Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-26
DR.. J. George Becht
BY GEORGE MORRIS PHILLIPS

~ r. j. GEORGE BECHT, who
has just been appointed first
Deputy superintendent of
Public Instruction at an annual sal
airy of $500. was educated in the
public schools, and at the age of fif-
country school in Lycoming county.
He graduated from Lafayette College
in 1890, and later did graduate
work at Harvard and Columbia
Universities He has received the
degree of Doctor of Science from
Lafayette College and from Buck
nell University.
After bis graduation from Lafay-
cite, he was made assistant prin-
cipal, and later principal, of the
Lycoming County Normal School at
Muncy. In 1898 he was unanimously
elected county superintendent of
schools of Lycoming county, and
was reelected for three successive
terms without opposition, being the
only person up TO that time who had
ever been elected to a fourth term.
His work there, as everywhere that
he has ever been, was highly sue
cessful. and he became one of the
most efficient and best-known super
intendents in Pennsylvania.
In 1903 he was offered the depart
ment of psychology and pedagogy
at the West Chester State Normal
School, and accepted is. He was one
of the most popular teachers who
ever taught at West Chester, but at
the end of one year was elected
principal OF the State Normal School
at Clarion Here for eight years he
carried on this normal school most
successfully. He built it up to be
one of the most successful in the
State, the advance which it made
during his administration being re-
markable. At the end of his first
year 81 students from the several
! classes were reported to the State
! Board of Examiners. Six years
later 400 students We're presented
to this board. During his princi-
| palship, practically all of the school
buildings were remodeled, and a
new dormitory built, at a cost of
| $s5, 900.
In 1911 the newly y-organized State
! Board of Education was looking
about for the best man to become
! the executive secretary of that board.
! DR.. Becht was the first and unani-
/ AihOoo NilOlIG Vi lIllS DOdTu, anu, lOI-
tunately for the State, he accepted
the position, which he has held until
| the present time. He has been the
| inspiration of all of the forward
movements which this board has
carried through since 1911, which
means practically all the forward
movements in education in Pennsyl-
vania since that time.
Teachers Retirement
He took the first step for a teach
ers' retirement fund in PENNSYLVANIA,
and has been active on all the com
mittees for the furtherance of this
important movement, and for the
adoption of the present Teachers
Retirement System in Pennsylvania,
which is probably the very best in
the United States.
He made full reports on school
consolidation, and has done much to
forward that important movement
in Pennsylvania.
| He organized a pedagogical Ii
brary, which the State Board OF
Education has put at the service OF
teachers of the whole State. This
has been especially valuable to rural
teachers.
One of his most important works
has been the organization of a Bu-
reau of Architecture, which has pre-
pared plans of construction and re-
construction of school buildings To
the amount of sS5,000,000 during
the past seven years. The late SUI
perintendent of Public Instruction
was most anxious about the execu-
ton of the laws respecting school
buildings, as laid down in the school
code, and feared complications and
perhaps scandals, which had fol-
lowed this work in other states. DR.
Becht carried out these laws most
efficiently on a great scale and at a
surprisingly small expense to the
Commonwealth.
He managed the accumulation and
investment of the State School Fund
which has grown to more than $500,
600. Not a dollar of this fund has
been lost, and it is all wisely in
vested. When the School Code was
adopted, Pennsylvania was the only
State in the United States without a
permanent school fund. Now it has
a substantial one, which as growing
rapidly and will one day be a great
fund. The State Board of Educa-
ton is authorized and DR.. Becht has
already begun to use the income oi
this fund to equalize opportunities