Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-20
BY GEORGE III. DACY.

HREE nl2n SCnOOl DdlhS III lHe
District of Columbia which are
operated exclusively by selected
students of the commercial
courses at Business. Central and
Eastern high, doing an aggregate
business of more than 100000
year. are excelled by no similar asso-
citation of private financial establish
ments in the country.
The inception Of the high school
bank idea was sponsored by Allan
Davis. principal of Business High
School who some dozen years ago
devised the scheme as an efficient
supplement to the commercial and
business practice courses of instruc-
ton.
Sensing the possibility that the
school boy bank which he had in
mind might in some way or other
ayioIate the articles and ethics of
Uncle Sans carefully formulated
banking laws, Mr.. Davis communi-
Gated with A. ]. Fowler. who at that
time was acting United States con-
troller The reply in substance was
to the effect that although the con-
troller of currency has supervision
over all national banks. savings
banks, savings companies, trust COM
panies or other banking institutions
organized by any act of Congress to
do business in the District of Column
bia, or organized by virtue of the
laws of any state and having an
Office or banking house. located in the
city of Washington where deposits
are received, Uncle Sam has no spe-
no rariI- re
banking institutions that are not
subject to the banking laws in force
in the District of Columbia.
The proposed high school bank. in
q word. was to be 4 private mutual
savings affair. and as such did not
in any way violate any banking legis-
Iation that governed the operation of
financial establishments. 1t was es-
tablished in order to train the pupils
in the handling of actual money and
in conducting actual business trans
actions, and 20 inculcate in the high
school students habits of thrift and
economy.
The school bank was also to serve
rs check upon the collection and ex-
penditure of athletic, dramatic and
school paper funds and other finan-
cial enterprises of the institution. 1t
was designed not only as a training
place for the future wizards of the
District Of Columbia banking world,
hut also as an establishment wherein
the commercial students could assimi
late the A-to-izzard of general bust
ness transactions such as they would
meet with potentially, irrespective of
what line of commerce. trade or in
dastry they elected to follow.
X x =;
ONCE the. inception of the Juvenile
y banking establishment-the first
, of it's exact nature organized in the
United States-at Business High
School under the active supervision
of Mr.. Davis and Charles Hart, now
the principal of Eastern High School
in 1911 he was the director of the
business-practice department of Bust
ness High School-marked progress
has been. made in the graduation of
full-fedged amateur bankers from
that institution.
Approximately 15e graduates of
Business High School have been thor
oughly trained in the intricacies OF
banking and high finance, and the
MAJORITY u tHSIl iio" iioiu iCSpohoi-
Bile positions in the Washington bust
ness world.
Allan Davis states that he had
never entered any Washington bank
where he could not be imm ediately
recognized and identified by one of
his former pupils. The District bank
ing institutions and the Washington
business firtus are always glad to en-
l,Ioy the Boys and girls who have
been so carefully. trained during their
school days in the handling of large
sums. of money and the all-round
complexities associated with modern
business transactions.
Business High School operates
specialized employment department,
and through the corporation of the
..:nni of the Institution, good posi-
lions ere secured for the graduates
of the various departments when they
complete their school work and de-
sire to engage in business.
The branch school banks that sub
sequently were established at Central
and Eastern High schools after Bust
ness had perfected her project and
developed it into one of the most Sue
cessful innovations ever annexed TO
>he Washington interscholastic world,