Cooley, Edwin G. 1857-1923

COOLEY, RICHARDSON, HANSEN, COMSTOCK, LIVINGSTON

Posted By: Jill McCarville (email)
Date: 6/7/2013 at 16:08:05

Edwin Cooley Is Dead In Chicago

Prominent Educator and Former Head of Cresco Schools Dies at Age of 67

Edwin G. Cooley, for six years head of the Cresco public schools, and later head of the public school system of Chicago, died last Friday at the North Shore Health Resort in Winnetka, near Chicago.

The first news of Mr. Cooley's death received here was contained in a telegram to his sister Mrs. J.C. Livingston, living north of town.

The Chicago papers of Friday made a brief mention of his serious illness and the following day they reported his death. The Tribune gives the following sketch of his work in Chicago:

Mr. Cooley was 66 years old. He had suffered a nervous breakdown a year ago last June, from which he never fully recovered.

With Schools Many Years

He had been with the board of education for many years, and since his retirement from the superintendency in 1909, he had, with the exception of one year in which he was connected with a Boston publishing house, been in charge of continuation school work for the board.

The former superintendent had not been at his desk in the school board room since the breakdown of more than a year ago. He had been sent to the sanitarium a week ago. On Thursday night he lapsed into coma, from which he did not awaken before the end.

Family at Bedside

At his bedside when he succumbed were his wife, Mrs. Lydia Cooley, and his three daughters, Mrs. Sue Richardson, Mrs. Bertha Hansen, and Mrs. Bess Comstock.

Mr. Cooley lived at 29 Stone st. La Grange. He was born at Strawberry Point, Iowa, March 12, 1857. He was educated in the Iowa State university and at the University of Chicago.

Funeral arrangements had not been announced last night, but Granville Richardson, son-in-law, said the burial will probably be Monday in La Grange, with St. Bernard commandery, K.T. officiating.

Toiled for Children

Supt. of Schools Mortenson said yesterday when he informed of Mr. Cooley's death that the latter had unquestionably given his life prematurely because of his zeal for the welfare of the city's school children, particularly the poor children who must work and obtain an education as best they may.

"When Mr. Cooley came into the board of education to be superintendent of schools in 1900 he was like a brawny blacksmith," Mr. Mortenson said. "When he left the superintendent's office in 1909 he was an old man, his vitality gone."

"His life as superintendent was a tremendous example. He would not suffer any political interference in the public school system, had numerous battles on this ground, in which he always triumphed. Our loss is a keen one."

Mr. Cooley came to Cresco in 1885, having been elected to succeed L.T. Weld who resigned after serving 14 years here to become superintendent of the Cedar Rapids schools. Mr. Cooley was then about 30 years old. He had been principal of the school in Strawberry Point, Iowa, before coming here. His salary to start with here was $1000.00 a year. In 1891 he resigned to become head of the schools at La Grange, Ill.

After going to Chicago he became a strong advocate of vocational training in the public schools. He spent more than a year in Germany studying the school system there and later made a trip to Japan on a similar mission.

His last visit to Cresco was about four years ago when he delivered an address in the opera house on a Sunday evening. The house was filled and the entire proceeds were donated by Mr. Cooley to the Red Cross.

When he assumed his duties as head of the Chicago schools they had long been under the domination of politicians and the system was honeycombed with graft. He detested both and set out to free the schools of them. The best element of the citizenship backed him. He accomplished much but at the sacrifice of his health and he finally gave up the job broken physically. Upon leaving his post he said he had one more fight left in him, but he wanted to ave that for a more opportune time; but that time never came.

The Howard County Times Page 3
Transcribed by Jill McCarville from the files of Janice Sowers