Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-03
HIGH PRAISE FOR
ITTNER SCHOOLS
Steel Town Has Tried Revolu-
tionary Educational Expert
ments With Success

Gary, the great steel town not many
miles from Chicago. established some
years ago by the United States Steel
Corporation. is interesting to Harris
| burg because of the increasingly i'm
portant relation to similar proXim-
ity
Gary is also interesting because in
it have been tried educational expert
ments of the most revolutionary and
| far-reaching character. William Writ
the superintendent of the Gary public
schools, has worked out plans for
school operation which have been found
so significant and important that the
city of New York has retained him to
! put into trial effect some OF the same
methods, looking toward an eventual
change.
Humanitarian Methods
Mr.. Wirt's methods are distinctly hu-
manitarian. To accomplish them he
required schoolbuildings of the high
est utility. That is, the old-fashion-
ed and ordinary school such as has
characterized Harrisburg for genera
tions, could not have been used for the
Gary work. 1t was natural, therefore,
! that Mr.. Writ should turn to the man
who has made St. Louis famous by
reason of the quality of its school
buildings, and ask him to design the
Gary schools.
1t ought to be explained that in such
| schools as are operated under Mr..
| Wirt's methods outside appearance is
| of far less Importance than economy
Nf 1afn ~ ny on
! perfection of heating and ventilation,
and the broadest possible provision for
| the welfare of the scholars.
1t was this sort of schools that Mr..
| Writ found in st. Louis, and the Board
| of Education in that city therefore ar
/ ranged with william B. Ittner to de-
sign it's new schools nine years ago
and\h has continued since in a close
! relation to these schools.
March Is, 1917.
Mr.. ]. Horace MacFarland,
Municipal League of Harrisburg,
| y Harrisburg, Pa:
| Dear Sir
Mr.. Ittner's work in Gary has
been entirely satisfactory during
the entire time of his employment,
extending over the past nine years.
lie has initiative and is eXcep-
tionally resourceful in suggestions
as we'll as carrying out the pur-
school system have in ming in the
construction of the building.
Sincerely yours,
WILLIAM WRIT,
Supt. of Schools.
Making Additional Plans
The telegram below from George M
Hunter, president OF the Gary Schoo
Board, shows that not only has Mr.. lit
ner been employed for nine years, bu
is now working on plans for two ad
ditional buildings.
That Harrisburg has not had the bes
in educational facilities is well known
That It ought to have, all would agree
That it can have, If advantage is takel
of the experience of other cities, i
certain Schools of as good qualit!
as is the filtration and park work AM
paving and general engineering o
Harrisburg are due the people. Thes
schools can be had upon expert ad
vice. They cannot be had by a con
tinuance of the methods under whic
our schools have not attained the et
ficieney due to our people.
The special committee of the Schoo
Board has acted wisely in recommend
ing for the carrying out of the neN
program the school architect who's
work has been found so exceedingl
satisfactory in many American citie!
February 8, 1917.
A. C. Stamm,
President. Board of Education,
Harrisburg, Pa.
Mr.. Ittner has been architect for
Gary the past nine years, and at
present is completing plans for
two additional buildings. Consider
him one of the best school archi-
tects in the country.
GEORGE NJ. HUNTER,
President Gary School Board.