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

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Vvf--Yi INTRODUCTORY 1914 Universityj Avenue. The Academy was co- educational and was esssentially a college pre- paratory school. The Laboratory School was founded in 1895 by Dr. John Dewey for the purpose of educa- tional experiment in connection with the de- partment of Education in the University of Chicago. Though numerically small, the school made an improtant contribution to the edu- cational theories which found expression in the University High School. The faculties of these several schools came together to compose the faculty of the new school under the joint control of Dr. Henry Holmes Belfield and Dr. William Bishop Owen. Dr. Belheld had been at the head of the hflanual Training School during its entire history. He was a pioneer in the field of manual training, a man of great force and high character. I-le acted as Dean until June, 1908, when he was placed on the retired list of the University. He died in 1912. A year before his death the lXfIanual Training Building was named Belfield Hall to perpetuate his memory. A bronze XVILLIAM BISHOP QVVEN memorial tablet, with a medallion portrait of ' Dr. Bellield, provided by the graduates of the old hlanual Training School and of the Uni- versity High School, was placed in the building with appropriate exercises June 15, 1913. Dr. Owen, who had been at the head of the South Side Academy, as Dean, shared equally in the administration of the school. He experience and vigorous personality were important fac- tors in shaping the policy of the school and in welding together the various elements of which it was composed. His most important con- tribution was in the direction of the social organization of the school which is still one of its most distinctive characteristics. After the retirement of Dr. Belfleld, Dean Owen was in charge of the school for one year, when in 1909 he withdrew to become Principal of the Chicago Teachers College. Franklin VV. Johnson has been principal since that time. For two years previous he had been associated with the ad- ministration of the school as assistant Dean. Of the present faculty of 43, 7 have been in the school from the first: Frances R. Angus, Arthur F. Barnard, Frank B. Cherington, John M. FRANKLIN Wi' JOHNSON Crowe, Sarah F. Pellett, Lydia Schmidt, Harry F. Scott. Of these M1'. Barnard was a member of the faculty of the Manual Training School from 1896 and from the South Side Academy, Mr. Crowe from 1898, lVIiss Angus from IQOO, and Mr. Cherington from 1902. . 13

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VQLXI, THE CORRELATOR 1914 ilaistutp nf the btbuul BY F. W. JOHNSON i The University High School was opened October 1, IQO3. It was formed by the union of three schools, the Chicago hlanual Training School, the South Side Academy, and the Laboratory School. Each of these schools had been organized independently and had de- veloped strength in its own particular held. They were brought together through the un- usual skill of President Harper to supply the need of the newly organized School of Educa- tion. A brief statement of the history of each of these schools is necessary to a proper under- standing of the history of the present school. The Chicago Xlanual Training School was founded by the Commercial Club of Chicago. lts history dates from the regular monthly meeting of the Club held hlarch 23, 1882, at which the necessary funds were subscribed, and a committee appointed to propose a plan for the organization of the school. The Chicago Nlanual Training School Association, composed exclusively of members of the Commercial Club, was incorporated under the laws of the state of Illinois, April 19, 1883, and the control of the school was vested in a Board of Trustees, nine in number, elected by the Association. The regular school exercises began February 4, 1884, and the dedicatory exercises were held June 19th following. The first class was graduated June 24, 1886. This school was the first independent manual training school in the United States. The school was incorporated in the University of Chicago, hlay 25, 1897. In the spring of 1901, when the Chicago Institute, founded by hffrs. Emmons Blaine, became the School of Education of the University of Chicago, the University announced the intention of removing the Chicago Nlanual Training School to the grounds of the 'L'niversity. To the time of the removal to the University grounds, the school occupied a well equipped building at Nlichigan Avenue and I2Il1 St. During the twenty years of its inde- pendent existence this school graduated eight hundred and seventy boys. The South Side Academy was founded in 1892, and was conducted asapriyate institution until 1897. In that year the control of the school passed into the hands of a board of trustees of the University of Chicago, with which for some years it had been closely connected as an affiliated institution. The University at this time, as in the case of the Chicago hflanual Training School, announced the inten- tion of removing the Academy to the new grounds and of uniting it with the hilanual Training School as a part of the School of Education. The Academy first occupied a building at the corner of Greenwood Avenue and Fifty-fourth Street until 1899, when it moved to a new and more commodious building at 5.1.75 Lexington Know HENRY HOLMES BELFIELD I2

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VQLXI. THE CORRELATOR 1914 The school occupies in Whole or in part five buildings. Blain Hall, so named in honor of the donor, Mrs. Emmons Blaine, was erected in 1902 and was at first occupied by the College of Education and the University Elementary and High Schools. During the first year the Temporary Gymnasium and the Nlanual Training Building, now Belheld Hall, were erected. ln 1901, the Boys, Club House Was made available and in 1909 Kimbark Hall, previously an apartment building, was adapted to temporary use for class rooms. At the convocation ex- ercises in June, 1913, President Judson announced the decision of the Trustees to erect Within two years an additional building for the exclusive use of the High School. This Will provide much needed space for adequate class rooms, laboratories, and assembly hall, taking the place of the rooms in Blaine Hall now needed for the use ofthe expanding College of Education and of the inadequate facilities of Kimbark Hall. It is expected that the present gymnasium will be superseded at an early date by a modern and Well equipped building to be erected on the Jackman Play Ground. The Cltbitagu jflllagual Zlliraining School , ' The Commercial Club of Chicago is composed of not more than sixty prominent merchants 'A . A, and manufacturers of Chicago. For years this ' I, Club had believed that the high school educa- , tion prevalent in the country, which consisted exclusively of academic studies, was defective, 1 A - ' because it neglected the education oi the hanlds, -- and failed to develop the brain power resulting . f 'Ef'l3i?Q , 'gh therefrom. The Club determined to found a .mf .tz - 5 1 iwhi h 511 uld Dive a livin iiiusu-ation of -Hama. . 1 76190 C 0 L' ,' g. :fav its idea of what a boys education should be. X 1 ,T At its regular monthly meeting, Klarch 23rd, ,e r 1882, one hundred thousand -dollars were sub- Q 8CI'1lDCCl for this purpose. lt is fr-om this meet- , ing that the history of the Chicago Klanual Training School dates. The Chicago hlanual Lg- Training School Association, composed exclu- --.. ' sively of those members ot the Commercial '-,a!zh' P ' A ' V fP1:..l it' Club who had contributed, was organized under the laws of the State April 19, 1883. The lot on hlichigan Avenue and Twelfth Street Was purchased Nlarch 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, hlr. Henry H. Belfield, 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 management of the new enterprise. A The Commercial Club contributed to the support of the school during its in- fancy, and in 1891 enlarged the building at an expense of fifteen thousand dollars. OLD NIANUAL I4-