Evening star., 1941-11-09
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
From all over the United States
alumnae of the Holton-Arms School
and Junior College are assembling
today in the final luncheon meeting
of their reunion with the schools
founder and president, Mrs. Jessie
Moon Holton.
With her and the schools facul-
ties, they are commemorating the
40th anniversary of the founding OF
this. one of Washington's leading
private schools, for girls.
This reunion is also featuring the
accumulation of funds for a tangi-
BILE gift to the school to be known as
Mrs Holton's Gift" 1t will take
the form of physical activities
building, which will be called the
Sports Unit"
Mothers and their daughters who
have both been graduated from the
Holton-Arm School are in this
group, which is uniting in service for
the school in honor of their beloved
former teacher, whom they unani-
mously declare has been IAN out
standing influence in our lives"
Has Had Steady Growth.
During the 40 years of the schools
existence. Mrs Holton has seen it
grow from tiny little educational
ideal started in what was then her
own home at 1874 I street NV. to
an educational institution ranging
from the kindergarten through two
years of junior college and with
more than 80 per cent of its high
school graduates going on to lead
ing colleges and universities.
It's school plant has kept step.
too, with the progress of the school
and has grown unit by unit until
today it occupies nearly all of one
city square on S street NV, and
nearly half of another on Phelps
place.
This now snowy-haired woman
educator wears the crown of her
years graciously In her flashing
brown eyes, quick step and untiring
enthusiasm there is little abate-
ment of the dynamic leadership OF
her earlier years. At each succeed
ing commencement time. according
to the now famous procedure which
she inaugurated at the schools first
graduation exercises. she still gives
entirely without notes, one-min-
ate biography of each graduate. This
Is based upon the physical facts sub
mitted by the girl herself and any,
thing else in her home school and
religious experience which she feels
have been important factors In her
life.
Even now in her enthusiasm in
meeting with her girls" of 40 COM
mencements past in this present
memorable reunion. she does not
especially stress the past Rather
does she prefer to hear Of how
they are helping In their respective
communities in the spirit Of service,
which the school sought to inspire.
Never Disappointed.
"In no single instance" she proud
" told this writer. have had cause
to be disappointed. Having ones
ideals come back upon the waters
through the medium of ones former
pupils is one of the blessed rewards
of the teaching profession
Mrs. HOlton is no more interested
in talking about herself than she is
in taking the time to look back
ward after the fashion of Lots wife"
"We talk best about ourselves"
she declared. when our hopes and
plans may be of some possible serv-
ice to others"
From all around the world, Mrs.
Holton's girls have written her OF
what her course in the History Of
Art and Civilization" Is continuing
to mean to them as a cultural
background for their far-flung inter-
ests of the present.
Typically, her talk with her re-
turning alumnae for this reunion did
not feature any of her own hopes
and dreams for the future of this
40-year-old school. Rather did it
devote itself to a resume OF the
treasures of the National Gallery Of
Art, new to most of them, so that
their appreciation might be the
fuller on the sightseeing trip ar
ranged for them, to get better ac-
quainted with the growth and prog
ress of the Nations Capital, in
which they were once schoolgirls.
Mrs. Holton was born at lion,
N. Y, in the foothills of the Adj
rondack Mountains. Where such a
procedure is now looked upon as
quite a matter of course, her parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. Clinton A. Moon,
amazed the Mohawk Valley coun-
tryside when they not only sent
their daughter Jessie to college, but
| to Cornell University, co-educa-
tional institution of higher learning.
Opened Tutoring School.
After her marriage she came to
Washington with her husband,
Frederick Arthur Holton, we'll
known scientist. whose family's
friends were Susan B. Anthony,
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other
leaders in the feminist movement.
Consequently. it seemed a perfectly
natural procedure for him, when
they had no children Of their own,
to suggest that his wife employ her
talents and specialized training to
further the education of the chill
dren of their friends. Her flrst
school venture so years ago took the
| form of q little tutoring school
where pupils who had fallen behind
their regular classes through III