Evening star., 1938-09-18
St. Alba11s School M0tivated
By Rich Tradition and Spirit
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

ny RlCn lTOl
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
President Calvin Coolidge once said !:
TT isn't the college, but the secondary
or preparatory school for college that
counts in the education Of our young
people. If they are surrounded by the
right kind Of influences during the
more formative years Of their lives,
they are apt to make the right kind
OF citizens in college and out Of It,"
In this spirit the st. Adams Board
ing and Day School for Boys came
into being under the auspices OF the
National Cathedral with the motto,
PRO Ecclesia ct Pro Patria." Not an
old school. numbered by years, for 1t
only begins its 29th session this Sep
tember. 1t Is nevertheless rich In ira
dition and sentiment and holds high
academic rank among boys schools
throughout the Nation.
Although its students have from the
very beginning included Catholics,
Jews and boys Of all other faiths, it is
the proud boast Of the Cathedral Foun-
dation that not once during the schools
existence has the representative of any
faith or creed questioned It's religious
guidance or the spiritual motivation
which 1t has striven to inculcate.
The name Of the school carries back
to the beginnings Of Christianity in
Roman Britain, when st. Alban met q
martyrs death upon . gently slopine
hill near what is today St. Adams, In
Herfordshire. England. Its location ID
not unlike that Of our New World st
Adams above old Georgetown, with
Its crowning view Of all Of Washington
and the Potomac's winding way is far
Is Arlington.
Tract Purchased In 1913.
Joseph Nourse of London, who be-
came register Of the United States
Treasury under George Washington,
purchased the tract upon which the
school stands in 1913 as part Of large
holding At the junction Of Woodley
road and Tennalytown road, now Wis
consin avenue. To it he gave the name
Mount Alban" because Of its similar
ity to the holdings Of the martyred
st. Alban.
The desire Of Henry Yates saterlee.
nrst Bishop Of Washington, that a
school for boys should form Z part
OF the Cathedral's work was made
possible by the gift Of 3300.0oo from
Mrs. Harriet Lane Johnston, niece
Of President James Buchanan and
mistress of the White House during his
administration.
Tns bequest was made in memory
OF her own two sons. James and
Henry. who had died when they were
schoolboys. and provided that . por-
ton Of 1t should be used "for the free
maintenance. education and training
OF choir boys, primarily those In the
service Of the Cathedral"
From its first commencement In
1910 when . class of 10 bows was
graduated. including Edward Mertz
OF Washington, the schools growth
has been rapid, its students winning
honors in their work and play on
its grounds beneath the shadow of
the Cathedral. In reality . country
school within . city, the physical de-
velopment Of its plant has kept In
step with the schools progress and
constantly augmented student per-
sonnel. Even. the years Of de-
preston have been years Of expansion
for st. Aban's," with its new lower
school a tribute to its late head
master, William Howell Church, and
the new Activities Building to be
opened this fall, . monument to the
tireless energy Of its present ad-
ministrator.
Mealtfme Strengthens Unity.
More than so per cent Of the faculty
and their families live In the school,
thereby contributing to its homelike
atmosphere. Every faculty member
sits At table with its pupils, all Of
whom are present together for the
schools midday luncheon, 20 that
school unity Is developed through
social intercourse as we'll as through
work and play.
Helping to maintain the schools
traditions are the Rev. James Hender.
son. senior master and chaplain for the
past Is years. and Douglass M. Scott,
headmaster Of the English department,
who also is in charge Of the dormitory.
Both mix discipline with tolerance and
are experts in running down the per-
petrators Of school pranks.
Enjoying = national reputation As
master in the classics is Stephen A.
Hurlbut. His hobby, the St. Alban's
Press, privately conceived and organ
lied by MIN, has won for Mr.. Hurlbut
and the school widespread fame
through its issuance. as he puts 1t, "of
carefully printed editions. connected
largely with Latin things, but not nec-
essarily in Latin
Among these is Kalendarium La
tinum, widely distributed among Latin
teachers Of this country, and q series
OF Medieval Latin Hymns with the
English Renderings." containing the
eucharistic hymns Of Thomas Aquinas,
the result OF much research work BY
Mr.. Hurlbut In the chief libraries Of
Europe. Mr.. Hurlbut is also the author
Of . Brief History Of St. Adams
School" which he published upon the