Evening star., 1936-06-14
Kramer Death Blo,u to City
after 46 Years in Schools
Famous Washington Educators Out:
standing Record of Service Brings
Tribute to Character.

senior and junior high schools the
year following.
During his nearly half a century of
service in our public school system,
DR.. Kramer was an enthusiastic sup
porter of every worthwhile project that
has come to fruition in the schools Of
Washington. Among those which were
the objects of his special interest are
the high school cadets, the vocational
schools, special schools for the further
ance of the education of the mentally
retarded, the tubercular, the crippled
and those who must pursue their edu-
cation in the night and Summer
schools.
While serving as the first director
of the night schools in time that might
otherwise have been devoted to leisure
pursuits. DR.. Kramer said concerning
them in his initial report to Superin-
tendent Stuart in 1900: Nothing
done by the public schools of Wash
ington is Of more Importance or of
more value in relation to the amount
Of money expended than is the work
done by the night schools" This
statement the progress of the years
has more than confirmed.
Community Center Work
DR.. Kramer's field of administrative
duty, in addition to jurisdiction over
the senior and junior high schools
and the high school cadets, included
the work of the Community Center
groups. He not only sponsored their
service to the children and adults of
our city, but was unfailing in his
interest and attendance upon their
various group activities.
For many years familiar figure on
competitive drill days, Assistant Sup
erintendent Kramer while not respon-
sible for the organization of the
Washington High School Cadets, was
| certainly their godfather in recent
years. His interest in this organiza-
ton dated back to the days of his
first teaching position when Company
F of the Capitol High School, under
Cadet Capt. Edwards, won the COM
petitive drill.
1t was DR.. Kramer who in 1914 in
augurated the custom of making
formal ceremony of presenting cadet
officers with their commissions. Only
few days ago DR.. Kramer expressed
himself as believing: The Washing
ton High School Cadet organization
represents one of the most outstand-
ing forces for character education
among the boys in oun school system"
In his talks to cadet companies DR..
Kramer always emphasized that the
smallest, weakest cadet in the COM
pany has the competitive drill in his
hands, for it is the individual excel
lence OF each cadet that wins out in
competitive work. He retold the
story, too. of the poise and control of
the tiny rocky in a crack company
who made it winning one by having
the presence of mind when his hat
fell off not to make an effort to re-
trieve it, but to go on with the drill
until one of the United States Army
officers rating the company returned
1t at proper moment
DR.. Kramer EN- asiZed that
while the cadet companies are closed
to girls, and therefore particularly
represent mans world, they are in
no wise militaristic. 1t is true that
in their cadet training they do learn
about military maneuvers in connec-
tion with their manuals of arms, but
the great lessons which are taught
are leadership. respect for law and
order and that training in proper CO.
ordination for the good of the whole
which makes for good citizenship"
He also was proud that mot only have
certain cadet officers acquitted them
selves with distinction at West Point
and Annapolis, but crippled children
proudly serve in various capacities in
the cadets, proper care being taken to
see that there is not too great strain
upon them"
One OF DR.. Kramer's assets always
was his judgment of values. Desiring
place at the seashore, where his
growing family could enjoy healthful
and pleasant vacations, he was one of
the original "discoverers" of Rehoboth
Beach as desirable Summer home
long before colonies from Wilmington
and Washington made it the social
mecca that it is today.
1904 Contest Recalled
DR.. Kramers avid interest in travel
and world affairs was whetted as a
result Of contest which the Brad.