The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-04-16
w. A. Kohl
NewHeadof
Local School
Preston, Mimi, Superintend-
ent Selected From More
Than 100 Applicants
IS FINELY EQUIPPED
"a Years Old, Family, Wife
and Two Children
Board Gratified :

With the resignation of H. A.
Falk as superintendent of the Sank
Centre Public Schools, effective at
the end of the school year, came a
deluge of applications for the posi-
ton made vacant by Mr.. Falk.
The superintendency of the Sank
Centre Schools is generally recog-
nized by most of the educators in
Minnesota as a decided forward
step for any elected for the place.
When the returns were all in the
school board had over 100 applica-
tons on file. They came from all
over the Northwest; one even came
from the Panama Canal zone. This
was from former Minnesotan who
had a yen to get back into Gods
country once more and resume his.
educational work where he laid it
down a few years ago.
Many of the applicants called in
person. During Easter vacation
week they arrived almost in droves.
Many of the applicants had the ed
vocational qualifications; a host of
others did not measure up to the
requirements.
From the very beginning the
School Board realized it would not
be an easy task to find a man meas
uring up to the qualifications re-
quired and set by the retiring sup
erintendent
The list of applicants was finally
sifted down to about four men. The
middle of last week President j. F.
Cooper, Secretary r. E. Hansen,
Treasurer A. f. Strebel and Supt.
Falk left on a little jaunt to the
southern, western, and finally the
southeastern part of the state for
the purpose of interviewing candi-
dates in their own neck of the
woods and get a line on the reac-
ton of the citizens of the COM
munities.
The first man they called on had
just before the committees arrival
in his town received notice of his
election as principal of one of the
Minneapolis schools and had ac-
cepted. That eliminated him, nat
urally. ..-
The Sank Centre men then head
ed for Preston, to investigate w.
A. Kohl superintendent of the
schools of the county seat. The
Preston man had made a favorable
impression upon the board in his
visit to this city. He is "a years
of age, of German-American par
entage. He received his B. A. De-
gree at Manchester College in 1919.
To complete his education he at
tended University Summer School
in 1921, 1926, 1927 and 1929. He was
principal of the F'ulda school in
19191920; principal at Buffalo Lake
1920-1921; superintendent at Buffalo
Lake 1922-1924; superintendent at
Osseo 1924-1929; superintendent at
Preston 1929-1921. lie was but re-
Gently reelected as head of the
Preston schools at an increase in
salary which is the limit the dis
trict can pay.
Before leaving for Preston Sec
rotary r. e. Hansen had received
letter from Mrs. A. H. Langum,
clerk of the Preston Board, in
which she spoke of the splendid
work Supt. Kohl had accomplished
in his two years in that city. She
said the Board was reluctant to
lose Mr.. Kohl and his excellent
family but that they would not
stand in his way of advancement if
Sank Centre wanted him as they
realized he was worth more than
the Preston District could afford to
pay him.
The Preston school employs 10
teachers and is recognized as one
of the strong schools in the smaller
cities of southern Minnesota.
The visit at Preston revealed
that Mr.. Kohl was strongly equip
ped for orchestra and glee club
work and was a finished public
speaker. He has fine personality.
AS indicated of how Mr.. Kohl
stands outside of Preston he is this
year serving as Worthy Grand Pat
ron of the Minnesota Grand Lodge
of the Eastern Star.
After the delegation returned to
Sank Centre meeting was held
and Mr.. Kohl was unanimously
elected as superintendent for the
coming, year at a salary of $4,000
Continued on Page Six)