Evening star., 1947-12-04
Mrs. ]. M. Holtom
Talks at Luncheon
|Given bv Alnz,1nae
Bv Betty Beale

progressive schools have helped
break down the Puritan idea that
anything pleasurable is SINFUL" Mrs.
Jessie Moon Holton said yesterday in
an address before the Holton- Arms
alumnae. But" she added, "stu-
dents Of progressive schools are us
ually weak in the three RS"
The founder and president Of the
Holton- Arms School and Junior Col
lege was the principal speaker at the
alumnae luncheon at the Parrot
restaurant. Miss Laura Grease
Bunch, alumnae secretary and treas
urer of the Moon Memorial Com
mittee, gave report on the progress
of the Memorial Fund drive to pay
for the new sports unit already un-
der construction on the corner Of S
street and Phelps place NV.
Mrs. Holton, headmistress of one
of the Capitals best known schools
briefly traced the development OF
higher education for women, noting
the contributions of both the pro-
gressive and conventional school
methods. Biggest defect in progress
sive education, she said, is its ten
dency to make the student selfish
giving, as it does, first consideration
to the individuals, their wishes, tai
ents and interests. Criticizing this
method as a preparation for life
Mrs. Holton said the greatest con-
tribution of progressive schools Is
the broadening of the curriculum fol
all schools.
In supporting the conventional,
school, Mrs. Holton said 1t empha-
sizes the fundamentals, gives dig.
nifty to subject matter and believes
that human life is enriched by the
study of history, science, the arts
and by the heritage left to us by the
great spirits of all ages"
The speaker, who recalled hel
early experience as a teacher ir
Herkimer, N. Y, when her salary
was $700 a year, the highest ever
paid in that city at the time, paic
tribute to three women. The high
respect for women's colleges today
she said, is largely due to Miss Mary
Woolley, the late president Of Mount
Holyoke College; Miss Virginia G
Gildersleeve, recently retired dear
of Barnard College, and Miss Martha
Thomas, professor emeritus of Bryr
Mawr. She also spoke of the i'm.
portance of remedial reading ir
education today. Mrs. Slocun
Kingsbury, head Of the Remedia
Center in Washington, sat on hel
left and was the only person present
who was not an alumna of H0lton-
Arms.
In closing, the headmistress said
that the most desirable type of stu.
dent is one with regular habits o1
eating, sleeping and playing, one
who Is loved but not over protected
I'VE do not think" she said, 1--WE
have succeeded with a pupil who
does not enjoy those subjects which
common experience has taught III
we ought to know
Seated at the table with Mrs. Hol.
ton were Mrs. Charles l.. Sturte'
want, president of the Alumnae AS
sociation, who presided; Miss Salli'
Lurton, principal Of the school; Mis-!
Mildred Brown, member Of the fac
ulty, Miss Bunch and Mrs. William
Willard and Mrs. John Stenhouse
both members of the Moon Memo
rial Committee. .tlE
Mrs. w. Thacher Winslow wa
chairman of the luncheon and Mrs
Harry Sosnoski was in charge Of in
vitations. Others who helped witt
arrangements were Mrs. Alexande
Wotherspoon, Mrs. Daniel Border
Mrs. John Graham, Mrs. Edwar
Routheau, Mrs. Olaf Kyster, Mrs
William Mackau, jr., Mrs. John Sli
dell, Mrs. Hill Carter, Mrs. Doroth
Nicholson Bates, Mrs. Millard West
jr., Mrs. Charles Wilson Jones, Mrs
Joseph Hicks Watson, Mrs. Gran
Boss, Mrs. William Tompkins Bel
Miss Sallie Pierson, Mrs. Lawrence
Jacobsen and Miss Harriette Green