Latin School of Chicago - Sigillum Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

Page 18 text:

The Early School MABEL SLADE VICKERY One bright, crisp morning in September, 1888, there gathered in the pleasant library of Mr. and Mrs. Eliphalet Blatchford at 375 LaSalle Avenue a group of boys all about ten years of age, their teachers and several parents. It was nine o'clock. The boys had just come in from play, summoned by a peremptory gong, proclaiming loudly that the school year of 1888-9 was about to begin. For more than an hour they had been playing about the quiet, residential streets of the neighborhood-Maple Street, Elm Street, and LaSalle Avenue, wide and elm-shaded, with large, old-fashioned mansions surrounded by beautiful grounds, Hanked by neat alleys, with carriage houses and well-kept stables for the fine horses cared for by picturesque coachmen and grooms of the old school. Little did these boys realize that they were pioneers--the first pupils of a school which was to become noted in the annals of Chicago. lf you had told them, they would not have been in the least thrilled'- not even if you had added that they possessed another claim to distinction, that of being members of the first school of the Middle West to adopt the principles of education professed by the then- famous public school system of Quincy, Massachusetts, known to the uninitiated as the Quincy Method. They would have listened apparently with respectful attention, but would all the while have been wondering if this first morning at school would be a long one. An early breakfast already seemed an event of the remote past, and luncheon beckoned them from an uncertain distance in the future. They were glad when Mrs. Blatchford's gracious words of welcome proved to be few and the ceremony of introduction to the new teachers very brief. Then their names were entered in Mrs. Blatchford's big book, as follows: Gilbert Allen, Frank Blatch- ford, Huntington Blatchford, Harry Bradley, LeGrand Burton, How- ard Coonley, Charles Henrotin, Henry Porter, Arthur Wilkinson and Frank Wilkinson. Two other boys were expected within a few days. When all the chronicles of this school shall have been written, it will be seen that it owes much to six distinguished women- Mrs. Eliphalet Blatchford, Mrs. John C. Coonley Cthen a widow, later to become Mrs. Coonley-Wardl, Mrs. A. C. McClurg, Mrs. Cyrus McCormick, Mrs. Emmons Blaine and Mrs. George lsham,- who by their wise counsel, generous gifts and sympathetic interest in teachers and pupils during early years helped them to lay firm foundations for usefulness.

Page 17 text:

,I A XI IC S O. XY O O D For Klr. Wood, wliont we older boys lizive ztlwztys closely associated witli tlie lgitin School, we lizive tlie deepest regard. He has guided us skillfully tlirougli tlie plztstic years and lizts lent constant encouragement to our efforts. illlltlt liis office door lizxs always been open to us lizls led to at close and friendly relzitionsliip. :ind we know it will continue in tlie years to coine. For liis wise council, for liis objective criticism. for liis boundless patience. we are duly grateful. 'l'liis is our lust year at ltilflll. Next fall will find us scattered over tlie country in many different colleges. We feel. as we are about to leave, tlizit at Latin we liztve liad tlie utmost in education and friendsliip. This is in no sntzill ineusurc due to Xlr. Wood, for tliat lists been liis constant aim.

Page 19 text:

SIGILLUM It is interesting to note that the school in the beginning was a parent-owned institution, limited to a membership of ten or twelve pupils of about ten years of age, all living in the same neighborhood. In 1894 it became, under the management of two of its teachers, Miss Mabel S.Vickery and Mr.Robert Peck Bates, a privately-owned college preparatory school, open to boys of all ages. More than thirty years later on the retirement of its principals it became once more a parent-owned institution, this time with a permanent endow- ment and every prospect of usefulness and permanency. Consule Plancn ROBERT PECK BATES The school began its independent career in 1894, in a little brick house on Division Street. Here I2IO Astor has stood for many years, previously for some years it had been composed of several small groups in private residences. At this time the oldest boys were fourteen and had had one year of Latin under R. P. in the McClurg residence, now the Polish Consulate on Lake Shore Drive. The second year we moved to a larger house across the street and later added a second and a third. The primary and grammar grades were already a distinct success. Could it become a complete school, from kindergarten to college, in competition with the successful and well-equipped University School, a block away? The name, Chicago Latin School, and its motto, Fidelitas, were adopted, a new school building was erected in 1899 at 561-563 Division, later known as I8-2o East Division Street. The high school had a distinguished reputation for college prepara- tion, particularly for the examinations of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, and later for those of the College Entrance Board when it was formed. This success was due to hard Work and the good fortune of the school in obtaining and retaining a small group of gifted instructors, to whom this article is a tribute. The Latin School boys received their instruction in basic subjects from superior teachers. In mathematics they had William McLeod, a taciturn Scot from Toronto University, who was reputed to have invented mathematics. When he retired after many years, liked and respected by all, he was succeeded, most fortunately for the