. Van Schsick in a formal state
ment when he moved that the election
be made unanimous.
He continued in part as follows:
The statement made to me repeatedly
today has been: Whichever way 1t goes
the schools are bound to suffer. with
the superintendent OF schools and the
president Of the board at odds, 1t means
confusion, division and nothing accom-
plished.'
So far as I have influence, the super
intendent and the board will work to-
gether. not to entrench anybody in office
or to weaken anybody in ONCE, but to
serve the cause OF education.
IF anybody thinks that this motion to
make the election unanimous means a
policy Of 1aissez-faire' on my part, they
need not hug that deluston. 1t means CO.
operation and advance so far as have
the power to put the meaning into it.
The board, through these trying
weeks, while this matter has beeen pend
ing, has never had its deliberations mar
red by the slightest bitterness or wran-
gle. Those who sit on this board have
felt intensely and differed widely, and
have expressed their views strongly, but
with perfect poise and good feeling.
IT trust that now we shall all be big
enough to differ as to the means and
agencies. and yet unite on the big ends
in view"
Mr. Thurston received the numerous
congratulations of his friends. Later he
went over to DR.. Van Schaick and the
two shook hands cordially.
Resolutions and communications ask
ing for Mr.. Thurston's reelection con-
tinued to pour in yesterday, even after
the board in its executive conference
had taken action. Among them were
resolutions passed by the Washington
Collegiate Alumni and the Alumni AS
sociation of Central High School
Miss Josephine Burke. a High School
teacher, thanked the board members for
their action following the announcement
OF the vote.
I'VE are under the most excellent guild
ance and are delighted to know the con-
ditions under which we will have to
work for the next three years" she said.
Mr.. Thurston's reelection becomes eff
fective for a three-year term beginning
/ July 1. 1911.