Evening star., 1940-12-08
Thomas Jefferson
Junior High School
Formally Dedicated
500 Attend Ceremonies
And See Keys Presented
To Principal Smith

The new 100000 Thomas Jeffer-
son Junior High School at Eighth
and H streets S.W. was dedicated
last night on the 68th anniversary
of the dedication of the old Jeffer-
son Public School. Sixth and D
streets SW.. out of which the present
modern junior high school de-
veloped.
About SEQ persons attended the
special ceremonies. in which Capt.
J. l.. Person. Assistant Engineer
Commissioner, presented the keys to
the building to Mrs. Henry Grattan
Doyle, president of the Board OF
Education, and Mrs. Doyle, in turn,
gave the keys to Hugh Stewart
Smith, principal of the school.
The key presentation was purely
symbolic, as the school was opened
at the beginning of the current
school term in September. With ad-
jacent playground properties in
cluded, the new junior high school
and recreation center will cost a
total of approximately 81 500 900, ac-
cOrdlng to Mr.. Smlth.
Directed District Schools.
Mrs. Doyle, who presided over the
ceremonies. pointed out that Thomas
jefferson, while President of the
United States, was president of the
Board of Trustees directing District
of Columbia public education in that
period. President Jefferson con-
tributed 5000 to the District public
school system, she added.
In 1872 when the original Jefter-
son School was dedicated, Mrs. Doyle
related. there we're no such things
as junior high schools and high
schools and a curricular generally
comparable to present day gram
mar schools was the only one avail
able in the public school program.
The 1872 school dedication, she con-
tinued, marked the approximate
halfway mark in public education
in the District, because the public
school system was founded here in
1905.
Principal Smith. introduced by
Mrs. Doyle as the godfather of the
Southwest" outlined work done by
R. w. Strawbridge, his predecessor
as principal and head of the school
in 1924 when the old Jefferson
School was reorganized as the JEFF
ferson Junior High School. Three
members of the 1924 faculty-Miss
Bertha Ohr, Miss Mary Stewart and
Miss Antoinette SchWinghammer-
were on the platform with other
members of the present faculty.
Tells of Contributions.
Harry Wender, president of the
Southwest Citizens Association, out
lined some of the work done by civic
minded persons in the long period
of years required to obtain the ap-
preparation for the new school. No
table contributions were made, he
said, by j. NJ Schaffer. former pres
ident of the Southwest Citizens
Association; Mrs. George Thorpe,
head of the Women's Safety Coun-
Gil of the American Automobile As
sociation, and others including three
prominent citizens who have died
in recent months, Maj. Daniel j.
Donovan, former District auditor;
Isaac Cans. former member of the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
and Mrs. David Cushman Coyle,
active civic leader.
Mr.. Wender brought greetings to
the assembly from Theodore W.
| Noyes, a graduate of the old Jeffer-
son School, who was unable to at
| tend the dedication because he had
to preside at dinner meeting cele
brating the 18th anniversary of the
Association of Oldest Inhabitants
Mr.. Wender described Mr.. Noyes as
"our first citizen" and said he had
long been interested in affairs OF
the Southwest as well as other Sec
tions of the District.
| Other speakers were Lawson j.
Cantren, assistant superintendent in
charge of junior high schools; Mrs.
John F. Allison, president of the
Jefferson Parent-Teacher Associa-
ton; Harry English, assistant to the
co-ordinator of recreation in the
District, and Miss Clara w. Herbert,
librarian of the District Public Ii
brary.
The musical program included Sc
lections by Fague Springman, vo-
calist; DR.. Henry Goldstein, xylo-
phonist (who played at the 1924
Jefferson Junior High School estab-
lishment dedication exercises, as a
studenD the Mckinley High School
Glee Club and the Jefferson Junior
| High School Orchestra.