of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 347-348
(By W. F. Chevalier.) My knowledge of the Muscatine schools dates from July 1, 1901, at which time my duties as superintendent began. My administration extended from that date to July 1, 191O. At that time T. W. B. Everhart, the present superintendent, became the official head of the schools.
Nine years ago the city schools were housed in nine school buildings. The present high school building, then comparatively new, having been in use only a few years; seven ward buildings; and one suburban building. Prior to that time, the basement of the high school had not been used for class rooms. The superintendent, board of education and the city library then occupied several of the basement rooms.
I found everywhere in and about the schools evidence of the good work of my predecessor, Superintendent Witter. His scholarship, personality and power as a teacher and leader of teachers had left an abiding impression for good on the teaching force and schools.
The high school was then comparatively small, having an enrollment of about 160 and a staff of six teachers. R. M. Arey was appointed principal and remained at the head of the school until July 1, 1910, when Mr. True succeeded him. Mr. Arey was capable and scholarly and under his administration the school grew in numbers and efficiency. A business course was added to the former high school curriculum in the fall of 1901 in response to a popular de- mand for training in this line of work. Charles McMullen was the organizer and first instructor in this department but it remained for Miss Florence Chase, a graduate of Vassar College, to really vitalize the department and give it an efficiency and popularity that assured its permanency. The good work of Miss Chase led to her rapid promotion until she now has a similar position in the Omaha high school, one of the largest schools in the United States. The growth of the high school made imperative the appointment of more teachers. With the increase in the teaching force the instruction was made more fully departmental. The credit system of promotion and graduation was introduced. The requirements for graduation were raised so that graduates from the high school are now admitted to the colleges and universities of the North Centra1 Association without examination. Two of our recent graduates are now doing creditable work at Cornell University, New York. Our State University and colleges, of course, receive the major portion of our high school graduates.
Perhaps no other single factor indicates more forcibly the wholesale influence of the instruction given in the high school than does the constantly increasing number of our graduates who attend college.
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