Central High School - Red and Black Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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Tgmwggpmmm s I AND BLACK that little was done to promote public education, and it appears that small interest was taken in the public school system before 1879. Louisiana was admitted to the Union at the early date of 1812, but it is a state which lies only partially west of the Mississippi. ln fact its largest city, New Orleans, and its capital, Baton Rouge, are east of the river. Until the adoption of its new constitution in 1845, the part public taxation played in education in this state was largely confined to subsidizing private schools. ln the latter year U845J a system of public education was definitely provided for. But even as late as 1860 the schools in Louisiana, with the possible exception of the city of New Orleans, which lies east of the Mississippi, were not entirely free during the entire term since one-eighth of the revenue still came from tuition fees. After continuing under this system until about 1862, the war practically put an end to the early school system of this commonwealth. Though Arkansas was admitted to the Union in 1836, schools were in 1860 still supported in large part by tuition fees. There was no general taxation for complete support of public education until after the Civil War. The only states remaining to be considered, outside of Missouri, are lowa and Minnesota. ln the latter state high school education seems to have begun in 1860, two years after this commonwealth was admitted tothe Union. ln the year mentioned 118601 the city of St. Anthony, now a part of Minneapolis, was authorized to establish a high school. But it was not until 1878 that the state high school law was passed. At the date last mentioned state subsidies for high schools were first begun, and a state inspector of high schools was appointed at the same time. lowa became a member of the Union in 1846, but without a public school system before 185 7. ln that year f1857J towns and cities were authorized to provide graded systems, including schools in which foreign languages might be taught. For this purpose com- munities might levy a tax up to five mills. But schools continued to be sup- ported in part by the rate bill until 1 858 when they were made free. By a process of elimination it seems to be established, therefore, that Missouri, admitted to the Union in 1821, has the oldest secondary school supported wholly from public taxation in the entire region west of the Mississippi River. Public schools of a lower grade existed in Missouri before 185 3. ln that year 118531 the office of State Superintendent of Schools was established, and the first high school was opened in the city of St. Louis. This statement brings us back to the assertion, now proved, made in the opening paragraph of the present article. The dates there presented are authorized by Scharf in his History of St. Louis and County. This school known as the High School, was housed in the Benton school-house from February 1 1, 1853, to March 25, 1856, when its new building was completed and dedicated at the corner of Fifteenth and Olive Streets. Early in the nineties the splendid and Twenty

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TZMWQWQQQVQZQQ were highly illuminating and satisfactory, while in other cases the state departments solicited for information replied by saying that their files do not contain records of the dates of establishment of the oldest high schools within their jurisdictions. This material derived from correspondence was sup- plemented by a. careful study of the histories of education of the states under inquiry. Some of the authorities consulted are the reliable Cyclopedia of Education edited by Paul Monroe, and the more general histories of the progress of education in the United States. From the materials in hand, the following paragraphs seem to be thoroughly justifiable as statements of fact. California, admitted to the Union as part of the Compromise of l850, may be considered first becausegthe letter received from the state department of education of that state was very explicit and satisfactory. This letter dated December I9, l927, and signed by the Chief of the Division of Research and Statistics of the state, runs in part as follows: The first high school estab- lished in California was in San Francisco in IS56. lt was maintained at the Union Grammar School of San Francisco. The name was changed in l858 to the San Francisco High School. High school courses, however, were given from IB56 on. The second high school established was at Sacramento in l859. The only other state West of the Rockies necessarily included in our investigation is Oregon, which was admitted to the Union in IB59. The Oregon state constitution, at the date of admission, provided that the legislay ture should create a uniform public school system, and schools of a higher grade, with a free school in every district for at least three months each year. lt does not appear that there were any public high schools in that state before IB59. ln fact the exact and authoritative statement relating to this specific question is contained in an interesting letter dated January I4, l928, from Dr. C. A. Howard, State Superintendent of Public Instruction of Oregon, in which the first paragraph runs as follows: Replying to yours of December l 3 will say that the oldest high school in Oregon is the one in Portland. The first high school in Portland was organized in IS69. This became a four-year high school in IS79. The second oldest school in the state was organized in' Baker in l887 with a three-year course. The Baker High School was organized on a four-year basis in l594. Returning now to the tier of older states immediately west of the Mississippi above mentioned, we note that Texas was admitted to the Union in l845, but it was not until i854 that a regular school system for the state was provided by law. The first school under this law was opened subsequently in San Antonio, but whether a high school in a strict sense, or a school of a lower grade is unknown to the present writer. With.secession in l86l, the Texas state constitution was naturally changed to conform to conditions in the Southern Confederacy. The Civil War engrossed the state so thoroughly Nineteen

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561.1 V111 rf-L1 V 31 1 rYl1 V 11 ril rilg ' THE RED AND BLACK N spacious new structure on Grand Avenue was ready to receive the High School and also classes in training for teachers, and for several years thereafter the school in this new location was known as the Normal and High School. The development in both of these lines of education-normal and high school- was so rapid, however, that it became necessary, soon after 1900 to provide two additional new buildings for high schools as well as a separate building to be used exclusively for the training of teachers. ln consequence, the years between l903 and 1906 saw the opening of the McKinley High School, the Yeatman High School, and the Harris Teachers College. It was then that the name Central High School was officially adopted as a designation for the parent school of the system of public secondary education which has today assumed great proportions in the metropolis of the Mississippi Valley. Twenty-one -