Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-17
DIR. SCHAEFFER
DIES AFTER LONG
STATE SERVICE
One of Foremost Educators in
United States Had Been
Ill Only a Week

The death at Lancaster on Satur-
!uay night of DR.. Nathan c. Schaef-
ter for twenty-siN years Superin-
tendent of Public. Instruction of
pennsylvania, was formally an
nounced from the educational de-
partment last night. A letter was
sent to each school superintendent
IN the state and to all heads of COL
leges and normal schools. suggest
ing that because of DR.. Schaeffer's
service in behalf of education that
all sessions be suspended at the
hour of the funeral.
The funeral services will be held
az Lancaster at 8 o'clock on
Wednesday and will be attended by
the staff of the department, state of
hcials and legislators, as we'll as
many educators.
a number of messages expressing
sorrow at Or. Schaeffer's death
We're received at the department.
DR.. Schaeffer was taken i'll in this
city on Friday week ago and was
taken to Lancaster the following
day. He grew steadily worse. dying
at 9.15 Saturday night.
Besides the widow, there survive
the following children: Mrs. Frank
Williamson, Lancaster; Mrs. Annie
Album, Quakertown; John A, of
Joplin, Mos Frederick, member of
the Philadelphia bar; Grace, a
teacher at Honeybrook, Anna,
teacher at Altoona; Mary, Lancas-
ter. He was brother of Prof
William c. Schaeffer, Franklin and
Marshall College; d. Nicholas
Schaeffer. of the Reading bar; DR..
CHARLES ID. Schaeffer, head of the
Allentown Hospital; James Schaef-
fer, merchant of. Kutztown.
The Public Ledger says: Doctor
Schaeffer was Pennsylvania's lead
ing educator, and had occupied the
seat of State Superintendent OF Pub
lie Education since 1898, the longest
period that any one person has held
like position in the United States.
His learning covers the whole field
of education and he had written a
number of books which stand as
authority on their subjects"
The late superintendent was the
son of David Schaeffer and was born
February 3, 1S49, in Maxatawny
township, Berks county, educated
in MaNatawny Seminary (now Key
stone State Normal School, Kutz-
town., Franklin and Marshall Col
lege, Lancaster; Theological Semi
nary at Mercersburg, now Lancas-
ter, and the Universities of Berlin,
Tubingen and Leipsic: taught in
Mercersburg College, Franklin and
Marshall College; was for sixteen
years principal of the Keystone State
Normal School; was elected presi-
dent of the National Education AS
sociation at Asbury Park, n. j., in
1905. He served as president OF
the Pennsylvania State Teachers AS
SCciation, secretary of the National
Council of Education, president of
the department of superintendent
of the National Education Associa-
ton, president of the Pennsylvania
German Society, chancellor of the
Pennsylvania Chautauqua at Mount
Gretna from, 1901 to 1905. was a
member of the Pennsylvania Com
mission on Industrial Education and
chairman of the commission which
framed the new school code for
State Capitol building Commission.
The Philadelphia Press says:
AS an author he wrote two books
that are of unquestionable value to
educators and will live. They are
Thinking and Learning to Think
and History of Education in Penn
sylvania.' He was also a contributor
to many educational and theological
publications. AS an editor he pre-
pared Bible readings for schools,
prepared the introduction to Hunts
dale's Civil Government, Riddles
Nicholas Commenius and the Life of
Henry Harbaugh. Since 1893 he
was editor of the Pennsylvania
School Journal. He waa u man OF
sterling worth who gave to his work
the best that was in him and he
enjoyed the respect of a multitude
of friends from one end of the State
to the other"
DIR. Schaeffer was first appointed
as Superintendent of Public In
struction of Pennsylvania by Gov
ernor Robert E. Pattison in 1898, re-
appointed by Governor Hastings in
1897, by Governor Stone in 1901, by
Governor Pennypacker in 1905, by
Governor Stuart in 1909, by Cover
nor Tener in 1913 and by Governor
Brumbaugh in 1917. He was ex-
officio a member of the Pennsylvania
Dental Council, of the Bureau of
Medical Education, and licensure of
the Bureau of Professional Educa-
ton and. ex-officio president of the
State Board of Education. He was
second vice president of the board
of trustees of Franklin and Marshall
College and q member of the board
of visitors of the theological semi
nary at Lancaster. He served as
lecturer in education in the grad
uate department of the University
of Pennsylvania during the absence
of Doctor Brumbaugh as Commits
sion of Education in Porto Rico
G9OO-190D. He has lectured in
nearly every State of the Union and