The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-01
FIRST PRINCIPAL
OF HIGH SCHOOL
Picture of Prof. John p. Patterson
Will Be Placed in New Building.

Through the kindness and generosity
of Hon. p. K. Yonge, a picture of Prof.
John p. Patterson, the first principal
of the Pensacola high school has been
placed in the new high school building.
Professor Patterson was one of the
foremost educators Of his day and the
impress that he has made on the edu-
cationaI life Of the city and county is
still felt after all these years.
There are many in Pensacola who
will still remember this able. virile
man, whose ideas at the time he came
10 Pensacola were far III advance of
his time, and these, and all who are
interested in education will read with
much pleasure this splendid tribute to
his many fine qualities, written by
Hon. +. X. Yonge. so long identified
with education in Florida, and today
so ably serving as one of the trustees
from district 16:
I'm the summer of 1886 the board of
public instruction. of which had the
honor OF being a member, decided to
make Some changes in our schools.
They were of the opinion that we
needed new blood new life, new ideas.
They were convinced that our schools
were not up-to-date and concluded to
get principal FROM some northern or
western state. The schools of Cleve-
land, Ohio, were then regarded as
among the best and most up-to-d date in
the country We succeeded in getting
Prof. John p Patterson from the pub
lie schools of that city, The board was
criticized for going outside the state
for principal. There We're some who
said that we had as good teachers in
our state as could be had anywhere.
Others objected to bringing a Yankee
down here to teach US how to run our
schools The splendid results brought
about by Professor Patterson amply
justified the wisdom Of the board in
getting him. The modern ideas and
methods introduced by him into the
schools produced wonderful results and
1t was not long before those who had
opposed getting him were entirely con-
verified and admitted that his coming
had been Of great benefit to the schools.
Professor Patterson was a thor
oughly up date school man of large
experience, a fine speaker, a splendid
disciplinarian, man of ripe scholar
ship, OF high Ideals, of deep religious
convictions, of pleasing personality, of
unbounded energy and enthusiasm. He
was a great teacher. His very pres
ence was an inspiration to the teacher
to strive to attain the ideal Of what
the teacher should be; to the pupil to
himself for the highest type OF citi-
zenship. He continually emphasized
the thought that the teacher reached
the highest ideal when his life reflected
unbounded love for his calling and I'M
firing devotion to the child. His con-
slant theme was the ideal teacher and
the duty of the teacher to fit the child
TO he a good and useful citizen.
Conrad, in his magnificent address
at the laying OF the corner stone of
the high school buildinfl, described in
eloquent terms what the teacher should
be. That description brought Professor
Patterson wildly to my mind as a
striking example of that teacher.
Professor Patterson did such good
work for the high school that the
board of public instruction gave him
certain work in the city schools and
also in the country schools so that not
only the city but the country schools
felt and still feel his great influence
for good 1t is very appropriate that
his picture has been placed in the new
high school He richly deserves that
honor for the great work he did for
the city and county, the results of
which are still s.rikingly manifest He
filled the position of principal of the
high school, or as it was then called
school Number One" located on the
north side of Wright street, between
Tarragona and Guillemarde streets.
from the time he came here in Octo-
Der, 1886, to Jan. 3. 1887, when the
school was moved to the new building
on Lee Square where he continued as
principal until the end of the school
year in 1924. He then returned to
Cleveland, his old home, where he
died in January, 1895"