Boston Latin School - Liber Actorum Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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635-1945 North Side School Street 1645-1748 To be able to look back over three hun- dred and ten years of worthy achievement is the heritage that belongs to the students and graduates of the Boston Public Latin School. Founded on April 23, 1635. by the Town of Boston, the School enjoys the distinction of being known everywhere as the mosr an- cient and honorable” public school in Amer- ica. A man who would know the history of Boston during any of its many, many years would do well to study the records in the School Library. For in the lives of its young men is found the story of a city and of a nation. Early in America ' s infancy one of the first settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Reverend John Cotton, sought to establish a free school in the new world, to be modelled in curriculum after Free Grammar School in Boston, England. Town archives show his success and record the approval of Philemon Pormort as the first Master, who was to keep the School at his own house. A year later, as enrollment increased, Daniel Maude was chosen to assist him. Head Master Pormort, seeking religious freedom in the New World, became dissatisfied with the doctrines of Bos- ton ministers and so joined the followers of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson and founded the town of Exeter, New Hampshire. As a re- sult, Maude became headmaster; and the School moved to his home until the erection, in 1645, of the first schoolhouse. To this day, the street on which the first schoolhouse stood is known as School Street. School was opened in these times by the master’s reading Attendemus, the roll call, and rhymed psalms from the Bible. It dosed with the Latin Deponite Libros, Set down the books.” The town allowed fifty pounds and a house to the Master; and thirty pounds to his assistant, known as an Usher. In addition, the rents of Deer, Long, and Spectacle Islands were assigned to the sup- port of the School. The celebrated Ezekiel Cheever, who was generally regarded as the best teacher in the colonies and who had authored the famous Accidence,” the accepted Latin Grammar, became head master some time later and served in that capacity until his death in office in 1708. His successor, Nathaniel Williams, was the first pupil to become headmaster. During South Side School Street 1748-1812 Page Twelve

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TTlr. (Powers 111 essage You boys of the graduating class are fin- ishing your secondary schooling at a time of great uncertainty. Under normal conditions, you would go directly on to college and be- gin to make plans for your life-work. Now, the continuity of your education is one of the casualties of war. If physically sound, you will certainly be called to the armed services of your country, and there is likely to be an interval of two or more years before you can pick up again the studies which you had hoped to carry on. I know that each of you will accept this situation philosophically and in a patriotic spirit, realizing that the service of your country is your first and most important duty at this time. The carrying-on of war is a stupendous organized effort, and victory requires that every individual perform his allotted task to the best of his ability and with the utmost devotion to our cause. I am confident that the boys of this class will prove themselves in no way inferior in this respect to those Latin School boys who, in all our Country ' s wars, have sprung eagerly to her defence. My earnest advice at this time is that you settle your admission to college before you are called into the Service. Then, upon the restoration of peace, you will not have to worry about fulfilling admission require- ments. The government will assist you finan- cially in your college expenses, and most col- leges will treat you considerately in view of the interruption of your studies. I urge each of you to persist in your col- lege plans, not only for your own sakes but for the sake of the nation. With the return of peace, our nation will be faced with stag- gering problems: the reestablishment of civ- ilian industries, the reemployment of vet- erans, and the readjustment of war workers, the relations of capital and labor, our rela- tions with other nations, and many questions equally confusing. The country will need men with trained minds and broad vision. I do not mean that boys in college will have to solve these problems. But times passes quickly; and before you fully realize it, our leaders of today will be ready to pass their burdens on to you and your generation. It is your duty, to yourselves and to your coun- try, that you be prepared, mentally and spir- itually, to take up those burdens. Page Eleven

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Williams’ years the Master’s salary was raised to one hundred pounds, and the usher was still supplied at the Town’s expense. In 1734 Williams resigned; and John Lov- ell, his assistant, was appointed to the va- cancy — to become the pride of Boston’s par- ents and the terror of its youth.” The years of Lovell’s office were the beginnings of dis- content and the seed-time of revolution among the colonists. Lovell ' s son James, an ardent patriot, was appointed usher in 1760. The father had always been a strong Loyalist. For a time they taught from desks at opposite ends of the schoolroom and voiced opposite political convictions, thus typifying many a Boston family in those trying times. Boys in the winter of 1774-75 brought sleds to school and in the afternoon coasted down Beacon Street across Tremont Street and down School Street. A servant of Gen- eral Haldiman, subordinate commander of the British troops in Boston and resident on School Street, cut up the coast and put ashes on it. The lads made a muster” and pre- sented their complaint to the General him- self. Hearing their case, he ordered his serv- ant to repair the coast, saying that he had enough trouble with Boston men and wanted none with Boston boys. The School closed on the morning of April South Side School Street 1812-1844 19, 1775 as Headmaster John Lovell, hearing of the rout of English soldiers at the battles of Lexington and Concord, angrily cried: War’s begun and School’s done. Deponite libros.” At the evacuation of Boston in March of the following year, both the Lov- ells sailed with Lord Howe to Halifax, Nova Scotia; the father as Howe’s guest, the son below decks as a prisoner of war. For admission to the school in this period, it was necessary for the candidate to read a few verses from the Bible. Each of the six or seven classes of the school sat at different benches as they studied Latin, Greek, and the elementary subjects.” Classes started at seven o’clock in summer and eight in the winter, and dosed at eleven. The afternoon session lasted from one o’clock until five. After the regular lessons, pupils attended a nearby writing school. Thursday mornings at ten the school was dismissed in order that pupils might attend the Thursday Lecture,” a custom borrowed from Boston, England. The Latin School opened under Samuel Hunt following the departure of the Lovells. He ruled with difficulty until 1805. He was succeeded by William Bigelow, who after nine years of still rougher going, also re- signed. This period of scholastic rebellion ended abruptly with the advent of Benjamin Ap- thorp Gould and his introduction of the misdemeanor mark.” He also founded the School Library, began the practice of decla- mation, and caused regular reports of schol- arship and conduct to be sent to the parents. Page Thirteen