USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 50
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In the same year those entering upon terms of four years were: Oscar J. Needham, Frank Fife, John C. Eberhardt, J. A. Davisson, E. J. Sauerman ( suc- ceeded by T. F. W. Schmidt, who in turn was succeeded by W. J. Lent), Walter B. Lumby.
In 1907, the newly elected members were: A. L. Bowersox, J. E. Gimperling, Jr., Victor J. Vonderheide, E. J. Brown (succeeded August 21, 1908, by H. Thorn), Gordan M. Hiles, C. J. Schmidt.
The presidents of the board of education since 1887 have been the following : 1887, Charles H. Kumler ; 1890, John E. Byrne; 1892, Albert W. Gump ; 1893, A. H. Iddings ; 1895, A. W. Drury ; 1897, J. M. Weaver ; 1898, Grafton C. Ken- nedy; 1901, Frank Fife; 1902, William F. Chamberlin; 1904, Harry C. Bard ; 1905, J. M. Weaver ; 1906, Julius V. Jones ; 1907, J. C. Eberhardt ; 1908, Oscar J. Needham ; 1909, C. J. Schmidt.
An account of the board of education would be incomplete without a reference to Mr. William G. Haeussler, the efficient clerk of the board from 1895 to the time of his death, July 25, 1908. No one could have been more capable and faithful in the discharge of all of the duties falling to one in his position. He was especially successful in outlining new methods in keeping accounts suited to the rapidly expanding requirements of the public schools.
WV. H. Bussard, the present clerk, was elected to the position in 1908.
OTHER FEATURES.
Medical inspection of the schools and a free clinic for the examination of the eyes were introduced in 1907. A medical inspector was appointed for every school in the city, the same donating his services. The printing and necessary sup- plies were furnished by the Montgomery County Medical society, and thus the system was introduced without expense to the board of education. The rela- tion of the medical inspector to the principal and teachers is that of an advisor. It is his duty to visit the school and inspect such children as may be referred to him and advise the principal as to the best thing to do. He also inspects the build- ing and surroundings and makes suggestions for their improvement from a health standpoint. The first year, the inspectors recommended that 168 pupils be excluded from school mostly on account of contagious diseases. Also, 1,002 pupils were recommended to their parents for treatment who were not sufficiently defective to be excluded from school. Of these, 335 were afflicted with defective vision.
The first vacation school in the city was carried on for a term of five weeks during the summer of 1902, under the auspices of the Dayton Vacation School and Playground Association committee, and by the authority of the board of education. School room work was combined with the playground. Volunteer teachers were in charge. Several school yards were later used as playgrounds for
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the children of the neighborhoods, and some simple and safe gymnasium appara- tus was installed.
A school for the deaf was opened January 3, 1899, under the provisions of a state law passed April 23, 1898. Miss Jessie F. Zearing, the first teacher, was succeeded in 1901 by Miss Nannie C. Kennedy, who still remains in charge.
STATISTICS.
The total enumeration of school youth (six to twenty-one years) was in 1909 males 13,441, females 13,218, total 26,659.
The school statistics for the beginning of the year 1909-10 are as follows : en- rollment in Steele High School, 921 ; in Stivers' High School, 565; in elementary schools, 11,450; in school for deaf, 6; in Normal school, 89. Teachers in Steele High School, 38; in Stivers' High school 20; in elementary schools, 358; in manual training school, 9; in domestic art, 4; in domestic science, 4; in Normal school, 2; in school for deaf, I. Special teachers, 4.
The following is the annual statement of the condition of the finances for the fiscal year from September 1, 1908, to Aug. 31, 1909, inclusive :
RECEIPTS.
Balance on hand, September 1, 1908.
$ 420,203.04
State Funds
$ 53,632.95
Local Taxes, . 551,332.82
Interest on Investments, 16,902.50
Interests on Deposits, 5,061.61
Non resident tuition. 4.753.49
All other sources, 982.97
$632,666.34
632,666.34
Total receipts including balance.
$1,052,869.38
DISBURSEMENTS.
Total wages to teachers in Elementary Schools $278,197.59
Total wages to teachers in High Schools. 77,020.50
Total amount paid teachers $355.218.09
Amount paid for Supervision 11, 149.92
366.368.01 57.535.58
Cost of Buildings
Redemption of Bonds, including interest on same. . $ 81,984.41 Sundries (Clerk hire, etc. ) 200.00
Amount paid for all other purposes
82,274.41 133,588.15
Total Disbursements
$639.766.15
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RECAPITULATION.
Total Receipts as shown above.
Disbursements as shown above
$1,052,869.38 639,766.15
Balance on hand September I, 1909
$ 413,103.23
Outstanding Orders, September 1, 1909 3,238.85
$ 416,342.08
Treasurer's Grand Balance, September I, 1909 . . The total value of school property is ..
$1,839,381.00
The total amount of outstanding school bonds is. . . $476,000.00
THE PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS-CATHOLIC.
There are eleven Catholic parishes in Dayton and within each of them there is a parochial school. The enrollment of pupils is 3,489. With the exception of three lay teachers, one at the Polish school and two at the Hungarian school, all of the teachers are members of religious communities. The salaries paid range from $200 to $400 per annum. The priests exercise a general supervision over the schools, and devote some time to teaching, especially in the matter of Chris- tian doctrine. As a rule, eight grades comprise the course of study, and then the pupil enters St. Mary's Institute or Notre Dame Academy and takes up high school and academic work or enters the local high school. Over all the schools, there is a diocesan school inspector.
The parochial schools connected with Emanuel church were established almost immediately after the church itself was organized in 1832. The present brick school building was erected in 1865. It is two stories high and seventy by ninety feet in size. It contains six school rooms and a chapel. The boys are taught by the Brothers of Mary and the girls by the Sisters of Notre Dame. The sisters had charge of both boys and girls until 1875, when the brothers took charge of the boys.
St. Joseph's parochial schools were established in 1847. Boys and girls both attended the same school until 1873, and were taught by the Sisters of Charity. Since that time, the two sexes have been taught in separate schools, the girls still being taught by the Sisters of Charity and the boys having been assigned to the Brothers of Mary. The school building for the girls is immediately east of the second district public school building on Second street, and the St. Joseph's public school for boys is opposite the church building of the parish. It is a two-story building and was erected at a cost of $35,000.
The parochial schools of St. Mary's church were established in 1859, in a small building, which was supplanted in 1878 by the present one erected at a cost of $5,300.
The schools connected with Holy Trinity church were established early in the history of the church, and since then the schoolhouse first erected has been torn down, and a larger one erected a little distance from the church edifice for the girls and another, more spacious, for the boys.
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The school buildings of the Sacred Heart Parish were built in 1903. The Par- ish high school building was erected the following year.
The school building in the Parish of the Holy Angels is in every way a model school building.
A number of the other parish schools are conducted in combination church and school buildings.
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL SCHOOL.
THE LUTHERAN ST. PAUL'S CONGREGATION is the only protestant church in the city of Dayton that maintains a parochial school. This congregation has always been awake to the fact that a good parochial school is a very helpful fac- tor in the upbuilding and maintenance of a congregation. The parochial school is not a new thing in the Lutheran church. She has always believed that money spent in educating her children is a very good investment, and the most properous Lutheran churches of our country have parochial schools.
The Lutheran St. Paul's Parochial school was organized just forty years ago and not at any time since has the church been without the school. The first school house was a little one room building on the rear of the lot opposite the church. After the new church was built in 1869, the old, frame church opposite the new church on Wayne avenue was used as a school house. In 1892, the present beautiful and spacious building was erected at a cost of $15,000. In 1909, a new steam heating and ventilating system was installed. Today the St. Paul's church has as beautiful, convenient and altogether up-to-date school building as may be found anywhere. The St. Paul's school opens and closes with the schools of the city. The German and English languages are taught in all the grades of this school.
A carefully graded course of study in the religious branches as Bible study, catechism, church history, is carried out in the German language, with reading, writing and composition in the same language. In all the secular branches, the English language is exclusively used. The course of study is the same as that of the public schools, with the same text-books in the hands of the children. Once a week, the girls are instructed by a corps of competent seamstresses in sewing and other needle work, while the boys do special drawing and gymnastics. The pupils are taken through seven grades and are ready to enter the eighth when they leave the St. Paul's school. The average enrollment is 160.
ST. MARY'S INSTITUTE.
ST. MARY'S INSTITUTE (Catholic), is a boarding and day college for young men and boys, under the direction of the Society of St. Mary. It is situated in a picturesque part of South Park and commands an extensive view of the Miami valley. Its grounds comprise about seventy-five acres of land, on which are lo- cated twelve buildings fully equipped. It has an attendance of 190 day students and 200 boarding students from different states and from foreign countries. About forty-five brothers are engaged in teaching in the institute.
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It has four distinct courses of study-preparatory, high school, business and collegiate.
The institute has an interesting history. In 1849, at the time of the cholera epidemic in Dayton, Rev. Leo Meyer, a missionary of the Society of Mary, hav- ing its original center in France, came up from Cincinnati to Dayton to assist Rev. Mr. Juncker, then pastor of Emanuel church, in ministering to stricken Catholic families. Among others, he became acquainted with John Stuart, an earnest Catholic living in the "Stuart Mansion" on the present institute grounds. March 19, 1850, the Brothers of Mary for the sum of $12,000, purchased the Stuart farm, consisting of a fraction above ninety-nine acres, and at once began the double work of operating the farm and conducting a school, the "mansion" and frame building in the vineyard, serving for residence, boarding house and school. The brothers gave to their new home the name Nazareth. July 1, 1850, there were twelve pupils and a little later two others. The "mansion" was enlarged by the construction of an annex, sixty by thirty feet in 1854, but the following year was destroyed by fire. A group of buildings took its place. In 1868, a church 50 by 123 feet, was built. It was consecrated June 24, 1869. In 1870, the main institute building was erected. The building is 70 by 164 feet, is four stories high and has a Mansard roof. It was built in a very substantial manner and cost $62,000. In 1874, a gymnasium was added. The old convent build- ing was destroyed by fire in 1883. A substantial castle-like structure took its place in 1884. In 1878, the school was incorporated under the name St. Mary's Institute, and in 1882 was authorized by the Legislature of Ohio to confer collegiate degrees. In 1903, a full business department was added.
The following persons have served as presidents of St. Mary's Institute. Maximin Zehler, 1850-52; Damian Litz, 1852-57 ; John B. Stintzi, 1857-60; Maxi- min Zehler, 1860-76; Francis Feith, 1876-79; George Meyer, 1879-86; John Harks, 1886-88; Joseph Weckesser, 1888-96; Charles Eichner, 1896-1902; Louis A. Tragesser, 1902-08; Bernard P. O'Reilly, 1908.
The Convent Normal school had an existence, in an elementary form, almost coeval with the institute, in connection with which it was for a time conducted. In 1870, it was given a separate existence and located in the convent building, which was destroyed by fire in 1883. It is now located in the new convent build- ing, erected in 1884. It has about 100 students. It has prepared teachers for about fifty schools in the United States, two in Canada, and three in the Sand- wich Islands. In these schools, there are employed about 375 teachers.
The Provincials of the Society of Mary for the Province of America have been the following : Leo Meyer, 1849-62; John Courtes, 1862-64; N. Reinbolt, 1864-8; Landelin Beck, 1886-96; George Meyer, 1896-1906; Joseph Weckesser. 1906-1908. In 1908, the Province was divided into the Province of the west, Joseph Weckesser, Provincial, and the Province of the East, George Meyer, Provincial. The residence of the Provincial for the entire country, was at Day- ton from the founding of the Province in 1849 to 1908. It is yet the residence of the Provincial for the Eastern division.
NOTRE DAME ACADEMY.
NOTRE DAME ACADEMY is situated at the corner of Ludlow and Franklin streets. The academy is a select school for girls. The full course covers a period
.
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of twelve years, with three divisions, namely; the primary course, the inter- mediate course and the academic course, each division requiring four years. The academic course is also college preparatory.
The academy is under the direction of the Sisters of Notre Dame, who, four in number, came to Dayton in 1849 and laid the foundation of the second house of the Sisters of Notre Dame in the United States. Their first home was in a small two-story building where the east wing of the present building stands. At first, they cared for a few orphans, then opened and carried on various schools, their greatest and mnost permanent work being in supplying teachers for a num- ber of the parochial schools.
In 1886, the present academy was opened and from the start was very suc- cessful, the increased attendance of pupils and the new and enlarged buildings keeping pace with each other.
The chaplains have been Revs. F. X. Lasance, Martin P. Neville, J. B. Mur- ray, Thomas E. Fogarty, and Joseph Kassaman, the present chaplain.
MISS ANNA L. J. ARNOLD'S SELECT SCHOOL FOR GIRLS was established in the fall of 1886, with three distinct courses of study, literary, scientific and classical. The school was designed to prepare young women for college. A higher course of study was provided for those not desiring to enter college. In 1895, Miss Ar- nold severed her connection with the school, her place being taken the following year by Miss Leila Thomas, who continued in connection with the school for six years, when the school was closed.
A kindergarten and primary school was opened in 1897 by Miss Georgia Parrott and Miss Margaret Stewart, which continued in operation until 1905.
THE DEAVER COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE established in 1876, continues in operation.
THE COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL FOR BOYS AND GIRLS of which Prof. A. B Shauck is principal, has had a long and prosperous career. It is located in rooms 12 and 13, 17 East Third street.
MISS HOWE AND MISS MAROT'S SCHOOL.
The school was opened in September, 1905, as a day and boarding school for girls. Its purpose is to offer to girls a continuous course of study from the kindergarten through academic and college preparatory work. The college pre- paratory work includes the requirements laid down by the College Entrance Examination Board. Art and music are given a prominent place. In addition to the principals named in the school title, there is a full corps of well qualified assistant instructors. The school was begun in the elegant Stilwell residence on the corner of First and Robert boulevard purchased for the purpose. In connec- tion with the main building, two other buildings are in use. The school has pros- pered from the beginning.
THE DAYTON LATIN SCHOOL.
THE DAYTON LATIN SCHOOL had its beginning in September, 1907, at the "Boulders" in North Dayton View, then beyond the city boundary. At the end of the year it was removed to its present quarters at 220 North Robert boulevard.
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The school aims primarily to train boys thoroughly in those studies which the best colleges require for entrance examinations. The course of study provides for eight years work beginning with the fifth grammar school grade. The first two years the school was under the direction of J. Bradford Coolidge of Harvard. It has now been placed permanently under the headmastership of Clarence Ludlow Brownell, a member of the Royal Geographical Society and of the Society of Arts, who has upwards of twenty years been engaged in educational and literary work.
BONEBRAKE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
BONEBRAKE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY is located in West Dayton, on grounds north of First street and lying on both sides of Euclid avenue. The grounds were donated by Rev. John Kemp.
Previous to 1871, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, had no insti- tution specially devoted to theological education, though some training for those intending to enter the ministry of the church, had previously been provided for in the colleges of the church and by a sort of itinerating "theological chair."
The general conference of 1869, held at Lebanon, Pennsylvania, "instructed the bishops to appoint a board of education whose duties it should be, besides seek- ing to promote the general work of education in the church, to devise and adopt a plan for founding a Biblical institute to be under the control of the general conference and to take measures to raise funds, to locate the institution, and to proceed with its establishment as soon as possible."
Accordingly, the following persons were appointed members of the board of education : Lewis Davis, Daniel Shuck, W. C. Smith, M. Wright, E. B. Kep- hart, D. Eberly, S. Weaver, P. B. Lee, W. S. Titus and E. Light, all of them ministers.
This board met July 29, 1870, and named the proposed institution Union Biblical Seminary and fixed its location at Dayton. At a second meeting, August 2, 1871, the board resolved to open the seminary October II, 1871, with Rev. L. Davis, D. D., and Rev. G. A. Funkhouser, A. M., as professors. Later the exe- cutive committee appointed Rev. J. P. Landis, A. M., pastor of Summit Street United Brethren church on the staff of teachers.
The executive committee consisted of : Bishop J. G. Glossbrenner, W. J. Shuey, L. Davis, John Kemp, D. K. Flickinger, D. Berger and M. Wright.
For eight years the seminary was conducted in Summit Street church. In 1879, a three-story brick structure, sixty-four by eighty-three feet, was erected on the corner of First street and Euclid avenue.
The professors in the seminary have been the following: 1871 to 1886, Dr. L. Davis ; 1871 to the present time, Dr. G. A. Funkhouser ; 1871 to 1874 and 1880 to the present time Dr. J. P. Landis ; 1880 to the present time, Dr. A. W. Drury ; 1893 to the present time, Dr. S. D. Faust; 1906 to 1909, Prof. W. G. Clippinger ; 1875 to 1880, Prof. George Keister ; 1875 to 1876, Rev. R. Wahl; 1891 to 1892. Dr. J. W. Etter; elected in 1909 Dr. J. G. Huber.
The number of graduates from the founding of the institution to 1909, is 366. Many others have taken partial courses. The number of students in attend- ance in 1908-09 was sixty-five.
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The financial managers have been as follows : 1885 to 1897, D. R. Miller ; 1897 to 1901, W. J. Shuey ; 1901 to 1909, C. M. Brooke; elected in 1909, J. E. Fout. Previously, John Kemp, S. M. Hippard, W. J. Pruner and S. L. Herr, had been in charge of the finances. The net assets were reported in 1909 as $245,000.
January 20, 1909, in consideration of a gift of about $80,000, by John M. Bonebrake of Veedersburg, Indiana, the name of the seminary was changed to Bonebrake Theological Seminary, in honor of the six Bonebrake brothers, uncles of John M. Bonebrake, who were ministers in the United Brethren church.
A number of notable Bible conferences were held in connection with the regular commencement exercises, when the largest auditoriums in the city were filled with a general audience of citizens and visitors. Some of the leaders in these conferences were : J. Wilbur Chapman, G. Campbell Morgan, F. B. Myer, and Campbell White.
CENTRAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
This institution is under the auspices of the Reformed church of the United States. It is the result of a union of Heidelburg Theological Seminary, founded at Tiffin, Seneca county, Ohio, in 1850, and the Ursinus School of Theology, at West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under the care of Ursinus College at College- ville, Pennsylvania. The union was formed in the month of February, 1907, and the united school was removed to Dayton by the action of the Synod of Ohio, in special session on July 14, 1908. A property consisting of several acres of land with a number of buildings upon it, was purchased of Mr. Eugene J. Barney as a home for the joint institution. Alterations and improvements of the buildings were made and the regular work of the institution was begun in the fall of 1908. The following named persons constitute the faculty of the seminary all of whom, except Rev. Dr. Good, reside in Dayton ; Rev. David Van Horne, D. D., president and Jeremiah H. Good, professor of systematic theology; Rev. James I. Good, D. D., professor of theological encyclopedia, liturgics and Reformed church his- tory ; Rev. Alvin Sylvester Zerbe, D. D., professor of Old Testament criticism and theology and the philosophy of religion; Rev. George Stebitz, D. D., professor of Old Testament languages and literature and Semitic philology ; Rev. Philip Voll- mer, D. D., professor of New Testament literature and theology and German homiletics ; Rev. Edward Herbruck, D. D., Herman Rust professor of church his- tory and Christian archaeology; Rev. Henry J. Christman, D. D., professor of homiletics and pastoral theology.
There were twenty-six students in residence during the school years of 1908 and 1909, and thirteen non-resident students, or forty all together as reported in the catalogue. An increased attendance marked the year beginning with Sep- tember, 1909.
The seminary is located in the eastern part of the city on an eminence com- manding a fine view of the city, known as Huffman Hill. The campus, contain- ing nearly eight acres, is adorned by ornamental and large forest trees and affords ample room for present and future needs of the seminary. The main building is used for reception rooms, lecture halls, and dormitory to some extent. The library building is divided into two parts, the one being used for the library
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proper and the reading room, and the other for the daily religious services and the ordinary meetings of students and faculty. A third building is occupied as a dormitory.
The two libraries number about 8,000 volumes, covering the departments of literature, philology, philosophy and religion. The special library of Heidel- berg Theological Seminary, is well supplied with works relating to religion and the philosophy of religion. And the library of the Ursinus School of Theo- logy, is rich in the department of general church history and of the Reformed church history in Europe and America. The different periods of German, Eng- lish and American theological literature are well represented. While the num- ber of books is not as large as desired, the students find the principal books of reference. Connected with the library, is a reading room, supplied with the chief periodical literature of the day, both English and German.
The larger part of a proposed sum of $100,000 to be used for permanent improvements has already been raised. The main seminary building to cost about $60,000, has already been planned and will be erected in 1910.
THE MIAMI COMMERCIAL COLLEGE.
This college was founded in 1860, by Mr. E. D. Babbitt, a well educated man of fine ability and excellent ideals. Under his influence the college quickly gained a fine standing, with the business men of the city, who found its graduates effi- cient accountants and office men.
In 1862, Mr. Babbitt associated with him Mr. A. D. Wilt. In 1865, in conse- quence of the popularity of the Babbittonian System of Penmanship, of which Mr. Babbitt was the author and, which required his constant attention in New York and in London, England, where it was published, Mr. Wilt assumed entire ownership and control of the college and has remained at its head ever since.
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