Hamilton High School - Hamiltonian Yearbook (South Hamilton, MA)

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8 The Hamiltonian Horace Mann T onight wc shall receive our diplomas, •symbols of our having arrived at the goal to which we have been striving through our years in the Hamilton schools. Such an achievement is due, to a great extent, to the untiring efforts of Horace -Mann in the interest of education in the U nited States and particularly in the com- monwealth of Massachusetts. d ' he history of education in the United States during the first half of the 19th cen- tury is chiefly a series of biographies of a few leaders laboring in the behalf of the nation’s posterity and its education. As is generally the case, these leaders were laughed at and condemned as impractical dreamers, d he most prominent, and recog- nized as chief among them all because of his actual achievements and the extent of his influence, is Horace Mann. This great educator was born in Frank- lin, .Massachusetts, in 1796, of poverty- stricken and poorly educated parents but ones who possessed sterling characters and imparted to their children high ideals and habits of industrv. .M ann received ver ’ little education as a outh except for the preliminaries then available in the meager district schools; but the superiority of his mental gifts and his commendable character, was revealed in his determination to attain an education. After many bo hood privations, he worked hard under the able tutelage of a college preparatory teacher and entered Brown University at the age of twent . He was a brilliant student throughout his scholastic career and was graduated at the head of his class. All his youth, he was in- flamed with the desire to aid mankind and to instill in all citizens the longing for ed ucation. After his graduation in IS 19 and having passed the .Ma ssachusetts’ bar examinations, he entered a law office where he practised successfully approximately fourteen tears, until he embarked on his career as an edu- cator. He had extraordinary success in the law profession probably due to his natural abilities and the scrupulous care with which he prepared and tried his cases. He always lived by the inflexible rule, “Never to un- dertake any cause which you do not be- lieve right.’’ ffaving proved his capabilities as a public speaker and a statesman, con- cerned with the interests of the common people, he was elected to the .Massachusetts State Legislature; first in the House, then in the Senate, and, as president of the latter body, he signed the epoch-making educa- tion bill which became a law, providing for a State Hoard of Education. Ehis board was to consist of the governor, lieutenant governor, and eight citizens to be appointed by the former. It impowered the board to appoint a secretary to make annual reports to the State Legislature. Horace Mann was selected as its first secretary in which position he served for twelve years with effectiveness and distinc- tion. He considered the new position one of importance and value and one in which he could devote himself to the welfare of man- kind, namely the education of the youth of the land. After accepting the post, he gave up his law books and office and abandoned the legal profession. He saw in this secre- taryship a means by which he could appease that burning desire of his to benefit humani- ty, and to render wide and conspicuous service to the cause of education in this country. ' I ' hat Horace .Mann should aban- don his profession at forty-one years of age to accept the secretaryship of the nascent Hoard of Education proves that his yearn- ing to develop and promote education was the uppermost objective of his life. Ehe educational situation confronting the new secretarv offered ample scope for his many talents. It was extremely neces- sary to arouse popular enthusiasm for edu- cation and, with this purpose in mind, he organized annual conventions in ever ’ county for school teachers, officials, and the public. At first these conventions proved to be of no especial interest but they did help to educate public opinion to some extent. .Mann made out annual reports to the state which were the most effective instru- ments in reaching and influencing the pub- lic in education. ’Ehe first year he inaugu- rated meetings for the teachers of Boston where lectures were delivered and discus-

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The Hamiltonian 7 “STUDENT COUNCIL Readiru) from left to right: Hack row, William Kelisle, Gordon McCullock, Lawrence Lamson, Principal Roland V ' . Payne. Second row, Gordon Vaughn, Louise Moulton, George Sprague, Alice Maddern, Gordon McRae, Minnie Wetson. First row, Catherine Cracknell, Sec.; Robert Smith, Vice-Pres. ; Dorothy Greeley, Pres.; Kenneth McRae, Betty Ann Beal, William Smith. Student Council Report ' ' HE Student Council was organ- ized in September, 1934, and met on alternating Wednesdays throughout the school year. Each Junior high class had one representative, while the Senior high classes were allowed two represen- tatives in the council. After each meeting a report of the business was carried back to the classes by their representatives. This was done so that each member of the high school would know the discus- sions carried on during the meetings. A social committee was organized by the president which consisted of three members of the Student Coun- cil Board : L. Lamson, L. Moulton, and C. Cracknell. This committee had charge of regulating social ac- tivities of the high school. The members of the council wish to express their appreciation to, the officers for having carried out their duties so successfully. — C. Cracknell.

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The Hamiltonian 9 sions held on educational subjects. He stronjil) advocated and urged schools for the education and training of teachers. After much debate, the establishment of State .Normal Schools was accomplished. ' I ' he founding of these schools is the fore- most educational service of Horace Mann to state and nation. Mann made many tours of the state and delivered lectures and wrote reports to arouse popular interest in the promotion of public schools. I ' he school system which had been established and legalized in 17S9 was ver ' inadequate. I ' he well-to-do class- es regarded the public schools with con- tempt and sent their offspring to private schools and academies. This attitude af- fected the school system, causing short terms, dilapidated buildings, untrained and underpaid teachers, and obsolete pedagogi- cal methods. One third of the children of the state were absolutely without any edu- cational opportunities while one si.xth were being taught in private institutions. Mr. .M aim set out to remedy these conditions. The results of this great man’s efforts were remarkable. Salaries were raised, school terms lengthened, money appropriated for better schools and equipment, and more children were given the opportunit ’ for free education. He started the high school law in 1827 which provided for higher edu- cation. ' I ' his resulted in about fifty new high schools being established during his secretaryship. He introduced new and bet- ter ways of teaching and better training for instructors. It was inevitable that Mann’s aggressive efforts should sooner or later arouse bitter opposition. There was much denomination- al feeling in those days and many attacked the Hoard of Education and charged them with creating a Godless system in the schools. Some opposed reading the Bible, and others demanded that religion be taught as it was essential to the character development of the youthful minds. ' I ' he controversy was on, and, after many vigor- ous sectarian attacks, Mann won a final victory of great importance for .Massachu- setts and for the entire country. It was finally decided that sectarian instruction should be excluded from the public schools; however, the Bible continued to be read as, it was stated, this was a non-sectarian book. ' I ' his i]uestion is still in debate to-day. In 1843, Horace Mann sailed for a five months trip to Europe for the purpose of discovering what America might learn from the European schools. He studied many systems minutelt’ and returned to the United States, embodying his observations and conclusions in his famous seventh An- nual Report to the Board. But his high commemiation of the German schools vexed the Boston school masters, who thought .Mann was slandering them, their training, and their methods. A sarcastic controversy ensued between Mann and the school- teachers. Horace Mann made an attack on the school masters’ principles, summing up in three propositions his code for discipline: Eirst, it is the state’s duty to adopt measures for qualifying teachers. Secoml, that the school committee allow only the very best of teachers to procure positions in their schools and third, that school masters, in governing their schools, e.xhaust all the higher motives and agencies they can com- mand for disciplinary cases; hut, if these fail, then resort to corporal punishment only as the supplement of all the rest. ' Ehis dispute attracted much attention and made a deep impression on the public mind and had much to do with fixing Horace Mann’s place in educational history. Ehe champion of the new regime had met the champions of the old and had overthrown them in the arena of public debate. As Horace Mann was victorious, the controversy led to direct and beneficial results in the Boston schools. I ' he schoolmasters, who opposed .Mann’s new principles, were severely criticized by all and a pronounced change came in the Boston common school system. In 1848, Horace Mann resigned his secretaryship, having been elected to the Uniteil States House of Representatives. Later, he ran for the governorship of Mass- achusetts on the Eree-Soiler ' Eicket but met hitter defeat. He then accepted the Presi- dency of Antioch College in Ohio. Besides serving as President, he taught many intel- lectual subjects. Owing to bad reverses, lack of funds, etc., the college was sold for debt and reorganized. Mann, exhausted and broken by worries and persecutions amid which he labored, retired in 1859 to his home where he died within a few weeks.