The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-04-07
SUPERINTENDENT Of
INSTRUCTION GIVES
RESUME Of ADVANCE
First Provisions Made by Terri.
torial Legislature on
May Is, 1862
MANY CHANGES WERE MADE
Comprehensive Program Is Car
ried on Under Present
Administration

ried on Under Present
Administration
ny ARTHUR Z. THOMPSON
Superintendent OF Public Instruction
To make any complete resume Of
the historical development OF the pub
Tic school system Of our state Is clear
" impossible In the brief space allot-
ted to us. Therefore. 1t will be the
purpose Of this article merely to
touch some Of the high points in the
development of our educational sys-
TEN and to mention briefly here and
there a few names that center around
the history Of our system OF education.
The first provision for public schools
In the territory OF which North Da-
kota Is now part was IAN act for
the legislation and support Of common
schools" passed by the first legis-
1ative assembly and approved May l3,
1862. The records do not disclose
either that schools were organized or
any officers appointed under this law.
The next school legislation was the
act approved Jan. Is, 1864. This law
made the territorial governor. terri
torial secretary. and the territorial
treasurer an ex 0fficio territorial
board OF education and made pro-
vision for an annual meeting at the
capitol. This board was required to
appoint q superintendent Of public in
struction. More changes were made In
this law in 1865, 1877, 1881, and 1883.
The act Of 1879 authorized women to
vote at school district meetings. Also
school districts were empowered to
issue bonds to build schoolhouses In
an amount not to exceed 81, 500 each
It required the organization Of school
townships and abolished school dis
tricts in all but Is OF the older coun-
ties, and In these each board Of county
commissioners was authorized to put
It In force. The district system re-
NAMED in Is counties Of which Cas-,
Grand Forks, Walsh. Pembina. and
Barnes are in North Dakota.
Below Is list Of those who have
held the office Of state superintendent
from 1854 to the present time:
Territory OF Dakota
106l-TerTitorial ex-officio board OF
/ education: Newton Edmunds. COVER
nor: John Hutchinson, secretary; j. o,
Taylor, treasurer: James 8. Foster
Yankton. clerk and ex-officio super
intendent.
10oo-T. McKendrick Stuart, re-
signed. August. 1859.
1870. w. Turner. Turner county
lS72-k w. Miller. Union county.
1675J. ]. Mcintyre, Turner county
1S77-W. Z. Cation. Union county.
l679-W. H. H. Beadle. Yankton.
1854. Sheridan Jones, Hutchin-
Bon county.
lss7-Territorial board Of educa-
ton: Eugene A. Dye, Fargo, presi-
dent: Frank A. Wilson. Bathgate, vice
president; George A. Mcfarland. Scot
land, secretary.
1889 Territorial board Of educa-
ton: Leonard A. Rose, Fargo. presi-
dent: A. T. Free, Deadwood. vice pres
ident; G. M. Young, Tyndall. secre-
tary.
State Of North Dakota
16So-William Mitchell, Cass coun-
ty.
1890-W. ]. Clapp, Cass county.
180l-John Ogden, Sargent county.
l893-Mrs. Laura J. Eisenhuth,
Foster county.
1eo5-Emma F. Bates. Barnes
county.
lse7-John q. Halland, Trail coun-
ty.
l90l-Joseph M. Deyine, LaMoure
county.
1903-Walter Z. stockwell, Grafton.
19l1-E. J. Taylor.
19l1-E. J. Taylor.
l917-Neil G. Mcdonald.
l9l9-Minnie J. Nelson. Barnes
county.
1927-Bertha r. Palmer.
l933-Arthur E. Thompson.
The ninth annual report Of Super
intendent Of Public Instruction Cation
foi 1873 gives the following statistics:
q counties, 401 districts, 273 un-
graded schools, II graded schools, o.5
months, longest term in Yankton City,
3 months, shortest term. "a average
term for territory, III men teachers,
49, women teachers, 1856 children
enrolled, 1876 average attendance In
county, 4l.86 average cost per pupil.
4 brick, II log. 2 stone, and 100 frame
buildings.
ieneral w. H. H. Beadle. who held
the office OF superintendent from 1879
to 1885, Is credited with the response
bility for those sections in the enabl-
1ng act dealing with lands for the
support Of public schools and educa-
tional institutions, which reads In
part:
-. Upon the admission Of each
81 said states into the Union, sections
numbered 10 and 80 in every township
Of said proposed states are here
By granted to said states for the sup
p0rt Of common schools. All lands
herein granted for educational pur-
poses shall be disposed Of only ct
public sale. and ct . price not less
than $1,000 per acre, the proceeds to
constitute . permanent school fund,
the interest Of which only shall be
expended IN the support Of said school.
hut sajd lands may -. be leased
1cg periods Of not more than five
1eass Shall not b subject to
pEeemptiou, homestead entry but
saai1 y reserved for school purposes
lGsHsslaa1 Wa sssrstary
Is = worthy of note that tbs score
foSy " the territorial hoard q educa-
til @ I'll was 0eoeee a. Mcfarland,
w NV y president o. IL etate
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