Evening star., 1924-03-19
GEN. PRATT'S RITES
WILL Be SATURDAY
Noted Indian Educator and
Army Officer Dies in San
Francisco.

Brig. Gen. Richard H Pratt, q. s
A, retired, eighty-three years old
well known Army officer, pioneer In
dian educator and resident of this
city many years, died in San Fran
cisco Saturday after a brief illness
He had recently gone from Washing
ton to San Francisco on a visit
Funeral services will be conducted
at the Church Of the Covenant Sat-
urday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Rev
DR.. Charles Wood, pastor, assisted by
Rev. Dr. Morgan. president Of Dick
inson College of Carlisle, Pa, will
ofdciate. Interment, with military
honors. will be in Arlington cemetery
Brig. Gen. Pratt was a native OF
New York. He entered the Regular
Army as a second lieutenant, 10th
cavalry, in 1867; was promoted to
hrst lieutenant several months later
and to captain in 1883. He was pro-
noted to major of the 1st Cavalry
IN 1903. From this grade he was re-
tired on February II of that wear
ana Tor his civil war service was
MADE brigadier general on the re-
tired list April %, 1904.
Founder Of Carlisle.
He was the founder Of the Carlisle
Indian Industrial School. He first
came in close personal contact with
Indians when serving from 1866 to
1867 as a captain in warfare against
the Indians in the southwestern In
dian territory and northern Texas
Wniie in command of Indian scouts
During the Indian war of 1874-75 he
had charge Of hundreds Of Indian
prisoners at Fort Sill, in the Indian
ierr1tory. Seventy-four of the worst
of these were selected and sent in
care of Pratt to the old Spanish fort
in st. Augustine, Fla, in 1875.
1t was through the industrial train
ing and educational system estab-
lished by the officer during the three
years at the fort that he first came
INTO INTO promlnence as an Indian educa-
tor. While there, he met Dr. Martin
b. Anderson. first president of the
University Of Rochester, who became
interested in Gen. Pratt's system of
Indian education and his ideas for
their future. This resulted in a
friendship between these two pioneer
Indian educators
The progress Of the Indian pupils
under Gen. Pratt at the fort and the
1arrying out of his ideas by others
several years afterWard attract ed
the attention of the government, and
n 1873 he was detailed to Indian ed
ucaiional duty by an act of Congress.
Headed School rs Years.
In 1879 he urged a large increas Sc
in the number of Indian youth to be
educated and trained, away from their
tribes. and suggested the abandoned
. military barracks at Carlisle as a
suitable place. This recommendation
was accepted and he was designated
to establish and superintend the
school. which he founded in 1879. He
remained as the head of the school
! nearly twenty-five years during
which he became the leader Of Indian
educational work I'm this country.
Since his retirement from the serv-
ice in 1903, Brig Gen. Pratt has
made his home in this city. where. as
much as his age and health would
permit, he continued his work for
i the Indians. He was a we'll known
speaker and writer in favor
of Indian citizenship and other In
dian reforms. He was a member oi
the Loyal Legion and of the Army
and Navy Club Of this city.
He is survived by his widow, Mrs
Anna l. Mason Pratt, d son, Masor
Pratt: two daughters, Mrs. f. NJ
Hawkins of Rochester. n. Y; and Mrs
Guy LIE Roy Stevick of San Francis
60. and two nieces. Mrs Chester
Pearsall and Mrs. Charles H Wells