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CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, MOBILE
Vol. I-33
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pp. 143-144, 145-147; 1863, pp. 179-181; 1864, p. 125; 1865-66, pp. 183, 442-449; 1866-67, p. 379; 1869-70, pp. 29-30, 219-220; 1873, pp. 423-426.
EASTABOGA. See Istapoga.
ECLECTIC. Post office and northern terminus of the Union Springs & Northern Railroad, in the central part of Elmore County, on the headwaters of Hatcheechub- bee and Tumkeehatchee Creeks, ahout 18 miles northwest of Tallassee, and 15 miles northeast of Wetumpka. Population: 1910 -- 315. It is incorporated under the munici- pal code of 1907. It has two banks, the Bank of Eclectic (State), and the Elmore County Bank (State). A weekly newspaper, The Elmore County Democrat, is published there. It is located in the pine belt, and lumbering is its principal industry. The Elmore County High School is located in the town.
REFERENCES .- Brewer, Alabama (1872), p. 237; Northern Alabama (1888), p. 194; Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 328.
ECOR BIENVILLE, BIENVILLE BLUFF. On Danville's map marks the site of the pres- ent city of Selma.
REFERENCES .- Mms. records in Alabama De- partment Archives and History.
ECUNCHATI. The aboriginal name of one of the Indian villages of the Alabama. It occupied the site of the present city of Mont- gomery. It derived its name from the red color of the soil upon which it was located. In correct orthography the word is Ikan-tchati "Red Ground," that is, Ikana, "ground," tchati, "red." The following brief description of the village and its people as they appeared in 1799, is given by the Creek Indian Agent, Col. Benjamin Hawkins:
"A small village on the left bank of Ala- bama, which has its fields on the right side, in the cane swamp they are a poor people, without stock, are idle and indolent, and sel- dom make bread enough, but have fine melons in great abundance in their season. The land back from the settlement, is of thin quality, oak, hickory, pine and ponds. Back of this, hills or waving. Here the soil is of good quality for cultivation: that of thin quality extends nearly a mile."
Archaeological evidence testifies to the antiquity of the occupancy of Ikan-tchati, whether its first people were Alibamu, or of another tribe. Two mounds stood on its site until 1833, one twenty-five feet high and ninety feet square. In digging them down to be converted into brick, human bones, pot- sherds, arrow points, and trinkets, belonging to prehistoric times were found. In the early history of Montgomery the site of the old aboriginal town was so plentifully strewn with Indian relics that boys made up collections.
De Soto on Monday, September 6, 1540 cer- tainly passed over the site of Ikan-tchati on his march to Toasi (Tawasa). His chronicles are silent as to the existence of an inhabited village here, but this silence is by no means
conclusive, for they certainly did not think it needful to take note of, or to give the names of all the Indian villages along their line of March, or in the vicinity of their camps. Apart from De Soto the first historical notice of Ikan-tchati, or Red Ground, is to be seen in the regulations made in the Indian trade, July 3, 1761, in the council at Savannah, which shows that the "Welonkees including Red Ground," had 70 hunters, though no traders were assigned to them.
See Alibamu, Montgomery.
REFERENCES .- Hawkins, Sketches of the Creek Country. (1848), p. 36; Dr. W. S. Wyman, in Ala. Hist. Society, Transactions, 1897-1898, vol. 2, p. 31; Georgia, Colonial Records (1907), vol. 8, p. 524; Blue, History of Montgomery (1878), p. 5.
EDEN. Post office and village on the Southern Railway, in the eastern part of St. Clair County, 2 miles west of Pell City, and 20 miles south of Ashville. Population: 1888-200; 1900-177; 1910-165. Alti- tude: 540 feet. Elias Patterson and Noah Sweat settled there about 1865. In 1883 when the railroad was built, the station was called Manchester, but was subsequently changed back to the original name of the village.
REFERENCES .- Polk's Alabama gazetteer, 1888-9, p. 328; Lippincott's gazetteer, 1913, p. 578.
EDUCATION, STATE BOARD OF. Au- thorized by the legislature of 1919, and is composed of the Governor and six members to be appointed by him, and confirmed by the Senate, for terms of twelve years, and of the State superintendent of education, who is chairman and executive officer of the board. The terms of two of the appointive members of the first board will expire September 30, 1923, two September 30, 1927, and the two remaining members, September 30, 1931. As the term of each incumbent expires the gov- ernor appoints a successor whose term shall be twelve years. The board holds its an- nual meeting in the office of the State de- partment of education on the first Tuesday in October. Other regular meetings are held on the first Tuesday in December, February and May, and special meetings may be called. A per diem expense account of $10.00 is al- lowed each member for each day of actual service, and for a total of not more than 25 days in any fiscal year.
The State board of education exercises through the State superintendent of educa- tion and his professional assistants, general control and supervision over the public schools of the State, except the University, Alabama polytechnic institute and the Ala- bama technical institute and college for women, and is empowered to consult with and advise through its executive officer and his professional assistants, county boards of education, city and town boards of educa- tion, superintendents of schools, school trus- tees, attendance officers, principals, teachers, supervisors, and interested citizens, and shall
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seek in every way to direct and develop pub- lic sentiment in support of public education.
On the recommendation of the State su- perintendent of education, the State board of education shall prescribe the minimum con- tents of courses of study for all public ele- mentary and high schools in the State. The Board shall prescribe the text books to be used in the elementary and high schools of the State except in cities of 2,000 or more inhabitants according to the last or any suc- ceeding Federal census. On the recommen- dation of the State superintendent of education a text book committee of seven per- sons, leading men and women engaged in public school work in the State, may be ap- pointed by the board of education.
The board, through its executive officer, shall prescribe rules and regulations, subjects and standards of teachers examinations, for the certification of teachers in the public schools of the State, and for acceptance of diplomas of the normal schools, colleges and universities of Alabama, as well as of all other States. It shall prescribe rules and regulations for taking a biennial school cen- sus; prescribe forms for educational records, which must be used for monthly reports from all elementary and high schools of the State, both public and private. The board and the superintendent of education are authorized and required to co-operate with the Federal board for vocational education in the admin- istration of the Smith-Hughes vocational act. It has supervision of the educational work of all charitable, penal, reformatory and child caring institutions, through its executive officer, and has the power to remove, for in- competency, immorality, misconduct in office, or wilful neglect of duty, any school officer, appointed by it, after making known to him in writing the charge against him, and upon giving him an opportunity of being heard in person or by counsel in his own defense upon not less than ten days notice.
Membership .- The first State board of edu- cation under the foregoing Act, is Governor Thomas E. Kilby, Montgomery; Mrs. T. G. Bush, Birmingham; Hon. A. H. Carmichael, Tuscumbia; Dr. R. H. McCaslin, Montgomery; Dr. D. T. McCall, Mobile; Hon. L. B. Mus- grove, Jasper; Hon. A. L. Tyler, Anniston; John W. Abercrombie, Superintendent of edu- cation and Executive chairman-Secretary.
REFERENCES .- School Code, 1919; Educational directory, 1920-21.
EDUCATION COMMISSION. A State Com- mission authorized by an Act approved Feb- ruary 6, 1919, to be appointed by the gover- nor, consisting of 5 persons, who shall serve without compensation. The duties of the Commission were "to make a study of the public educational system of Alabama, includ- ing all schools and educational institutions supported in whole or in part from public funds, to determine the efficiency of the same and to report its findings with recommenda- tions for increased efficiency and economy," the same to report to the governor on or
before July 1, 1919. Power was given the Commission by the Act to employ assistants in the several fields of public education in which the State is engaged, and authorized to furnish, such clerical help and equipment as might be necessary. Free access to all. educational institutions was granted to the Commission for its studies. An appropriation of $10,000 was made from the State treasury to meet the expenses of the Commission and persons engaged hy it to carry out the intent of the Act. The Commission was dissolved after making its report. The following per- sons were appointed to membership: Sidney J. Bowie, Birmingham, Chairman; A. H. Car- michael, Tuscumbia; J. E. Dunnaway, Orr- ville; R. H. McCaslin, Montgomery; George H. Manier, Lanette; W. E. Dickson, Birming- ham, Secretary.
EDUCATION, SUPERINTENDENT of. See Superintendent of Education.
EDUCATION, STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF. State office established by Act of Legis- lature, February 15, 1854. Under the school code, enacted by the legislature of 1919, the duties of the State superintendent of educa- tion are defined as follows:
Section 1. The State Department of Educa- tion is hereby created to be under the direc- tion of the State board of education, as provided for by section two (2) of article two (2) of this Act. This Department shall comprehend all officers and functions formerly included under the office of State superin- tendent of education, and such other division and branches as may be provided for by this Act, or by subsequent legislative enactment.
Section 2. As the chief executive officer of the State Department of education there shall be a State superintendent of education, who shall hold office for a term of four (4) years from the time of installation into office and until his successor is elected and qualified. The State superintendent of education shall be a person of good moral character, of recognized ability as a school administrator, with academic and professional education equivalent to graduation from a standard university or college, and shall have had not less than five (5) years of experience in pub- lic school work. He shall receive such salary as may be fixed in accordance with law, pay- able in monthly installments on the last day of the month. Before entering upon the duties of the office he shall execute a bond in a surety company authorized to do business in the State for such an amount as may be fixed by the State board of education.
Section 3. The State superintendent of education shall make the annual apportion- ment of school funds to the several counties of the State as provided in article nine of this Act.
Section 4. The State superintendent of education shall explain the true intent and meaning of the school laws, and of the rules and regulations of the State board of educa- tion. He shall decide, without expense to the parties concerned, all controversies and
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disputes involving the proper administration of the public school system. The State super- intendent of education shall enforce all the provisions of this Act, and the rules and regulations of the State board of education. He is empowered and directed to file charges with the State board of education, or other controlling authority and shall recommend for removal or institute proceedings for the removal of any person elected or appointed. under the provisions of this Act, unless other- wise provided, for immorality, misconduct in office, insubordination, incompetency, or wil- ful neglect of duty.
Section 5. The State superintendent of education shall execute the educational policy of the State board of education. He shall call and conduct conferences of county or city boards of education, county superintend- ents of education, city superintendents of schools, supervisors, attendance officers, prin- cipals, and teachers, on matters relating to the condition, needs and improvements of the schools. He shall prepare and publish the school laws of the State and the rules and regulations of the State board of education, and such other pamphlets as will stimulate public interest, promote the work of educa- tion, and foster in teachers professional in- sight and efficiency. He shall receive and examine all the reports required under the rules and regulations of the State board of education, and in person, or through his as- sistants, shall examine the expenditures, business methods, and accounts of county boards of education, and of boards of educa- tion of cities and towns of two thousand (2,000) or more inhabitants, according to the last or any succeeding Federal census, and advise them on the same.
Section 6. The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be pre- pared, and submit for approval to the State board of education rules and regulations for the hygienic, sanitary and protective con- struction of school buildings. He is empow- ered and directed to recommend for condem- nation for school use by the State board of education all buildings used for school pur- poses that violate these rules and regulations.
Section 7. The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be pre- pared, and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education, rules and regulations governing the certification of teachers and the holding of teachers' exami- nations, subject to the rules and regulations of the State board of education, and to the provisions of article sixteen of this Act. The State board of education shall certificate all teachers of the public schools of the State, including all teachers of elementary and high school grade.
Section 8. The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be pre- pared, and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education courses of study showing the minimum contents for the different grades and kinds of elementary schools, high schools, and normal schools,
and also minimum standards for college courses for the training of teachers.
Other Duties .- The supervision of the pub- lic schools of the State shall be vested in the State superintendent of education with the advice and counsel of a State board of educa- tion, and their powers and compensation shall be fixed by law.
The State superintendent of education shall be the executive officer of the State board of education.
The State superintendent of education shall, by the 10th day of October in each year, or as soon thereafter as practicable, appor- tion to every county the amount of school money such county shall be entitled to re- ceive for the scholastic year from all sources except such special taxes, if any, as may have been levied for school purposes in any county; and he shall certify the same to the State Auditor.
The Superintendent of public instruction of this State shall include moral and humane education in the program of the teachers' institute which is held in each county. Pro- vision must be made for humane education in the normal school course regarding kind- ness to animals, for all those training for the teacher's profession.
Experiments on any living creature shall not be permitted in any public or private school of this commonwealth.
That all schools in this State that are sup- ported in whole or in part by public funds be and the same are hereby required to have once every school day, readings from the Holy Bible.
Schools in the State subject to the provi- sions of this Act shall not be allowed to draw public funds unless the provisions of this act are complied with, and the State super- intendent of education is charged with the enforcement of the provisions thereof.
That the county and city boards of educa- tion, and the county superintendents and su- perintendents of city schools, and all boards of directors and president of all schools and colleges, supported in whole or in part by public money, or under state control, shall respectively, require and provide that regular instruction shall be given in all grades of all said schools and colleges under their super- vision, direction or control as to the nature of alcoholic drinks, tobacco and other nar- cotics, and their effect upon the human sys- tem; and they shall, from time to time, as they may be called upon by the governor or state superintendent of education, report to the governor or state superintendent, respec- tively, what they have done to comply with the duty hereby imposed upon them; to the end that such subjects shall be taught in the schools and colleges of the State as regularly as any other subjects of instruction.
That the board of directors and president of every normal school or college in this State shall require and provide that all stu- dents therein shall have regular instruction in the subjects mentioned in the preceding section; to the end that such students, when authorized to teach in the schools of the
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State, shall be qualified to give the like in- struction therein. The presidents of said schools shall report to the governor at the end of each scholastic year to what extent such instruction has been provided for in the said schools and colleges during the pre- ceding scholastic year.
The State superintendent of education, act- ing under the rules and regulations of the State board of education, shall be responsible for the administration of the State Depart- ment of Education, and shall have general supervision of all the professional and cleri- cal assistants of the department. He shall nominate to the State board of education all the professional and clerical assistants of the department, and shall recommend the salaries to be paid them, except as otherwise provided by law.
The State Department of Education shall hereafter be provided with such clerical and professional assistants as may be necessary for the proper conduct of its affairs.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education, rules and regulations for the protection of the health, physical welfare and physical inspection of the school children of the State in co-operation with other au- thorized agencies.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education, rules and regulations for grad- ing and standardizing all public schools of an elementary and high school grade, also for limiting on the basis of equipment and num- ber of teachers employed, the years and grades of instructions that may be offered in such schools, but such rules and regula- tions shall not be inconsistent with the pro- visions of this Act or any other statute of this State. He shall also prepare, or cause to be prepared, and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education, the minimum requirements for issuing all certificates and diplomas in such schools. Provided, however, no person within the school age shall be denied admission to any elementary public school of this State, but shall be admitted, and shall be permitted to take any advanced studies, which he is qualified to study and which the teacher is qualified to teach, notwithstanding anything heretofore prescribed, or that may hereafter be prescribed or enacted, in this Act.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, the forms of contract that shall be executed between the boards of education and all regular em- ployees.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education, rules and regulations in agree- ment with the provisions of article twenty- four of this Act, setting forth the conditions which must be met and fulfilled in order that county high schools may receive the respec- tive amounts of State aid provided in article
twenty-four of this Act, subject to the rules and regulations of the State board of educa- tion. The State superintendent of education shall at least annually investigate the man- agement, conduct and work of each high school receiving State aid, according to the provisions of article twenty-four of this Act. In case of violations of the rules and regula- tions of the State board of education, and the provisions of article twenty-four of this Act, the State superintendent of. education shall recommend to the State board of education that the appropriations to such high schools be discontinued and the State board of educa- tion shall have the power to discontinue the appropriations to such high schools as pro- vided in Article twenty-four of this Act. When application is made to the State board of education for the location of a county high school to receive State aid according to the provisions of article twenty-four of this Act, the State superintendent of education shall make the proper investigations, report his findings, and make recommendation to the State board of education as to the granting or denial of the petition.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education rules and regulations for the taking of a biennial school census of all children in the State between six (6) and twenty-one (21) years of age, also the forms and blanks to be employed in taking such census and in compiling the reports thereon. This school census shall be taken in July of the even numbered years, and the State superintendent of education may cause the whole or any part of the school census of any county or any city to be retaken at any time, if, in the judgment of the State board of education, the whole or any part of the census has not been properly taken.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared and submit for approval and adoption by the State Board of Education a uniform series of forms and blanks for the use of county boards of education, board of education of cities, 'school officials and teachers, and it shall be his duty to see that all financial matters, and all educational records are so kept, and that all reports are made according to these forms and blanks. He shall also prepare, or canse to be prepared, and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education, forms and blanks to be used in the annual report, and in the monthly reports of persons conducting private, denominational and pa- rochial schools, and of private educational associations, corporations, or institutions.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education rules and regulations for the enforcement of school attendance, as provided for in article fifteen of this Act.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and submit to the State board of education, plans and rules and regulations for the administration
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of the provisions of the Vocational Education Act as prescribed in article twenty-one (21) of this Act.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, an annual report of the State board of education, and shall submit on the first day of December, or as early thereafter as practicable, the same to the board for its approval and adoption. He shall also prepare, or cause to be pre- pared, all other reports which are or may be required of this board.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare and submit for approval by the State board of education such budget for each quadrennium, or for such other period as may be fixed by the State Budget Commis- sion or other duly authorized body.
The State superintendent of education shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and submit for approval and adoption by the State board of education such legislative measures as are in his opinion needed for the further de- velopment and improvement of the free public schools of the State.
Genesis .- In his message to the legisla- ture, of December 20, 1849, Gov. Henry W. Collier urged upon that body the necessity of establishing a public school system. The Committee on Education in the house replied "in glowing platitudes and expatiated on the necessity of common schools and then re- gretted that the heavy public expenditure could not permit any state contribution to the enterprise." In 1851-52 the Committee on Education of the House, of which Charles P. Robinson was chairman, submitted a re- port. "They did not offer a bill for a system of public schools, but brought in one to au- thorize the governor to appoint a state su- perintendent at $3,000 per year. It was to be his duty to visit the counties, make public addresses, and arouse interest in education. He was to make a census of school chil- dren between five and sixteen and ascertain the number of schools and academies. He was to be a missionary, a voice crying in the wilderness, a guide, philosopher, and friend, and prior to October 1, 1853, was to report to the governor the draft of a bill for a public school system." (See Weeks, Public school education in Alabama, pp. 53- 54.)
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