Gladewater Daily Mirror (Gladewater, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 162, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 31, 1954 Page: 18 of 24
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C»bii«\vat»r Daily Mirror
9
100 Years Of Progress In Texas School System
(Editor’s Note: The following
sketch of highlights in the first
100 years of education in Texas
is taken from an article written
bv Dr. Frederick Eby, noted
philosopher and educational his-
torian.)
sources of Texas were tied up with
the boundless undeveloped mental
and spiritual capabilities of her
people.
The vast territory of rich soil
open to colonization and the salub-
_____ .rious climate appealed to many
The 100th birthday of the Texas j idealistic spirits. Robert Owen,
PUbuc school system on January i motivated by Pestalozzian ideas,
w'“ h® * time for cele- [asked the Mexican government to
bration for it will mark the cen- give him Texas for an experiment
tennial of what was perhaps the
most significant event in our
state’s educational history
The first school on Texas soil,
other than a mission or parish
in social reform by means of edu-
cation. Northern and Southern
preachers and teachers were en-
gaged in a great Christian mis-
sionary movement that swept the
school, was established at Laredo United States <1815-1840». They
in 1783 for the purpose of civiliz-
ing and christianizing the Ameri-
can Indians. The Spanish Missions,
such as the Alamo, had education
programs particularly in view.
Texas was an outpost of the Span-
ish American civilization from the
17th to the 19th century, and the
thurch benevolently persuaded the
Spanish king that schools for the
Indians were necessary. Spain’s
feeble colonization efforts pro-
duced merely the beginning of ele-
mentary education.
In 1821 the Mexican govern-
ment, having authority over Texas
from then until 1838, authorized
a municipal system of education
which had some good features.
The Mexican population in Texas
was too poor to join in the pursuit
of culture and the Anglo-Ameri-
cans \yho settled here brought
along their own ideas of education.
Little use was made, therefore, of
the educational provisions in the
laws of the State of Coahuila-
Texas. A school survey by Al-
monte in 1834 records schools at
San Antonio, Brazoria, Nacog;
doches, San Augustine, and Johns-
burg.
Spanish, French, Mexican and
German influences were inter-
mingled in the evolution of public
education in Texas: but above all,
the development provided a bat-
tle-ground for conflicting Anglo-
American cultural patterns.
During the Republic
The Texas Declaration of Inde-
pendence of March, 1836, contain-
ed a proclamation and charge
against ^he Mexican government
which stated that that government
had failed to establish any public
education system and that unless
a people are educated and enlight-
ened, it is idle to expect the con-
tinuance of civil liberty, or the
capacity for self-government.
It was Pestalozzie, the impas-
sioned Swiss school teacher, who
convinced the world that unlvfrsal
elementary education was the on-
ly means for the betterment of
mankind.
To Texas pioneers, the accepted
method of founding educational
institutions was to endow them
with large tracts of land. The
founders of Texas were inspired
by the vision of an empire where
every child would receive general
education on the bounty of their
state—the greatest, riches unoccu-
pied territory on earth. Not only
its soil but also ’’its forests and
minerals,” according to Ezekiel W.
Cullen, depended for their dis-
covery and utilization upon the
intellectual and moral cultivation
of the people. Thus the early set-
looked on Texas as their greatest
challenge, both because of the size
of the state and because Texas
was the gateway to the Latin-
American world. Social conditions
would be pliable, thus furnishing
the choicest opportunity in all the
world for effective achievements
for humanity.
Stephen F. Austin, wise coloni-
zer, was an_ardent advocate of
schools. Sam Houston, colossal
spirit in so many ways, was too
busy to become deeply interested
in founding a public system of
education. Mirabcau B. Lamar,
dreaming of a vast new Empire,
was eager to do for Texas what
Jefferson had done for Virginia.
George C. Childress, author of the
Texas Declaration of Indepen-
dence, evidenced a strong belief
in state-controlled education. A.
J. Yates, a formes government
professor in a New York College,
was possibly the wealthiest and
certainly the best informed of the
Texas pioneers interested in a sys-
tem of public schools. Among the
leaders of the Republic of Texas
were a remarkably high propor-
tion of college graduates.
The great-hearted Texans pro-
posed to found a school system,
from the primary grade through
the university, entirely on the
bounty of Ahe state. The boundless
resources dedicated to the educa-
tion of oncoming generations
would, they believed, make the
imposition of fees or taxes forever
unnecessary. Only gradually did
they awaken to the fact that
schools cannot subsist on land
alone. The only school established
by the land grant policy adopted
by the Teias Congress in 1839-49
was the semi-public San Augus-
tine University. Nacogdoches Uni-
versity, now Stephen F. Austin,
was financed from the sale of four
leagues of land endowed by the
Mexican regime in 1933. The first
elementary schools established on
the state’s bounty were opened in
San Antonio in 1833 on means pro-
vided by the same Mexican re-
gime.
In the 1840’s many discordant
views of education alternately
simmered and bubbled in Texas.
The Masonic order was the most
aggressive factor of all in estab-
lishing local schools and in work-
ing for the general state system of
schools.
During the Republic 19 institu-
tions were chartered and all but
two were put into operation. Pro-
bably hundreds of unchartered
private schools were in operation.
Music teachers were active, but
little is recorded about efforts to
tiers realized that the physical re- support literacy and the fine arts
to the children ‘of the Republic of
Texas.
1MS-1IS4
The article on education in the
State Constitution of 1848 was a
perfect model of expedient com-
promise. It had none of that un-
daunted enthusiasm for state edu-
cation/ that characterized the men
of 1836. A few definite steps were
taken, nowever, toward a system
of public schools. Ten per cent of
the state’s annual revenue was
designated by law as “a perpfctual
fund” to be used to educate child-
ren of indigent parents. This was
a charity and was generally ac-
cepted without opposition.
During this period the governor
of the state insisted that the Leg-
islature should establish a system
of schools, but nothing was done
until 1854.
First Public School
The law establishing the first
public school in Texas was en-
acted January 31, 1854. The Com-
mon School law was. drawn with
the utmost diplomacy, in an at-
tempt to satisfy many conflicting
groups. The law provided for an
cnnual distribution, on a per capi-
ta basis, of the interest on the
school “special fund.” Every coun-
ty was to be divided into a num-
ber of suitable number of school
districts, each of which would
elect trustees to set up and super-
vise the system. Each district was
to provide a school building, but
no method of financing the build-
ings was stipulated. Churches fra-*
ternal lodges, and private scnools
and buildings were commonly
used.
A large number of new aca-
demies came into existence as a
result of the 1854 law. The founda-
tion, despite weaknesses of the
1854 law, of public education was
laid which was to outlast war,
devastation, tyranny and reaction.
Civil War
The Civil War as devasting to
public education; it threw every-
thing into confusion and uncer-
tainty. Texas was impoverished
economically and the state treas-
ury could not keep up the pay-
ments to the schools, meager as
they had been. The article on edu-
cation in the Texas Constitution of
1861 was merely a repetition of
the educational provisions in the
Constitution of 1845. The Consti-
tution of 1866 followed the same
pattern, except it took two ad-
vanced steps: it legalized the ap-
pointment of a state superinten-
dent of public instruction, and re-
quired public school teachers to
obtain certificates. The Federal
Government nullified the 1866
Constitution. The legislature could
do nothing until a new constitu-
tion acceptable to Washington
could be adopted.
The Civil War and Reconstruc-
tion period, however, was not ut-
terly destitute of advance. Among
the new institutions established
were two universities, Waco (now
Baylor) and Trinity (began as La-
rissa College, subsequently moved
to Tehuacana, Waxachie and fin-
ally to San Antonio), 10 colleges,
eight academies, six “institutes”
for girls and two were co-educa-
tional, two seminaries and one
From The Oil Boom Days.....
By GLADYS SIMPSON
What was good enough for your
grandfather isn’t good enough for
you. What is good enough for you
today won’t be good enough for
you ten years from now because
you can't escape the incontroven-
tible force of change. As the world
changes, you change; and whether
or not you’re conscious of it, you
are constantly accepting the new
thinking and living habits which
change brings about.
Think what it was like in Glade-
water during the oil boom. The
Giadewater Elementary School
was a two story, red, brick build-
ing. The school grounds were not
as large as they are today, but
on the north side of the grounds
nt the back of the school building
stood a large two story frame
building to be used as a teach-
erage The streets in front of the
school were not paved.
The present home of Mrs. I. W. [
Webb on Broadway was originally
the teacherage. This building was
built and furnished by the Glade-
water Independent School. It con-
sisted of four apartments and
kitchenetts, two large screened
•porches, and two baths which
were a luxury at that time. The
first floor contained three apart-
ments, two screened porches, and
two baths. There was a large liv-
ing room downstairs to be shared
by all in the teacherage. Since
houses were scarce in Giadewater,
the superintendent and principal
occupied the lower part. The sup-
erintendent spent most of his eve-
nings in the living room so he
could watch the teachers.
There was always quit® an ex-
citement around the teacherage
because it was just like one big
family. One night after we had
been in Giadewater a short time,
we were eating dinner when we
heard a loud noise and could see
black smoke coming in at the win-
dows, About this time some one
shouted, “Fire.”
“The whole town is going to
bum. Get the things you want to
take.”
Wo put all of our things in a
big rfheet and tied it up. others
ran around in the teacherage pick
ing things up that had no value
at alt. All of our clothes and things
, were put in a large school bus
and Carried outside of the city.
The next day alP the contents
in the bus were unloaded in our
room, and it was months before
we ever returned everything to
the (iWilt
of the teachers
vei-y fillet going
hit the bottom before she could
get them.
Life in the teacherage was very
monotonous at times as the teach-
ers were required to stay at home
every night from Monday until
Friday evening. Then if a teacher
went home too often on week-ends
she would be considered a suitcase
teacher. The teachers were not al-
lowd to go to the picture shows
on Sunday. Sometimes the teach-
ers would go to the prayer meet-
ings on Wednesday nights with the
Superintendent even If it was not
the church of their choice.
The first grade rooms during
the oil boom consisted of a row
of unattractive shacks at the back
of the present elementary school
near the street. The buildings were
constructed out of plank with sin-
gle walls. They had tin roofs and
contained four large rooms with
four outside doors. There was a
door that led from one room into
the next room on the inside. Each
room had a small cloak room for
the children’s coats and lunches.
On the cast side of the building
was a row of windows without
shades. The teachers used news-
papers and scraps of building pa-
per to keep the sun out until the
P. T. A. came to our rescue with
new shades.
Some of the teachers made the
rooms as attractive as they could
by buying building paper and put-
ting it up themselves. Others used
pictures cut from magazines and
books mounted on paper that was
furnished by the teachers. The
furniture for the rooms consisted
of a teacher’s desk, cane bottom
chair, small desks screwed to the
floor, and lots of blackboards. The
rooms were heated by gas stoves.
It was common to go into the room
in the morning and find a bum
sleeping by the fire on newspa-
pers or where someone had spent
the night by the warm fire. There
was no way to lock the doors.
It was always very exciting at
school as there were always new
pupils and teachers being edded,
also, more shacks being built. Dur-
ing this same year they were
building on the preynt elementary
school. At the back of the build-
ing with the lumber and bricks
were some large barrels of tar to
be used on the building. Before
they realized it, the children had
chipped off one-half barrel of tar
to chew. So they put someone out
to guard it.
The next year we moved into
the present elementary school. We
were very ttoud of this building
and though* It was very attractive
_ ‘ walls and shades,
•chool system was
it was known as
four well-equipped first grade
rooms, (we thought, but times
have changed). These rooms con-
tained a reading table, small
chairs, bulletin board, sand table,
teacher’s desk and chair. The
teachers had more to work with in
the way of slides and charts.
The first grade teachers in the
new school were Miss Lavada
Walker, Marie Craver, Mary El-
bert, Ethel Parker, and Gladys
Simpson. The teachers were
known as homeroom teachers
teaching two sections of pupils
each day. The pupils stayed in the
homeroom half of the day and in
the special classes the other half.
The special classes consisted of
music, art, story telling, and play-
ground.
Most of the work was done
around certain activity units.
These units were started in differ-
ent ways by telling stories, read-
ing, visits, and pictures.
In this new building, we had a
school nurse, a very nice cafe-
teria, an auditorium teacher, and
plenty of materials to work with.
The Giadewater school district
is to be congratulated on the im-
provements which were made dur-
ing and since the oil boom. Miss
Gladys Simpson who is giving this
report commends particularly the
improvements of artificial light-
ing, redecoration of classrooms
and halls, addition of new class-
rooms, beautification of the school
grounds, and enlargement of play-
grounds. Much attention has been
given to improved methods of
teaching. Strip films, slides, ra-
dios, projectors, many books, and
field trips are used to enrich the
curiculum. The elementary
school, also, has a library of about
5000 volumes to which all pupils
have access. In addition to the
children’s books the school pro-
vides the newest and best profes-
sional books available for the
teachers.
There were many funny things
happening every day during the
busy, early growth days of the
Giadewater schools. There were
always a lot of children on the
grounds at ope time. As the
grounds were small and covered
with slush pits, the children were
always falling into the slush pits,
sometimes it was the teachers. As
we did not have a school nurse,
it was the teacher's lot to take
care of the children when they
fell in. On one particular day, we
carried a little girl over to the
teacherage to wash her in the tub.
We loft her in our room wearing
a sweater of ours until her clothes
were dry. Later in the day tlx
classroom door opened and there
stood that little girl clad only in
L
There wck tins large sweater.
high school. Public, schools were
conducted in these institutions.
In 1856 Waco University took
the first step toward co-education.
Young women were accepted as
students, taught by the same pro-
fessors in the same buildings but
in classes separate from young
women. But the women did not re-
ceive tire B. A. and Master’s de-
gree. They had to be content with
the "Maid of Arts,” "Maid of Phil-
osophy,” “Mistress of Humanistic
Literature," and other such de-
grees.
The U. S. Commissioner of Ed-
ucation, the Honorable John Eat-
on, Jr., stated in 1870 that Texas
was the “darkest field, education-
ally in the United States,” and Dc-
Gress, the state superintendent of
public instruction, charged that
“the population had been permit-
ted to grow up in ignorance for
35 years." Animated by such bit-
terness of feeling, The Republican
regime that came into power in
Texas in 1869 proceeded to estab-
lish a state system of schools on
the prevailing Northern model.
Evolution by Revolution
The fifth Constitution for Texas
in 33 years (1869> contained a most
idealistic article on education. A
new school law followed in 1870,
but little attention was paid to
it’s exacting requirements by a
recalcitrant people who knew lit-
tle of the discipline which is ne-
cessary to operate an efficient
public school system.
In 1871 a drastic and financially
ruinous system of free public
schools was suddenly and arbi-
trarily imposed upon Texas peo-
ple in a manner no other Ameri-
can state has ever known. Systems
of culture grow by the slow pro-
cess of accretion, like a plant or
one’s personal habits; certainly not
by the sudden imposition of a fore-
ign will. The new system was
based on a philosophy of govern-
ment utterly obnoxious and fore-
ign to most Texans.
The new law which required
districts and taxation for school
purposes were ideas that were not
only repugnant to Texans but
were regarded as contrary to the
sacred promise of the Fathers of
Texal. The greatest insult of all
was the fact that attending school
was compulsory, with a stiff pen-
alty for its infraction.
When the Democratic party
came back into control of Texas
in 1873 the rigid law was moderat-
ed. An act in 1875 created “the
independent school district." It
was in 1876 that Texas education
began to find the right way. How-
ever, until 1864 things were con-
fused and little was actually done
until that year.
Only a few times in the history
of any people is an opportunity
given to a single Paul Bunyan to
perform such great miracles as
were performed by Oran M. Ro-
berts, the premier of Texas Edu-
cation. He led in organizing the
Texas State Teachers Association
in 1879, led in the final establish-
ment and opening of the Univer-
sity of Texas; he reinvigorated the
confidence of Texans in a system
of free public schools and provid-
ed the impetus that led to the Con-
stitutional Amendment in 1883
which finally brought about the
districting of Texas schools.
20th Century
During the last two decades of
the 19th century education pro-
gressed slowly in Texas.
With the dawning of a new cen-
tury Texas experienced an era of
unparalleled expansion in every
line.
Just after the turn of the cen-
tury several studies were publish-
ed showing the standing of Texas
schools in comparison with those
of other states. In one word Texas
schools were reported backward
and close to the bottom in effici-
ency. This expose shamed educa-
tors .to improve conditions. The
sorest spot was the rural school
situation.
Meanwhile the Old South, whose
schools were at the bottom of the
list, was undergoing an education-
al rebirth initiated by the gen-
erous cooperation of northern phil-
anthropists. A new Southland be-
gan to emerge as a consequence
of the agitation for better schools.
The Northland benefactors, how-
ever, declined to extend a Samari-
tan hand to Texas on the ground
that the state was wealthy and
resourceful enough to effect its
own transformation. During the
time before the second decade
much progress was made in help-
ing rural schools.
Second Decade
The second decade of the 20th
century brought now revelations
of deplorable conditions in the
Schools of Texas. r
In 1913 over 75 per cent of the
schools were one-teacher schools
and over 2,000 ran less than three
months during the year. More than
48 per cent of the scholastics were
absent every day. More than 50,-
000 white scholastics did not en-
roll in any school.
Buildings were In shocking con-
dition and teachers generally were
poorly trained and underpaid, and
the cquipmnet was sadly inade-
quate. In 1914 Texas was one of
the states which did not have com-
pulsory law. ■
In 1918 under the leadership of
Miss Annie Webb Blanton, “The
Better Schools Campaign” put
across a constitutional amendment
that raised the ad valorem State
Tax for school purposes to pro-
vide for free textbooks and the
amendment carried.
The prosperity of the 1920 s, the
depression of the 1930’s and the
Second World War of the 1940’s
each brought internal adjustment
problems. The legislature author-
ized in 1923 the first school survey
to he made in Texas.
Junior College
The municipal junior college has
been the outstanding new feature
in Texas public education during
the |>ast 30 years. The latest re*
porta 1952) record 34 such insti-
tutions with a total attendance of
44,161 students Next to California
Texas has today the largest num-
ber of municipal junior colleges.
Reformalon
The Second World War intenai-
fied the need for reform in various
parts of the education organiza-
tion and it in many of its practices
Crucial changes were made by the
Gilmer-Aiken law. They were:
1. The State Department of Ed-
ucation was merged with the Tex-
as Education Agency.
2. The State School Board of
qine members appointed by the
governor with the approval of the
senate was changed to or board of
21 members elected by popular
vote.
3. The state superintendent of
the public instruction formerly
elected now became the state com-
missioner of education appointed
by the State Board for a term of
four years.-
4. The financial ability of the
school districts of Texas varies
greatly. The new system abolish-
ed the traditional per capita sys-
tem of distributing funds jnd in
its place was adopted a plan based
upon tile “economic index."
5. A minimum salary for teach-
ers was likewise adopted which
was reassuring to the teaching pro-
Pritchett Normal Trained Students
For Passing Teaching Examinations
In 1901, in the nearby commu-
nity of Pritchett, there was built
the Pritchett Preparatory Insti-
tute. The school was financed,
built and operated by W. W. San-
ders, J. P. Maberry, and R. W.
Maberry.
The purpose of the institute was
the training of students to pmss
examinations for teaching certifi-
cates. If a student took the exam-
ination and the county board pass-
ed the paper, that student then re-
ceived a second class teacher’s cer-
tificate. The better papers were
then sent by the board to the
fession.
The Texas Public School System
enters its second century equip-
ped with the most efficient up-to-
date organization in its history. It
has moreover a spirit of progress
and inner unity it has never be-
fore posse»cd. Problems are still
numerous,^o be sure, but the me-
thod of handling them and the
determination to forge ahead have
never been so well coordinated.
state, and if the state board ap-
proved the papers the examinees
received first class teacher’s cer-
tificates. .
Because the preparatory insti-
tute trained teachers there were
certain state funds available. Oth-
erwise the school revenue consist-
ed of tuition from the students.
Shouid toe student desire only a
second class certificate, the tuition
was two dollars and 50 cents m
month. But tile candidate for a
first class certificate had to pay
three dollars each month.
The school usually 'nail from 75
to 100 boarding students thut stay-
ed in private homes. For board
and room the students were charg-
ed about eight dollars each month.
These 70 to 100 students were in
addition to all public students in
the vicinity.
In order to instruct this num-
ber the school hud five teachers
on the faculty and some student
assistants. ...... ,
In the year 1906 F. M. Mathis
and W. A. McIntosh purchased
I tlu* school from the original own-
' ers and In 1908 renamed the school
I Pritchett Normal School. Jo* v.
Dean also bought on interest m
the institute in 1911 and taught
there until 1915. Mrs. Preston
Duncan of Gilmer, the former Ef-
fie Etheridge, taught there. Two
other teachers, Mrs. Maud Pul-
iner and B. B. Elder, later served
terms as superintendent of Up-
sliur County. Elder’s term was
from 1918 to 1920. The school was
operated in this manner until 1915,
when it was sold to the Pritchett
school district.
To those who perhaps d|d not
know of the sc'iool’s existence, the
facts ure extremely interesttnr To
the ones who remember the adtool,
the story gives a chance to remi-
nisce.
DOUBLE PLAY
TRUMBULL. Conn. (U.R) —
Thomas Cascone of Hartford
charged that Nicholas Artfella of
Lawrence, Mass., had passed him
on the right side while driving on
the Merritt Parkway. Arifella wa*
fined 315. Cascone also wa* fined
$13 when the judge ruled that he
(ailed to yield the left lane de-
spite continued horn blowing by
Arifella.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is under construction on 14 and ono-hnlf acres of land on Gay Avenue near the intersection of highway 271,
Above is a sketch of the building and it should be ready for occupancy within a year. j.
WE ARE PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THERE IS
No Place In All The
WHERE SCH0QLS
EXCELL OUR 0WNI
LET US ADD OUR VOICES TO ALL OTHERS IN EXPRESSING OUR
PRAISE AND GRATITUDE FOR OUR FINE SCHOOLSI
CLUB COFFEE CUP
DELUXE CAFE
GREEN HUT CAFE
SHAMROCK CAFE
DAIRY QUEEN
BLUE GRILL CAFE
ROUND-UP CAFE
A. & M. CAFE
ELIZABETH'S CAFE
MINT CLUB
COUNTY LINE DRIVE-IN
CAN'T MISS DRIVE-IN
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Belk, Jeanne. Gladewater Daily Mirror (Gladewater, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 162, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 31, 1954, newspaper, January 31, 1954; Gladewater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1021314/m1/18/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lee Public Library.