Evening star., 1960-09-11
, BY PHIL THOMAS
Star Stan Writer

Parents garbed in skirts. Ber-
muda shorts and blue jeans are
scraping, brushing and sanding
diligently this week end in a
nondescript old building in
Northwest Washington.
They are busying themselves
in an effort to expand Haw-
thorne School.
A sampling Of the workers on
the second floor turned up Muir
ray Preston, dressed in shirt,
shoes and shorts, grubbing
away at a Clipped window sill
of the structure at 1921 Massa-
chusetts avenue NV. Mr.. Pres
ton is q vice president of the
American Security and Trust
Co.
Parent In Action
One floor UP, busily dabbing
with brush and paint at some
inside window trim, was Mrs.
Richard Eberhardt, wife Of the
poetry consultant at the Lib
rary Of Congress.
Both are parents Of students
who attend the five-year-old
non-profit school that has been
bursting at its seams since two
young teachers plunged into the
job Of running their own edu-
cational institution.
| They are Mr.. and Mrs. Alex
ander Orr. He is SO. She is SO.
And since they started in a
three-room basement at 1914
| N street with is students in
1856, the Orr's always haye
called on their" parents to do
some Of the dirty work around
the place.
At the N street location the
Orrs put the parents to work
scrubbing floors in preparation
for opening day. The work
days" this week end, with
about IS parents putting fin
ishing touches on remodeled
rooms as a preliminary for the
start of school next week, could
be thought Of as part Of the
educational philosophy which
got the Orrs into the teaching
business.
1--WE are trying to create an
atmosphere where learning, the
discussion of ideas, becomes as
much a part Of everyday living
as going to a Saturday night
MOVIE" Mrs. Orr said.
Testimony Of Success
AS testimony to their sue
cess, she recalls the reaction Of
one Of the 80 students who'll
be attending the school this
year. After attending classes
at Hawthorne for a while, he
said:
Things are different here.
The kids seem to enjoy learn
ing"
The Orrs, running out of
basement space at the old N
street location, moved into the
Massachusetts, avenue building
two years ago with so students.
But the rambling old three
story structure wasn't being
put to maximum use.
A large wing on the rear.
because Of narrow halls and
other defects that failed to
meet District building code re-
luirementS, was lying unused.
The Orrs got togther with the
parents and asked them to chip
in an extra $40 each for tuition
this year to make possible the
use of the many square feet
OF added space. The parents
agreed, and the work got under
way.
But to keep costs down to
approximately $4,000, the par
ents and students are supplying
their labor, too. Thus the en-
larged Hawthorne School will
open without a dime owed for
the remodeling job.
The Orrs hope that within a
few years they can take over
the old Metropolitan Washing
ton Boys Club meeting place
at Sixth and I streets S.W.
as a permanent home. The
Orrs rent the Massachusetts,
avenue building.
Named After Author
Since the club building is
in the Southwest redevelop-
ment area, Hawthorne School
is seeking approval from the
District Redevelopment Land
Agency for the move. John r.