Evening star., 1943-08-22
BY John Clagett Proctor

The beginning of high school in
sstruction in the District of Columbia
not only improved the public school
system, as one would naturally suppose,
but 1t also brought about, incidentally,
a feeling of comradeship between the
graduates that has noticeably increased
from year to year. This Is reflected
by the attendance at the annual re-
unions of the different classes, which
are always looked forward to with keen
enthusiasm, and especially is this true
of the members of the earlier classes
whose numbers, through deaths, are be-
coming less and less each year.
So great has been the falling off from
this cause, gradual though it has been,
that today only five members of the
first class Of the Boys High School, who
finished the course in 1878, are known
to be living. They are: Frank Brett
Moves, Rear Admiral w. E. Reynolds,
John B. Espey, Cavour O. Bofrer and
Arthur E. Middleton.
Need for School
The need for a high school in Wash
ington manifested itself at an early
date, and in the report of the Public
Schools for 1849, we find provision made
by the City Council for such higher
learning, the provision being dated No.
vember l, 1848, Ito go In operation on
the first day of September, eighteen
hundred and fifty-one, or as soon as
this Corporation shall provide accom-
modation for the same" But here the
matter ended.
The next move toward this objective
took place in 1876, when all the pupils
in the girls eighth-grade schools, suff1-
ciently advanced to take up high school
studies, were placed under competent
teacher in one school, designated an
Advanced Grammar School, with one
year course of study. BY the end OF
the school year, this experiment proved
SO successful that similar school for
bows was established in 1877, and two
years later this course, also designated
as the ninth grade, was made to cover
q two-year period.
Miss Georgia Lane formed the first
Advanced Grammar School for Girls,
and Edward A. Paul instructed the boys
In the same grade. Miss Lane and her
pupils occupied quarters in the Seaton
School Building, one OF the original
modern schools, dedicated in 1871. From
the first Mr.. Paul taught his boys in the
old Thomson School, on Twelfth street
between K and L, which was first
used in 1877. 1t was of brick with base
ment three stories and six rooms, and
little yard room. The building was later
replaced by the Strong John Thomson
Building, now in the same vicinity.
Later, the class was moved to one
story brick building which stood on the
north side of G street between Fourth
and Fifth streets where its sessions were
held until September 1880, when its in
creased enrolment necessitated the Sc
curing Of more ample quarters, and the
top floor of the Franklin School Build
ing was given up to its use.
The little red brick school building
on G street was erected for educational
purposes and here in 1873 a Mr.. Weyher
conducted an American and German
school, and it was also, at one time,
used for religious purposes. Later, on
its site was erected the Typographical
Temple, but even this building is now
gone, and all that one now sees today
in the larger part of this square is an
immense hole where the Government
plans some day to erect public building.
In the meantime it Is an attractive rem
devious for frogs.
The First Reunion
Of the graduation exercises of the
high school class of 1878, held June IL
of that year. The Stars account is quite
brief, though later in the year coed
account is given of its first reunion, held
December 2, which reads:
'The annual reunion of the class asso-
citation of the Advanced Grammar School
(class of 1879 took place last night at
Pollock Hail. Twenty three Of the pupils
and Mr. Edward A. Paul, their teacher,
were present, and Howard L. Hodgkins
presided. After interesting musical and
literary exercises, D. w. Clum delivered
his grafton on The Class after which
all repaired to the dining hall and par
took of collation.. During the evening
officers were elected for the ensuing
year, as follows: Charles A. Barker, presi-
dent; Howard L. Hodgkins, first vice
president; George Provost, third vice
president; H. w. Seely, secretary; B. C..