Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-11
|5OTH ANNIVERSARY
OF SCHOOL MARKED
Graduates Join in Celebration
Held on Playground
of Peabody.

A half century of service Of the Pea
body School, Fifth and c streets north
east, was recalled at celebration OF
the f1ftieth anniversary of its found
ing under the auspices Of the Stanton
Park Citizens Association last night.
District Commissioners, school officials
and other prominent citizens were
among the speakers.
The celebration was held in the
school Fairgrounds. Five hundred
chairs were occupied and much of the
standing room taken as citizens OF the
community crowded into the play
grounds.
The late George Peabody, philanthro-
pist for whom the school was named,
was praised in an address by Commits
sioner Proctor L. Dougherty, while Com
missioner William B. Ladue touched
upon the progress made in school oper-
alton.
Stephen E. Kramer first assistant
superintendent of schools. in brief
address declared the Peabody was the
first regular school" he ever attended.
He told of being in the sixth grade
there and later teaching in the same
building.
History Is Recalled.
A history of the school, from the DAYS
when it was surrounded with dirt
streets. down to the present time, was
given by Mrs. Lula Mentally Cain, who
was pupil and later taught there.
Recalling that all of the old-fashioned
circus parades used to pass the school,
Mrs. Cain said in the days before they
had a telephone a boy used to be sent
out on a bicycle that he might ride
swiftly back to herald the approaching
Il h.. iy1 {Nran fnr
teachers and pupils to get ready to wit
ness it. Later, she said. after tele-
phone was installed, the late Commits
sioner Oyster used to phone the school
notifying the teachers of approaching
parades.
DR.. George c. Havenner, president of
the Federation of Citizens Associations,
delivered an address felicitating the
community on the celebration. Other
speakers were Henry Gilligan and Mrs
Philip Sidney Smith. members of the
Board of Education; Robert L. Haycock
assistant superintendent of schools;
Miss M. j. Watts. assistant principal OF
Eastern High School; Miss Adelaide
Davis. supervising principal of public
schools; c. j. Schwartz, principal OF
the Stuart Junior High School, and
Miss M. Gertrude Young principal OF
the Peabody School.
The program was opened with selec-
lions by the Eastern High School Band
followed by invocation by Rev. DR.. AL
fred E. Barrows, pastor of Eastern Pres
byterian Church. The presentation OF
colors by Miss Frances Hall Gregory
daughter of A. II. Gregory, president
of the Stanton Park Citizens Associa-
ton, came next. The latter was fol-
lowed by the singing of The Star
Spangled Banner" by the assemblage
accompanied by the Eastern High School
Band. An address of welcome was de-
livered by Mr.. Gregory, the associa-
tons president.
Otht features Of the program in
cluded vocal selections by the Singing
Mothers of the Parent Teacher Associa-
ton, attired in costumes of so years
ago; vocal selections by a male quartet
composed of Paul fuller, director; DR.
Sterlin" Bockoven, Nathan Clark anC
Harry Mockbee, accompanied by Ger
trude Smallwood Mockbee, and a eu-
phonium solo, by A. r. Grosskurth.
J.. Harry Howell, the first president
OF the Stanton Park Citizens AsSocia-
ton, and Past President Harry N
Stull, were introduced by the presi-
dent. S. B. Frantz, who also has
served as president of the association
was unable to attend.
Among the high lights in the history
Of the Peabody School, brought out al
last nights meeting, are that it was
built in the year 1879 at a cost OF
S38, $50, in addition to the cost OF
S2l 300 for the school site. The schoo
was first known as the "LEnfant
School," but the name was changed
due to the difficulty of pronunciation
after which the school was named after
MI Peabody.
The school was used as the Eastern
High School during 1890-l892. 1t was
used to house veterans Of the Civil War
during the encampment of the Crane
Army of the Republic in the nineties
The Stuart Junior High School was or.
ganized in the building and its class
rooms were located there until the
completion of the new junior high
school, at Fourth and E streets north
east. 1t is estimated that more than
10000 pupils have attended the Pea
body School since its founding.