Evening star., 1932-02-07
BY JOHN WALKER HARRINGTON.

A S schools and colleges through
n out the Nation prepare to OBJ
"A serve this year the Bicentennial
a of his birth Gen. George Wash
ington is recalled more than
ever as a promoter Of American educa-
| ton.
So varied were his services to coun-
| try which hailed him father, that labOrS
to the cause of learning have not been
stressed To him both elementary and
| higher types of education in the United
States owe much, for he not only en-
couraged them by his moral support, but
by substantial gifts. His devotion to the
training of the younger generations
sprang largely from own lack OF formal
academic attainmentS.
In one of seven new books on Amerl-
can history adopted this year by the
New York City Board Of Education,
Washington is referred to as self
made man" Entitled Exploring Ameri-
can History it was written by Miss
Mabel B. Casner of Washington School,
West Haven, Conn, who believes that
other text books do not sufficiently eX-
plain the personalities and origins Of
our complex civilization. 1t teens with
many references to the first President,
whom she portrayS rather as the demo-
crat than as the ariStocrat OF the
standard biographies To her point of
view he was "a planters SON." who rose
to high place despite his handicap.
In Virginia, as in the Southern col
onies generally. popular education had
not the early start it had in New Eng
land Children were sent to private
dame" schools and also to teaching
units fostered by the Church of Eng
, land and its Society for the Promotion
Of the Gospel in Foreign Parts Young
Washington went to his lessons in West
moreland and in Fredericksburg, Va.
HE became well grounded in mathe-
| mates and drafting, and was an eX-
pert penman. The clear and precise
script which made his letters and papers
so easy to read was cultivated at that
| period.
Became Surveyor at Il.
[ At II he was a surveyor for the sixth
| Lord Fairfax. who had acquired vast
estates in Virginia. Lord Fairfax was a
graduate of oxford University. a man
of wit and letters" and one of the con-
| tributorS to the Spectator. Between the
| English noble and young Washington
| sprang up a deep friendship. Washing
| ton too was the friend of George Will
| liam Fairfax, a relative of Lord Fair
| lax, dlSO cuuCdleu III a man
nearer his own age than the noted land
ed proprietor himself Through this as
sociation with George William, Miss
CaSner asserts, the youthful Washing
| ton acquired the manners and address
Of cultured Virginia gentleman"
1t was the custom in the colony for
the sons of the wealthy planters to have
| tutors, after which they were sent to
| England to finish their studies at OK
| ford and Cambridge. They returned, as
the author notes. with the mannerisms
and accent acquired at those seats OF
| learning.
Neither Washington nor his brother
| Lawrence. who married a Miss Fairfax
| had the advantage of a university de-
gree Through their intimacy with the
| house of Fairfax and with other faml-
lies. however they had been trained in
all the traditions of higher education in
England Gen Washington himself
| studied works on the arts and sciences
| from the Fairfax library and later i'm
ported them from London. 1t is said to
! have subscribed to one of the earliest
encyclopedias brought to this country.
Self-educated, he had information as
we'll as much practical common sense
His interest in mental development
1
with their schooling To the son of his
| physician, Dr. Craik, for example, he
made an allowance Of 500 a year tC
assist him in his studies.
Helps to Found Academy.
| After his temporary retirement to
Mount Vernon following the Revolution
| Gen Washington interested himself in
public education more than before. In
| 1875 he became one of the founders OF
the Alexandria Academy, at Alexandra,
| Va. which gave free instruction TO
| orphaned and poor children. He him
| self laid the corner stone for the build
| ing. the ceremony being held under the
| auspices of the Alexandria Lodge OF
| Free Masons. of which he was mem
Der. This event is regarded by some
| authorities as marking the beginning OF
| free schools in Virginia. AnabSolutely Tree
public school system was a slow growth,
| and in the United States in most Com
monWealthS it did not become organized
in it's present form until after the Civil
| War. Virginia's present scheme OF edu-
| cation for the masses goes back only
to 1870. The ideals of the Alexandra
Academy. however, had a profound in
f1uence in that State. washington set
i aside FL 900 (S5 000), from which during
| his life an annuity was derived Tor the
| institution He was very active as a
governor and caused the appointment OF
DR. William Brown as principal. In MS
will he bequeathed 20 shares OF bank
stock, of a par value OF S2OO eacn, IN
| lieu of the first fund. From this about
| the same income was paid as had beer
received under the original trust.
| ~ hlChpT i
cation are perpetuated in part by the
| founding of an institution at Chester
| town. Md. in 1882, which still exists
| 1t is the oldest college in the State. as
it was based on an academy established
| in 1892. Gen. Washington was men,
ber of its board of governors and a llb-
eral contributor to its endowment In
his diary may be found reference to his
riding over to take part in meetings OF
| its board He was much concerned IN
| the drawing up of its courses OF study,
as he desired to have it prepare youth
| for solid accomplishments, and espe-
cially to take up engineering and the
applied sciences.
Endows Augusta Academy.
Probably the most extensive Of his
| labors for formal education were for an
|
founded near Staunton in 1749 as the
, Augusta Academy After the Revolu-
! ton its name, which was regarded as
| too reminiscent of the House OF Han
over, from which George III came, was
abandoned. and it took the title of Lib
| er4y Hall The institution was removed
| in 1882 to the outskirts OF Lexington.
/ To that struggling output of culture in
1896, Gen. Washington donated block
of shares in a canal company which
yielded a substantial income. Even to
recent times the revenue was put at
| $4,000 a year. Two years later the in
stitution was renamed Washington
| Academy. Gen. Washington had the
future of the school deeply at heart, as
he believed it would have a strong in
fluence in promoting the prosperity OF
his beloved Virginia. His will, written
in his own firm hand, provided as an
additional gift 100 shares of Potomac
| - bo I,alI o., opIouyYoo1t