Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-05-15

leIluenl began MS service In the
county as principal of the Pooles-
vile school in 1921, four years
after the late DR.. Broome became
superintendent.
AT that time the total county
enrolment was under 5000 and
the move towards consolidated
schools in place of the one room
school house was well under
way.
Broome, whose educational
philosophy was to make his school
system one of the nations best,
was attracting young educators
of high caliber like Pyle to the
county.
Pyle, a native of Hartford
County, Md, had taught one year
there in a one-room school house
after getting his degree at the
University of Pennsylvania. Be-
fore coming to Montgomery he
had spent six years as teacher
and principal in Delaware
school system.
When he took over as Pooles-
ville's second principal, the school
had less than 300 students in
grades one through eleven. After
five years, he began all over again
in Bethesda, following the growth
of that community first at Be-
thesda Elementary, then Leland,
and finally Bethesda Chevy Chase
High School from which he re-
tired as head in 1949.
He then came to the board of
education office as high school
supervisor and in 1851 became
assistant to Broome, a post he
held through his superintendent
retirement in 1853 and death in
April, 1856.
Both men are thought of as
the Grand Old Men of Education.
Here they were close friends, and
devoted to the same basic con.
ceptS OF education.
These concepts include a be-
lief in the uniqueness of individ-
ual personalities and the WORTH
ness of all people and view of
education as better understand
ing of the fundamental truths Of
life.
Both had a genuine affection
for growing things and springled
their teaching with illustrations
taken from nature.
And.both inspired lifelong de-
votion from the people who work
ed with them.
A modest man, Pyle's auto
biography has only the bare
bones of dates and places. For
the color and richness in his life
you have to go to the teachers
who have followed him through
the years.
Mrs. Virginia Hersperger, di,
rector of the elementary school
at Poolesville, Miss Dorot Y
Young, assistant principal at
B-CC and Mrs. Leonard H. Hoyle,
who taught for him a number of
years, all have contributed to the
following picture of their friend
Tom Pyle.
All three remember best the
laughter they have enjoyed with
him. 1t comes from his Sense
of good humor," as Miss Young
expresses it, which is never di.
rected against anyone but is used
to help the people around him
enjoy life.
- His ability to find the good in
everybody also impressed his
friends. The effect on his teach.
ers of this ability was TO make
them work hard to justify this
faith in them.
He is a man of many interests
and talents - a fine craftsman
who has made many beautiful
pieces of furniture for his home
and his friends, an excellent plan.
list with a great love for music,
a student of history, particularly
the county's and Maryland, a
botanist-with special knowl.
edge of woods who has left his
mark on not only the teachers
and students but also the schools
themselves through trees and
Towering shrubs that he has
planted.
His greatest contribution as an
educator has been his feeling and
love for the young people, the
growing personalities under his
care.
Some of his dictums to his
teachers were: when working
with growing human beings, you
don't make snap decisions but
steady all angles carefully and
thoroughly before working out a
solution"
-. Life is a matter of choices