The Washington times., 1936-06-19
NINE. BM0NT,
DC. TEACHER,
TO RETIRE


brown eyes, strong square tea'
lures and iron gray hair.
Despite her 81 years as teach
er in western High School. her
English remains picturesque. AS
she herself expressed it:
"EeS eet not funnee? L read
ne English SO weII-aS good as
INV native French. But nevair
do speak wizOut zee accent!"
Madame Blanche Bimont, mem
ber of an old, distinguished and
wealthy French family, did not
have to earn her living. She en-
tered the teaching profession for
the sheer joy of it. She confided;
"I love boys and girls. L love
to teach gem. And-xe dumber
zey are-xe more / love xem!"
Poses for Photo
Asked if she would pose for q
picture, she said:
"a picture? You want q pic
ture of me? All do not
know. VeT' wei! Boys and girls
make me laugh so I look
nixe!"
They did their best, but Mad.
anne, sitting behind her desk, sud.
denly froze into dignity and it
was only when the photographers
flishlight exploded that she re-
1axed amid applause from her
pupils.
She retires in a few days Ito
live" as she puts it.
Perhaps the most colorful per
sona1ity in the District school
system, Madame Bimont started
teaching in her native Paris. She
was persuaded to go to London
and for six years taught there, but
the climate, so different from her
sunny France. affected her
health, so:
"E accept re offer your school
supervisors make me and I
come here in 1904"
Madame was in Paris when war
was declared in August, 1914. She
had always returned to France
during school vacations, she ex-
planned. She cabled for leave and
then volunteered her services as
q nurse in a French hospital.
Her work with the orphans of
France brought her decorations
and the adulation of a grateful
government. Assisted by Clifford
Pinchot, governor of Pennsylvania,
and Lady Johnstone, of London.
England, she purchased a chateau
in LePouliguen and installed her
beloved orphans in it. Since 1914
more than $4,000 orphans have
been cared for at one time or an.
other at that chateau.
But when the United States
entered the war in 1917 Madame
asked permission to enlist in the
American Ambulance Corps. She
explained simply:
II felt we owed your cOuntree
so much-it was so IeetIe / could
do"
She was members still-of
the American Red Cross and every
year for six weeks. she gives her
services voluntarily to that organ
1zatlon. She refused to accept com
penSation for her war work. In
1913 she returned to washington
to teach American officers as
signed to duty in France, her ma,
tive tongue. She taught all day at
western and from z to 10 every
night instructed the Army off
GERS. She refused to accept a cent
Tor her services.
Method Of Teaching
Her method, now being used in
the District high schools, prepares
pupils to enter the third year of
French when they go to college.
She never speaks anything but
French in the classroom.
Asked if she spoke any other
languages, Madame answered mis-.
cheviously:
"YOu mean-dO I speak at
them! Yes, speak German, and
IN Italy I make myself under
stood"
Asked il she was returning to
France to live, M dame was
shocked:
Certainly not! 1 love America;
eet is my home just as Paris is
my home! I Ieeve here i'm Wash
ingtOn always except two months
each summer when I go to Paris
to visit my family. Non! Amer
lea ezz my cOuntree, tOO!"