BIOGRAPHIES
Iowa State Board of Education
Iowa Official Register 1927-1928

GEORGE T. BAKER
Member of Board of Education, was born July 9, 1857, on a farm in Iowa county, Iowa. He was educated in the district schools of Iowa, Hall's school for boys, at Ellington, Conn., McClain's academy at Iowa City, and the Iowa state university. He remained one year at the state university and then completed four years of special work in civil engineering at Cornell university, Ithaca, class of 1879. During the years from 1879 to 1889 he was engaged in railway location, construction and maintenance work, after which he was chief engineer for the high bridges built across the Mississippi river at Muscatine and Clinton, and consulting engineer of the high bridge at Winona, Minn. From 1893 until January, 1910, he was engaged in general construction work on railways, paving, sewerage, water works, and heavy building construction. Served as a member of the general assembly in the twenty-sixth regular and special session, was a member of the house of representatives from Scott county, was elected mayor of the city of Davenport in 1898, serving two years and was delegate at large to the democratic national convention in 1900. A democrat in politics.

PAULINE LEWELLING DEVITT
Member of Board of Education, born April 10, 1877, in the girl's department of the Iowa State Reform school which her father and mother, Lorenzo D. and Angie Cook Lewelling had recently organized near Mt. Pleasant. In 1887, shortly after the death of Mrs. Lewelling, Mr. Lewelling, then president of the board of the State Teachers college, moved his family to Kansas of which state he was elected Governor in 1892. The daughter, Pauline, was graduated from the Wichita high school and from the State University of Kansas and then taught for four years in the high schools of that state. In 1901 she was united in marriage to James Arthur Devitt of Oskaloosa, Iowa, at that time county attorney for Mahaska county. To this union was born three children who have the distinction of being third generation Hawkeyes. Mrs. Devitt was president of the Iowa Equal Suffrage association in 1919 when a special session of the legislature ratified the federal suffrage amendment. During the was she was appointed by Governor Harding a member of the state council of defense and served also as sixth district chairman of the liberty loan committee. In 1920 she was delegate-at-large to the national republican convention. At the time of her appointment to the state board of education in 1921 she was a member of the local school board in Oskaloosa. In 1926-27 she served as vice president of the state conference of social work and in 1927 was reappointed by Governor Hammill to the state board of educaton.

GEORGE W. GODFREY
Member of Board of Education, residence Algona, was born at Luverne, Iowa, in 1883. Graduated from Luverne high school in 1899, from Cornell college academy in 1905, and from Iowa State college in 1909. Received master's degree in agriculture from Iowa State college in 1921. Awarded master farmer medal by Wallace's Farmer in 1927. Except for one year teaching at Iowa State college, 1919-20, and three winters in agricultural extension work, chief vocation has been farming.

ANNA B. LAWTHER
Member of Board of Education, born in Dubuque, Iowa, the daughter of William Lawther and Annie Elizabeth (Bell) Lawther. Her grandparents were among the earliest settlers of the state. Received early education in public schools of Dubuque and prepared for college at Miss Stevens' school, Germantown, Pa. Received her bachelor of arts degree from Bryn Mawr college in 1897. The year following her graduation she became assistant bursar of Bryn Mawr college. From 1904 to 1905 she was the warden of Merion Hall, Bryn Mawr college, and from 1907 to 1912 she was the secretary of Bryn Mawr college. After resigning her position at her alma mater Miss Lawther returned to Dubuque where she bacame interested in local activities. During the campaign for equal suffrage in the spring of 1916, Miss Lawther was the chairman of the Dubuque County Equal Suffrage league and in the autumn of the same yaer was elected president of the Iowa Equal Suffrage association and was twice re-elected to that position. She was a member of the state council of defense during the war. When presidential suffrage was granted to the women of owa by the thirty-eighth general assembly, Miss Lawther was made the democratic national committeewoman for Iowa. Was sent as a delegate to the democratic national convention at San Francisco in 1920. She is at present the democratic national committeewoman for Iowa.

CLAUDE R. PORTER
Member of the Board of Education, was born at Moulton, Iowa, July 8, 1872. Educated in the Centerville schools, Parsons college at Fairfield and St. Louis law school. Admitted to the bar in 1893. Practiced law in Centerville for years, became prominent as a worker in the democratic party. Member of the Iowa house of representatives 1896 to 1900 and of the Iowa senate 1900 to 1904. Democratic candidate for secretary of state in 1898, for governor in 1908, 1910 and 1918 and for United States senator 1908, 1909, 1911, 1920 and 1926. U.S. attorney southern district of Iowa, 1914-1918; assistant attorney general in charge of criminal business 1918, 1919; chief counsel federal trade commission July, 1919 to October 1, 1920. Removed to Des Moines and engaged in the practice of law. Member of the Presbyterian church.

EDWARD P. SCHOENTGEN
Member of Board of Education, born August 16, 1873, in Council Bluffs. Attended local school until 12 years of age. Then attended an academy in Milwaukee, Wis., later entering the manual training school in Washington university, St. Louis. In 1891 he entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Boston, taking the course in architecture, receiving the degree of S.B. in architecture in 1895. He then studied abroad two years in Paris, France, at the Ecole des Beaux aarts as a pupil of Jean Louis Pascal, Member L'Institute, and a government architect. The balance of the time was spent in the French provinces and Italy. Returning to this country, he was identified with architectural work in St. Louis and in 1899 opened an office in Council Bluffs, practicing in that city during the next ten years. He then relinquished the practice of his profession and became actively connected with the wholesale grocery form of Groneweg & Schoentgen company. He was married in 1901 to Miss Mable Pratt, of Des Moines, daughter of M.M. Pratt. In 1901 appointed a member of the capitol commission by Governor A.B. Cummins. Appointed to the board of education in 1909 by Governor Carroll. A democrat in politics.

HENRY C. SHULL
Member of Board of Education, was born January 16, 1892, at Sioux City, Iowa, son of Deloss Carlton and Francis Edith Shull. Was educated in the Sioux City public schools and graduated from the Sioux City Central high school in June, 1910. Collegiate education University of Chicago, 1910 to 1914 (Ph. B. 1914). Legal education Harvard law School and University of Chicago law school (J.D. 1916). Began the practice of law in Sioux City. In August, 1917, enlisted in the service of the navy and was discharged February, 1919, retiring as an ensign, U.S.N.R.F. Returned to Sioux City and entered the law firm of Shull, Stilwill, Shull and Wadden, of which he is now a member. Was married in August, 1921, to Alice Lincoln, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S.A. Lincoln, Alton, Iowa. A member of Monahan Post No. 64 of the American Legion, the Masonic fraternity, and the First Baptist church. A republican. A member of the Iowa State Bar association and the American Bar association.

WILLARD C. STUCKSLAGER
Member of Board of Education, born in the town of Lisbon, Linn county, Iowa, october 24, 1869. Graduated from the high school at Lisbon in 1886. Entered Cornell college at Mount Vernon, Iowa, and in 1893 Chicago university. In 1894 engaged in the banking business at Lisbon, Iowa, entering the Stuckslager-Auracher bank, founded by his father in 1874. At present president of the bank and also of the Mount Vernon bank. Is interested in educational matters and has been a member of the board of trustees of Cornell college for the past twenty-two years, fourteen years of which time he has been a membber of the executive commmittee. Elected representative in 1899 and served durning the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth general assemblies. In 1903 he was elected to the senate and served during the thirtieth, thirty-first, thirty-second, thirty-second extra, thirty-third and thirty-fourth general assemblies. A republican in politics.

WILLIAM R. BOYD
Chairman of the finance committee of the Board of Educaton, is a native of Iowa, having been born in Lisbon, Linn county, May 19, 1864. His boyhood was spent in Tipton, Iowa, where he attended the public schools. He was graduated from the college of liberal arts of the state university in June, 1889, having earned his way by teaching school and clerking in a store. He was principal of the school at Mechanicsville, Iowa, two years. He was editor of the Tipton Advertiser two years, editor and associate editor of the Cedar Rapids Republican sixteen years. Mr. Boyd served as ostmaster of Cedar Rapids from 1899 to 1909, resigning this office to accept his present position. He has long been interested in educational matters, and was for several years a member of the board of trustees of Coe college, and for a time lecturer on political economy in that institution. Mr. Boyd is a director of the American Turst and Savings bank, and president of the Perpetual Savings and Loan association, both located in Cedar Rapids. A republican in politics.

W.H. GEMMILL
Secretary of the Iowa State Board of Education, was born in Ontario, Canada, March 14, 1871. In September of that year his parents moved to Keokuk county, Iowa, and settled on a farm near South English. He attended the rural schools and graduated from the South English high school in 1889. He entered the Iowa state college at Ames and graduated in November 1894, with the degree of bachelor of science. During these years, he taught several terms in country schools. He has taken educational work in history and economics in Highland Park college, Drake university and Des Moines college. He was principal of schools at Gibson, Iowa, two and one-half years; county superintendent of Keokuk county four years; superintendent of schools at Dallas Center 1901 to 1911, and superintendent of the Carroll schools 1914 to 1917 and resigned to become secretary of the board of educaton. He was married in 1895 to Birdie D. Richards. They have four children, Agnes, John, Helen and Iva.

JACKSON W. BOWDISH
Member of the finance committee of the Iowa State Board of Education, was born in Merwinsville, Litchfield county, Connecticut, on the border line between new York and Connecticut. His parents and all the other members of the family except himself were natives of New York state. When he was a child his parents moved from Dutchess county, New York, to Linn county, Iowa, and located on a farm in Maine township. He resided on the farm until after he was of age, having completed his education at Cornell college, Mount Vernon, Iowa. He left the farm to enter the banking business, which he pursued the greater part of his life. In 1880 he was engaged in the banking business in Canisteo, New York, where he married charlotte Allison. On his return to Iowa in 1886, he was elected clerk of the district court of Linn county, after which he followed the grocery business for a short time. in 1892 he assisted in the organization of the Bohemian American State Bank, and the Iowa Savings Bank of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which, by merger became the present American Trust and Savings Bank. In politics he is a democrat.

C.C. SHEAKLEY
Board of Education

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Members of the Board of Education
George T. Baker, Davenport, Democrat, term exp. July 1, 1929
Edward P. Schoentgen, Council Bluffs, Democrat, term exp. July 1, 1933
Willard C. Stuckslager, Lisbon, Republican, term exp. July 1, 1929
George W. Godfrey, Algona, Republican, term exp. July 1, 1933
Anna B. Lawther, Dubuque, Democrat, term exp. July 1, 1929
Pauline Lewelling Devitt, Oskaloosa, Republican, term exp. July 1, 1933
Henry C. Shull, Sioux City, Republican, term exp. July 1, 1931
C.C. Sheakley, New Hampton, Republican, term exp. July 1, 1931
Claude R. Porter, Des Moines, Democrat, term exp. July 1, 1931

Finance Comittee of Board of Education
William R. Boyd, Chairman, Cedar Rapids, Republican, annual salary - $3,600.
W.H. Gemmill, Secretary, Des Moines, Republican, annual salary - $4,000.
Jackson W. Bowdish, Member, Des Moines, Democrat, annual salary - $3,600.

Employees of Finance Committee, Board of Education
Lida M. Erwin, Chief clerk, Des Moines, annual salary - $1,500.
Ernstine Schultz Conradi, Statistical clerk, Des Moines, Annual salary - $1,300.
Mildred Grabill, Stenographer, Des Moines, Annual salary - $1,200.
Helen M. Lenihan, Stenographer, Des Moines, Annual salary - $1,200.

(abstracted)
The board of education of nine members is appointed by the governor for six-year terms, subject to approval by the senate. The board chooses from outside its own membership a finance committee of 3 members. The educational institutions in charge of the board are: Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Ames; State University of Iowa, Iowa City; Iowa State Teachers' College, Cedar Falls; Iowa School for the Blind, Vinton' Iowa School for the Deaf, Council Bluffs.

State University of Iowa -- Iowa City
Officers:
Walter Albert Jessup, Ph.D., LL.D., President
Thomas Huston MacBride, Ph.D., LL.D., President Emeritus
William Herbert Bates, Sectetary
William Judd McChesney, Financial Agent
W.H. Cobb, Auditor
John Meeker Fisk, B.S. in E.E., Superintendent of grounds & buildings
Elmer Almy Wilcox, B.A., Secretary of the University Senate
Herbert Clifford Dorcas, M.A., University Examiner & Registrar
Adelaide Lasheck Burge, Ph.B., Acting Dean of Women
Robert Elmer Rienow, B.A., Dean of Men
Morton Claire Mumma, B.S., Lieut. Col., U.S.A., Commandant of the R.O.T.C.
John Boynton Kaiser, M.L.S., Director of University Libraries
George Frederick Kay, Ph.D., Dean of College of Liberal Arts
Henry Craig Jones, LL.B., S.J.D., LL.B., Dean of College of Law
Lee Wallace Dean, M.S., M.D., F.A.C.S., Dean of College of Medicine
Frank Thomas Breene, D.D.S., M.D., Dean of College of Dentistry
Wilber John Teeters, M.S., Ph.C., Dean of the College of Pharmacy
Carl Emil Seashore, Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate College
Clement Clarence Williams, Dean of the College of Applied Science
Paul Clifford Packer, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Education
John Thomas McClintock, B.A., M.D., Junior Dean College of Medicine
Edward Henry Lauer, Ph.D., Director of the Extension Division
Bird Thomas Baldwin, Ph.D., Director of the Child Welfare Research Station
Chester Arthur Phillips, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Commerce
Philip Greeley Clapp, Ph.D., Director of School of Music
Mary Jane McArthur, Director of School of Nursing; superintendent of nurses
Jesse LeRoy McElroy, M.D., Superintendent of University Hospital

Iowa State College of Agriculture & Mechanic Arts -- Ames
Officers:
Raymond M. Hughes, B.S., M.S., President
Herman Knapp, B.S.A., Business Manager
Orange Howard Cessna, D.D, Chaplain
Charles Franklin Curtiss, M.S.A., D.Sc., Dean of the Division of Agriculture, Director of Agricultural Experiment Station
Anson Marston, CE., Dean of the Division of Engineering, Director of Engineering Experiment Station
Charles Henry Stange, D.V.M., Dean of the Division of Veterinary Medicine, Professor of Veterinary Medicine
Robert Earle Buchanan, M.S., Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate College; Professor of Bacteriology
Frances A. Sims, Ph.B., Acting Dean of the Division of Home Economics
Henry Herbert Kildee, M.S., Vice Dean of the division of Agriculture, Professor of Animal Husbandry
Samuel Walker Beyer, B.S., Ph.D., Dean of the Division of Industrial Science, Professor of Geology
Maria M. Roberts, B.L., Dean of the Junior College, Professor of Mathematics
Harold Edward Bemis, D.V.M., Vice Dean of Division of Veterinary Medicine and Professor of Veterinary Surgery
James R. Sage, B.A., M.Sc., Registrar, Vice Dean of Junior College
Thomas Sloss, Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds
James Franklin Edwards, MD., College Physician and Professor of Hygiene
Mrs. Julia Stanton, B.L., Dean of Women
John Elden Foster, B.A., Dean of Men, Director of Summer Session
Charles Harvey Brown, B.A., M.A., Librarian

Iowa State Teachers College - Cedar Falls
Administrative Officers, Address - Cedar Falls:
President - Homer H. Seerley, M.A., LL.D.
Business Secretary - Benjamin Boardman, Ph.B.
Executive Secretary - Anna R. Wild
Treasurer - Roger Leavitt
Registrar and Examiner - Charles C. Cory, B.S.
Director of Extension - Irving H. Hart, B.A.
Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds- James E. Robinson
Dean of Women - Mrs. Marion McFarland Walker, B.A.
Dean of Men - Leslie I. Reed, M.A.
Librarian - Anne Stuart Duncan, B.L.
Health Service - Dr. F.N. Mead
Head of Bartlett Hall - Mary E. Haight

Iowa School for the Deaf - Council Bluffs
Superintendent, O.L. McIntire
Physician, McM. Hanchett, M.D.
Steward, John F. Schultz
Matron, Rosa Lorenz

Historical: The Iowa School for the Deaf was founded in 1885 in answer to the demand that the deaf children of the state be given the same opportunity for an education that was provided for those who could hear. Because such deaf children are fewer and very much scattered, as well as to secure better grading, it was found more economical to get them together and provide board as well as tuition. The school was first located at Iowa City and later moved to Council Bluffs. n 1902 a fire completely destroyed the main building. A new modern, fireproof structure has arisen in its place where sufficient room is provided for 300 pupils. A separate building to accommodate forty-five of the younger pupils is also provided.

Iowa School for the Blind - Vinton
Superintendent, Francis Eber Palmer
Physician, J.E. Luckey, M.D.
Visiting Ophthalmic Surgeon, L.W. Dean, M.D., state university

The aim and purpose of the Iowa School for the Blind is purely educational. The course of study includes not only the subjects required for admission to the colleges and the university of the state, but also subjects that aim to prepare our students for some of the occupations in which it has been demonstrated that the blind are usually successful. After a pupil of this school reaches the high school department, he is given some latitude in the choice of courses of study, and in the making of his choice he always has the guidance and advice of teachers and matrons. However, the courses are so arranged that a student who chooses one course, say, one of the vocational courses of study, has the benefit of subjects in other courses. In fact, both literary and industrial work is required of all students.

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