Pratt Institute - Prattonia Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

Page 16 text:

aye te History of Pratt IJnstitute Mr. Charles Pratt, the founder of Pratt Institute, was born in Watertown, Mass. in October, 1830, and died in Brooklyn May 4, 1891. In the early days of his life he worked hard on the farm and had very little schooling. When thirteen years of age he was a clerk in a grocery store, but he soon left this position and learned the machinist’s trade. At the age of eighteen he had saved enough money to start him in Wilbraham Academy near Spring- field, Mass. Here he studied hard for two or three winters, making many sacrifices in his efforts to se- cure an education. In 1851 he came to New York, taking a position as clerk in an oil and paint store and soon became a partner in the business. Later the concern divided and Mr. Pratt took over the oil interests, establishing the firm of Charles Pratt and Company, having its refinery in Brooklyn. Mr. Pratt was one of the first to realize the value of the oil fields in Pennsylvania and the best illuminating oil came from his refinery which still exists. The success of the business naturally led to Mr. Pratt’s association with the Standard Oil Company at its inception. Realizing his own difficulties in obtaining an education he resolved to provide a means of ed- ucation for young men and women whose previous schooling had been very limited. He gave liberally to many institutions. For many years he was a trustee of Adelphi Academy and later erected a large building for the College. Mr. Pratt liberally assisted Amherst College, the University of Rochester, the Public Library of Watertown, Mass. and the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities. Having a great democratic interest in those with limited means he erected in Greenpoint a model apartment house called the ‘Astral’. Here, in general rooms for entertainment and instruction, the students of Pratt Institute have since helped to carry out the ideals of the founder through the Neighborhood Association. Mr. Pratt was a zealous church member and was seldom missing from his pew in the Emanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn where he proved a great help to the church. Mr. Pratt’s great interest in education led him to visit institutions of learning, far and wide. With his private secretary, Mr. Heffley, he in- spected the many schools of New England, France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and even India. After his return he outlined the fundamental ideals of Pratt Institute. Tne pur- pose of Mr. Pratt was to provide courses of train- ing in those subjects which were not so thoroughly covered in other institutions. His main idea was to establish an institution for vocational and trade work and so help all classes of people. With the idea of giving everyone a chance, he se- cured a large piece of land where Pratt Institute now stands and began the erection of a six story building On October 19, 1887, this building had been completed and the first class of twelve students in drawing, began its work under the instruction of Mr. Walter S. Perry. Up to this time Mr. Pratt had kept most of his ideas to himself, but now, when the people heard of his proposed pioneer work, the idea was received with a great deal of criticism and ridicule. However, he firmly believed his plan would F oarleen

Page 15 text:

LON VT E INT! YY ibe ¢ Ade NYY Iie MV VIZ , yyy INVALE | : SN NV . AN i, Ni AY re ia! NY YF RR yell WW igs ik | pe ti Se Ve = ie oe Od. — et eS hi a ES onde ORS “te 4 - vale ey — Ul Se Led ew AN ‘ a) t¢ ai yy Mat +s A Editorial Board Editor-in-Chiey Clifford T. Appleton, M.E. °19 Associated Editors Donald P. Brown, Ch.E. 719 Leroy N. Duckworth, E.E. 19 George L. Dunlap, Ch.E. 719 Paul F. Galle, M.E. 719 Chester H. Smith, E.E. ’19 Business Manager Bradford H. Scott, M.E. 719 Assistant Business Managers Louis J. Hyde, E.E. 719 Leon F. Powers, Ch.E. 19 Athletic Manager Thomas A. H. Jeffery, E.E. ’19 Assistant Athletic Managers Alvin W. Meyer, M.E. 719 Benjamin K. Williams, Ch.E. 719 Circulating Manager Jesse Brams, M.E. 719 Assistant Circulating Managers George L. Balentine, Ch.E. 719 James A.- Fahy, Jr., M.E. 719 Henri C. Dooling, E.E. ’19 Ralph E. Manning, E.E. 719 Acknowledgement The Board of Editors wish to take this opportunity to thank the Conference Board, Instructors and students of the Institute for their untiring efforts to make the “‘Prattonia’’ a success. Special credit is due to Messrs. Marsh, Heyman and Milham, all of whom have given valuable assistance in the preparation of the manuscript and drawings. The Board is also indebted to the printer, Thomas W. Joyce, Standard American Engraving Company and the photographer. Harry J. Paul, for their unusual interest and assistance in the preparation of the ‘‘Prattonia.” Thirteen - r ; ae I y : a WY TAT 44 ih , | : an i “eh : ot : 7 ; = 2 : =o. T J : ; § a ge J 5 4 s o y jm, —- a ee ee a we a A . - . j Lam ae A — Tas eee ae 3 wt sr Ss tw te C8 ae bb fr %- Tia ye ile - ot wed hk ba al te rary ny } 7 2 32ers Se Woe eS SS a? i 4 wow

Page 17 text:

op Ne SSS es Wt : INS PS SS Sas 7 c— - a 2 » stil an yo ve — ae ra A tA ey J ' 1 - ] NYVIZ ORACLE SAS | TAN WY VRS i? ty t ; Wb WALA Nps, SAH buea? | NAA hee DO Aes, ; f A SAV A ry Ee CVE-A j MV VT 2G) | ah fa, J} p dg 5 wa . jm . ye one igid Oe ae a a 2 — ™, P - ays L TAT CON SS re a see Ss ee = be successful and worked all the harder on his enterprise. Classes had hardly been started when the Institute was opened one evening to visitors, and at this time Mr. Pratt showed the public how the school was helping the students to help themselves. Evening classes were then started and have since grown in numbers until they now enroll more than two thousand students annually. A women’s department was soon opened which developed into the School of Household Science and Arts. Early in 1888 a library was started in the Main Building. This grew, until in 1896 the present Pratt Library was built which now contains 120,000 volumes. The Kindergarten School was first started in the Rest House, and continued in the Women’s Club until the erection of the Kindergarten Building in 1901. In the early days of the Institute a Manual Training High School was started to show the country the value of manual training in the high school course. Having accomplished this purpose the course was dis- continued in 1905 when the city of Brooklyn built a large Manual Training High School. In 1888 a commercial department was established under Mr- In 1905 Mr. Heffley took direct charge of this department in the present building of the Heffley Institute. To inculcate habits of thrift among those in the Institute and incidentally in the community, Mr. Pratt established The Thrift. This has grown until to-day it has total assets amounting to over Norman Heffley, Mr. Pratt’s Secretary. six million dollars. In 1888 Mr. Charles R. Richards became the first director of the School of Science and Technology. At this time the present gym- nasium was used as a trade school and the forge and foundry occupied the court yard on Grand Avenue. The machine shop occupied the first floor of the S. and T. building and the carpenter shop the second floor. The Electrical Building at first had only two floors, the lower consisting of the steam and electricity laboratory with plumbing and sign and fresco painting on the second floor. In 1894 the first Mechanical class was graduated and in 1898 the first Electrical class. In 1900 two more floors were added to the Electrical Building making additional space for class rooms and laboratory work. In 1905 the Chemistry Building was finished and ready for occupancy. The carpenter shop was then moved to the basement of this building, and the machine shop was extended to occupy both the first and second floors of the S. and T. Buildings. At this time the Men’s Club opened and has since done much to promote the social life of the Institute. The first class in Chemistry was graduated in 1807. The land between Grand Avenue and Steuben Street which had pre- viously been used for an athletic field was then leveled off and tennis courts were laid out. A large plot of land farther North between Steuben Street and Emerson Place was acquired and transformed into an athletic field. In 1914 the Machinery Building was erected. The machine shop was then moved to the first floor and the carpentry shop to the second. A tannery was then established in the basement of the Chemistry Building. The forge shop was changed to the basement of the Machinery Building and the upper floor was used by the foundry where a two-ton cupola was set up. The grounds formerly covered by boiler room, forge and foundry were remodeled into a court yard. Weare all familiar with the war activities that have taken place at Pratt. How the government first sent a group of sailors to take an electrical course here, and later established an aeroplane repair shop in the S. and T., the former Thrift, and the Kindergarten buildings, for the training of army men. At the beginning of this year the government took the whole man power of the school and turned it into an army camp. Two large buildings were used for barracks and a new mess hall was started while the whole school was put upon a military basis. The signing of the armistice, however, checked this work and after a few months of military drill, Pratts’ little army and navy were demobilized and the school once more Fifteen : vy agi 7 2 =f ; ; it As ¥ ¥ ; WV ES | ; | Os, o Fe gr — ‘e tr na ed Tan “w Sst ae =O ee Me Te » — - 0 5