Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-01
QUIT SCHOOL BOARD;
TOO OLD, THEY SAY
Henry r. sdmunds and John S.
jerks Resign From Body :
Because of Age
NO ORGANIZATION FRICTION


Whether the charge Of senility
brought against the board of education !
by DIR. Lightner Wilmer last spring 4.
having its effect now is not being dis.
cussed by members Of the board gen.
orally. But Henry X. Edmunds aud
John Story jerks. whose resirpatjons
nave been received by the board Of
Judges. give as their only reasons for
rcsigning that they are eighty wears old.
Mr.. Edmunds, who has been a ,n.,n-
Der of the board thirty wears and served
as its president for fifteen years. sn;d
ne tnougnt ms work with the body was (
enaed hs term does not expire till
io2l, and his resignation takes, effect
Immediately. Mr.. jerks is Just COM
pieting his first term on the board.
nave done lot of work with the
BOARD In the last thirty years. Mr.. Ed
munds said today. -
I've been trying to mske up
my mind to resign for long time
but lacked the courage. ] realize the
work OF the board of education this
year is heavier than it has ever been in
the history Of this city nnd II win take
much concentration. thought and
energy to accomplish the thugs that
need to be done I believe the mem
bcrs OF the board have done nll that
they could during the war. but war con-
ditions have held up many things and
now the board must make up for lost
time"
No Trouble Among Members
Mr.. Edmunds said there was no trou-
BILE among the hoard members that he
knew of, that he was resigning merely
because he wished to retire.
81 need no doctor to tell me that 7
am getting old he said, ''But at
that 7 am not the senior member Of the
board. as some of the morning papers
said.
John Wanamaker. in his eighty.
second year, is the Oldest member Of
the board. David II. Lane is eighty
one. Simon Gratz. vice president. who
| is the Oldest in point of service, having
been member for fifty years, is in his
| cightieth year. John Story jerks 10
eighty: Thomas Shallcross is seventy
eight: Dinner Beeber. sixty six;
Thomas s. Boyle, fifty; Joseph Cath
arinc. sixty one: A. ID. Harrington.
sixty two; DR.. Edward Martin. sixty;
William Rowen, sixty nine; Franklin
Smedley. sixty three; Walter George
Smith. sixty six. and Edwin Wolf,
president. is in his sixty fifth year.
The average age sof the boRrd mem
bcrs Is sixty eight years and six months.
| All but two are more than sixty. M
~ am not really resigaing," said Mr..
jerks today. my term expires next
month and have merely made known
the fact that do not wish to be re
/ appointed. The reason. which l con-
slider sufficient. is that I shall soon be
eighty years old. i think il would be
4 foolish for me to consider serving an
| other term at my age. If were young
er would be very happy to serve as
my relations with the board have been
most pleasant
! Mr.. jerks denied that the board ss
whole needed TO be reorganized or
! that age itself made man inefficient.
Old Men Effective, lie Says
Simon (iratz. who is year younger
, than /. is the most valuable member the
1 board has," he declared. "He, as well
as other men on the board who are past
sixty five. the age set by Doctor Wit
mer as the limit. are doing splendid
work. They are interested, active and
| efficient
The board of judges of the Court of
| Common Pleas will consider the resig-.
| nations of the two Board of Educa-
| ton members at its regular meeting at