Evening star., 1941-12-04
Horace Mann S Fight
To Educate Masses
Sketched in Program
First Our Freedoms
Program Closes With
Round-TobIe Session

The story OF the great American
pioneer in education. Horace Mann,
was unfolded by students of Wilson
Teachers College yesterday In the
first broadcast of the series, Our
Freedoms" presented by the senior
high schools, vocational schools and
teachers colleges of the District In
conjunction with The Star and the
National Broadcasting Co. The
series is being presented in COM
memoration of the 150th anniversary
of the ratification Of the Bill of
Rights.
At the close Of the dramatization
another group of students conducted
a round-table discussion on the
theme Education Is the Freeman's
/ Birthright.' in accordance with the
policy set forth for all these broad
| casts.
The sketch. high lighting the i'm
| portant events Of Horace Mann's
career, opened with the youthful
idealists meeting with a prominent
scholar Of his day and his desire to
broaden his learning so that he
could somehow benefit mankind
Ten years after his graduation from
Brown University in 1919. he married
his college sweetheart, but the in
spired union was terminated two
years later by the death Of his wife
It was then that Horace Mann chose
/ to sacrifice all personal interests, in
cluding a prosperous law practice.
to champion the cause of education
for the masses.
Met Severe Handicaps.
When Mann set his revolutionary
plan in motion. schools were i'll
heated, ill-ventilated and barren
places Many teachers were poorly
trained and uninterested in their
pupils welfare, and practiced fog
ging as the standard instrument OF
discipline. To make his plan sue
ceed he had to overcome constant
manifestations Of indifference. intol-
erance and ignorance. The victory
he won is reflected today in the
efficient and progressive educational
facilities Of a Nation whose efforts
tin Mann's words ito give every
child free. straight. solid pathway
by which he can walk directly up
from the ignorance of an infant to
the knowledge of the primary duties
of man" are the envy Of the civilized
world
The cast for the drama was COM
prised of Thomas Clark, as Mann;
Samuel Harris. Maurice Rawlings,
Paul Geoffrey Sol Gnatt and Audrey
Curtis. DR.. Clyde M. Huber directed
script and production and Miss Car
oline Sparrow was assistant director
of the cast.
Stress Universal Need.
Speakers participating In the
forum discussion stressed that not
only youth, as the most important
group in society" but adults and
the physically infirm of all ages
must be reached by an educational
system that is universal. efficient
and democratic. Students partici-
pating included Margaret Lowry,
Dorothy Altman, Dorothy Jones,
Elizabeth Hobbs. June Cogswell and
Harrison Meserol Miss Anna D.
Halberg supervised the discussion
group.
Incidental music for the program
was directed by Miss Pauline Mat
tingly, and members of the chorus
included Helen Daz, Marianne
Edge. Ruth Fowkes, Jessie Hamil-
ton, Muriel Jenkins, Ardis Kitchen.
Abe Kusminsky, Jean Lee. Stanley
Levy, Donald Lynn. Teresa Ragoz-
Zinc, Miss Curtis, Mr. Geof1rey. Mr.
Meserole. Mr. Rawlings. Otto Vygo-
da, Evelyn Wagner, Dick Weinrich,
Edward Sullivan. Barbara Hewey
and Barbara Waller Helen Jack
son accompanied at the piano.
Among the musical selections was
an original composition entitled
ITO a New Youth" by Mrs. Bernice
Angelica and Miss Alberta Walker
of Wilson Teachers.