Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-18
|DR. VAN SCHA|CK
MAKES STATEMENT
President of Board of Educa-
ton Writes Regarding
Fellow Members.

| The following statement relative to
| the presidency of the board of edu-
! cation, to which he was recently
| elected has been received by The
Star from Rev. DR.. John Van Schaick.
! jr.. written at CobleskiN. n. Y:
! Il wish to say a word about Mr..
! George L. Hamilton, who has been
! president of the board of education
and acting president during the past
two years.
1T would be an impertinence for
me to defend Mr.. Hamilton in the
National Capital. He is SO widely
! known and has been SO signally hon
ored at the bar and in business that
his position is assured.
I'm connection with the board of
education. | happen to be in a po-
sition to know that Mr.. Hamilton
| went on the board at great per-
sonal sacrifice. with reluctance when
he considered other obligations rest
| ing upon him and from "A high sense
! of public duty.
| of him and every other member
! of the board it can be said with abso-
! lutte and literal truth that they have
| never sought any office in the gift
of the board. The only exception to
that statement is when l voted for
| myself for resident in 1916 and was
/ elected. ) to 4.
! at can also be said of each and
! every member. and of nobody more
| than Mr.. Hamilton, that not one act
since | have been on the board has
! been colored in the slightest by party
or creed.
Since public feeling has run high
over the Wood case and over the
Bruce case, several members of the
board have been misunderstood and
isjudged.
1T would be hard to find in Wash
n @, neOnlp SNm-
pathetic with teachers and more anx-
iouS to dignity the profession tnan
my collea CUES on the board of educa-
ton. And before the Wood case came
up Mr.. Hamilton brought forward in
the board plan to give teachers a
better chance to express their opin-
ions and to help shape educational
policy in the District.
Il say these things simply in the in
terest of fair play. ! will not reopen
matters done by the board in my alb
sence or criticise them whether L
agree with them or not When they
come up again. or any matter comes
up | shall be ready to bring the best
thought | have to bear upon them.
conservative Washington is less
conservative than some peopie 'hii,h'
and radical Washington is less radl :
cal than other people think. In school
matters, it is good opportunity to
nut our theories of cooperation INTO
practice l intend to try.
! THE officers of the various teachers
unions may not take 1t as a compii :
mant. but l say it with genuine ad-
miration for them, that they are Veri
much the same kind of people that !
find among my colleagues on the
board. We are going to get bette
acquainted. ,.o.,
II am very sorry that I was elected
president of the board. 1t is an honor
but T think l can do better work for
the schools as a private. But how
ever we settle that. the citizens OF
Washington can be sure that the
board of education is going to do the
hest in it for the schools OF WASH
ington.
against me or my running against
him for president of the board. 1t
couldn't possibly happen, for neither
of us want office"