University High School - U Highlights Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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Chicago Manual Training School Building if

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Volume Five The C011-e19,1j0f Nineteen-Eight The Chicago Manual Training School . A SKE'rc1-1. The Commercial Club of Chicago is composed of not more than sixty promi- nent merchants and manufacturers of Chicago. For years this Club had believed that the 'high school education prevalent in the country, which consisted exclu- sively of academic studies, was defective, because it neglected the education of the hands, and failed to develop the brain power resulting therefrom. The Club determined to found a school which should give a living illustration of its idea of what a boy's education should be. At its regular monthly meeting, March 23l'Cl, 1882, one hundred thousand dollars were subscribed for this purpose. It is from this meeting that the history of the Chicago Manual Training School dates. The Chicago Manual Training School Association, composed exclusively of those members of the Commercial Club who had contributed, was organized under the laws of the State April 19, 1883. The lot on Michigan Avenue and Twelfth Street ,was purchased Marcvh 28, 1883. The corner-stone of the building was laid with appropriate ceremonies September 24, 1883. The first examination for admission was held january 4, 1884, and on February 4, 1884, the unfinished building was opened, and regular school work was begun. In the meantime, June 25, 1883, the Director of the School was elected, Mr. Henry H. Belneld, at that time Principal -of the North Division High School, who had for years advocated the introduction of hand training into schools. To him was committed, under the general direction of the Board of Trustees, the entire managementoi the new enterprise. The Commercial Club contributed to the support of the school during its in- fancy, and in I8QI enlarged the building at an expense of fifteen thousand dollars. As the needs of the school grew, additional equipment was furnished. Money for the school was never refused. In a few years the school became self-supporting, as is shown by the fact that when, in 18917, the school was given by the Commer- cial Club to the University of Chicago, the Io-hn Crerar endowment fund had in- creased, by the addition of unexpended interest, from 350,000 to over 356,000 The names of the original Board of Trustees are as follows: MEMBERS. E. VV. BLATCHFORD, President. W. A. FULLER, Secretary. R. T. CRANE, Vice-President. TWTARSHALL FIELD, Treasurer. JOHN CRERAR. J-OI-IN VV. DOANE. N. K. FAIRBANK. EDsoN KEITH. GEORGE M. PULLMAN. Messrs. Blatchford, Fuller and Field were continually re-elected to member- ship on the Board and to their respective offices, until the transfer of the school to the University. Mr. Crane is the gentleman after whom the R. T. Crane Manual Training School is named. Mr. Crerar bequeathed 9,350,000 to the school. The Chicago Manual Training School was the first independent manual train- ing high school in the country, the St. Louis school being a part of XVashington 23

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Volume Five I The C0ffC1at0f Nineteen-Eight Ijniversity. From its inception the Chicago School stood for high scholarship, manual skill, and good character. The motto on its seal-Mwzfe afque mcmu acl 'L'1'7'fIlfC77L QThrough brain andhand to manhoodj expressed the thought of its founders. Admission was by examination only. Idlers and weaklings, if by any chance ad-mitted, were promptly dismissed. Boys showing immoral tendencies were removed as soon as their true characters were revealed. The school was not a reform school nor an asylum for weak minded. Neither political nor personal influence availed in securing or retaining membership. The hrst class, seventy-four in number, many of whom had finished part of a high school course, was admitted, as has been said, january 4, 1884. Twenty- seven of these seventy-four graduated june 24, 1886. T-he first annual sermon-for there always was an annual sermon-was preached by Rev. Dr. S. I. McPherson, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, june 20, 1886. At the first annual exhibit June 23, 1886, was shown, among other products of the boys: skill, a steam engine built by the school, a picture of which may be seen at bottom of this page. T-his 8 H. P. engine, exhibited in operation, was considered a marvel by the fifteen hundred visitors, because it had been made by boys. It attracted far more attention than did any of the numerous horizontal and upright engines built by succeeding classes. As the character of the sohool became known, applicants for admission in- creased in numlber, until it became necessary -to refuse several hundred every year, notwithstanding the enlargement of the building. This large number of appli- cants, so much greater than the capacity of the school, enabled it to select a choice body of pupils. But it was a painful duty to refuse admittance to so many b-oys, and the Director labored with members of the -City Board of Education and with others, until the English High and Manual Training School Qnow the R. T. Cranej was openedl Later, the Arm-our Institute was founded by Mr. Philip D. Armour, a member of the Commercial Clulb, and a contributor to the Manual Training Sc-hool. Mr. Armour frequntly said in public: 'fIf there had been no Chicago Manual Training School there would have been no Armour Institute. He thus recognized the infiuence of the school. In fact, the great work of the school has been, not the education of its pupils, but the education of public senti- ment. Many manual training schools were planned in the office of the old school building on Michigan Avenue, and the existence of a great number can he traced directly to this school. As manual training schools multiplied in all parts of the country, the Com- mercial Club felt that the work for which the sc'hool had been organized had been accomplished, and in 1897 it offered the school as a gift to the University of Chicago, and the offer was accepted. This conviction of the Club is expressed in the following qu-otation from the beautiful bronze tablet which commemorates the transfer of the school 1- That it has caused the establishment of many similar institutions, and especially, that it has secured the incorporation of this system of education into the public schools of this city and of many other cities, is evidence to the founders of the school that it has successfully accomplished the purpose for which it was organized. P Z5