USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Braddock > The unwritten history of Braddock's Field (Pennsylvania) > Part 17
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The St. Paul's Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized . in October, 1891, through the special efforts of Mr. Julius Wolf for the Slovaks from Hungary of the Evangelical Lutheran faith. Services were first held in a hall on Washington Avenue and in the Congregational Church on Talbot Avenue at Sixth Street. Very soon this congregation was able to secure the brick church building at Eleventh Street and Halket Avenue, which was originally a school house, but had been purchased by the United Presbyterian Church and changed into a church building. This property cost $8,000 and after repairs and changes were made a pipe or- gan was received from Mr. Andrew Carnegie, which is valued at $2,000. The present membership numbers over 800 communicants and the prop- erty, including Church building, Parsonage and school room, has an esti- mated value of $35,000. The Sunday School, started only two years ago, numbers 120 children. According to the Church records, during the 26 years of existence, there have been in this Church 2,718 baptisms, 597 mar- riages, and 679 funerals. Rev. Charles V. Molnar is the present Pastor.
Mission work started among thie Presbyterian Slovaks in 1900, serv- ices being held in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church. The organization of a Church took place May 15, 1908 with a membership of 62 under the pastorate of Rev. Charles Molnar. A provisional session,
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THE UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF BRADDOCK'S FIELD.
composed of members of the First and Calvary Presbyterian Churches as- sisted in the completion of the organization. A building on Braddock Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets was purchased for $4,500 and was the first home of this mission Church. When in 1910 the Presbyterian Churches of Braddock were transferred from the Blairsville Presbytery to the Presbytery of Pittsburgh, the last named Presbytery erected a brick church building for the use of the congregation and for organized mission work. This Church was dedicated in January, 1913, and has a seating capacity of 250, the basement being used for Sabbath School, industrial work and social meetings. The total value of the Church property is $15,000. Since 1913 Rev. J. V. Kovar has been Pastor of the Church.
The Free Gospel Church on Hawkins Avenue was organized in 1902 by F. J. Casley. There are about 100 in its membership and 48 attend the Sunday School. The valuation of the present Church building is $3,500.
The Synagogue Agudath Achim was organized October 14, 1894. Rev. Jacob M. Bazel was the first minister and served until January, 1917, when the present Rabbi, Rev. J. Leon Hillkowitz took his place. The or- ganization was effected in a room rented for worship purposes at Eleventh Street and Halket Avenue. Later a Synagogue was built on Talbot Ave- nue, near Eleventh Street, and ground was purchased for a Cemetery at Mucklerat and a Chapel built on this ground. There were 21 charter mem- bers and now the report gives 150 members with a Sunday School of 300. The valuation of the Synagogue property is $35,000. At present services are held twice daily in the Synagogue. On Friday evening (Sabbath eve), besides the regular service special children's services are conducted and a sermon is delivered by Rabbi Hillkowitz.
Other Churches whose history is not related in this chapter, are found listed in the complete chronological list on the preceeding pages. Any omissions are due to the failure of Churches or Ministers to furnish the material requested by the writer to make this chapter accurate and complete.
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BRADDOCK HIGH SCHOOL BRADDOCK, PA ..
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TOP -- NORTH BRADDOCK HIGH SCHOOL. BRADDOCK. P.A. MIDDLE-OLD FIRST WARD SCHOOL, BRADDOCK. P.A. BOTTOM-BRADDOCK HIGH SCHOOL, BRADDOCK, PA.
SCHOOLS.
BY GEORGE W. GILMORE.
No better index to the character of a community can be found than what is reflected in the nature and conduct of its educational institutions. Where there is pride in its educational attainments and where these same facilities are stimulated by a healthy desire to grow and become a real factor in civilization backed by a generous tax levy for their main- tenance we find a progressive up-to-date community whose citizens are certain to become influential in county, state and nation.
Such a community is Braddock and it is with considerable pride that we point to our institutions of learning both past and present and to the splendid accomplishments they have achieved.
It is true that the maintenance of such a system of schools as this city enjoys is made possible only because the citizens of our city have felt the necessity for culture and refinement and the necessary practical side, made so because of the magnificent industrial growth of the community, and to this end have given liberally of their means for the support of these activities.
Braddock Borough, formerly Braddock's Field, was incorporated in 1867 from Wilkins Township and the only school property falling to the bor- ough iu that division was a lot, corner of Eleventh Street and Talbot Av- enue, formerly Tonnaleuka and Beaujeu Streets, 138 feet by 275 feet, in the first ward and known as Carnegie sub district, on which was a building 30 by 62 feet. This was the North half of the first building and five years later 1872, an addition to this building was erected at a cost of $4,000. This build- ing was subsequently (in 1903) replaced by the present splendid structure with its equipment for modern school work. In 1881 five lots were pur- chased on Corey and Braddock Avenues on which was erected in 1883 a ten roomed building, at a cost of $19,500. This was known as the Hamilton building. In 1892 an addition was erected to this building consisting of eight rooms.
In 1893 the Copeland district was annexed to Braddock as the fourth ward, but the schools did not come under the management of the Braddock School district until 1894. This annexation added one building of 8 rooms to the school property.
The records show a continuous healthy growth during the succeeding
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THE UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF BRADDOCK'S FIELD.
year so that additional facilities became necessary. The next building was therefore planned on rather a large scale. In 1899 the present splendid property, known as the Henning School was erected. The building and grounds cost approximately $97,400. This building was modern in every detail and contained 14 school rooms, an auditorium and four rooms for high school, together with an office for the Superintendent, a Directors' room and a teachers' parlor.
These four buildings continued to house the growing school popu- lation for 14 years until with the added remarkable growth of the high school and the consequent demands made for its broader scope, it was deemed best to remove the high school from the Henning building in order that this building might be given over exclusively to grade school work.
The Board accordingly secured a piece of property fronting on Lil- lie avenue at a cost of $30,000 on which was erected a modern up-to-date high school building at a cost of about $183,000 making the cost of the present plant together with its furnishings and equipment $213,000. This high school building contains a chapel seating 500, 15 class rooms, 4 splen- didly equipped laboratories, two rooms well fitted up as a Commercial de- partment, a library, Superintendent and principals' offices, and Directors' room, together with completely equipped gymnasium and well organized and furnished domestic science and manual training depart- ments. It was dedicated on May 7, 1915.
It is thus seen that Braddock now has five good school buildings giv- ing accommodation for about 3,000 pupils in 80 school rooms. In all the number of teachers, employed by the district, including special teachers, is 83. Compared with 1867 when we had two school rooms and two teachers it is readily seen what has been our growth.
The first high school in Braddock was opened in 1887 and a three years' course was adopted, which was a normal course. As the number of pupils increased the courses were extended to include a commercial course and a College preparatory course. In 1900 the College preparatory was lengthened to four years so that now the school offers a full College pre- paratory course of either an academic or scientific trend, a general course and a four year Commercial course. In addition to these three courses, a two year special Commercial course is offered for those who cannot com- plete the four years' course for want of time. At the time the regular course of the high school was lengthened the grade course was reduced from nine years to eight years. Since the high school was organized it has graduated 370 pupils. The first class to graduate was in 1889 and
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THE UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF BRADDOCK'S FIELD.
consisted of eight pupils. At present there are enrolled in the high school 325 pupils with a teaching force of twelve.
Industrial training was introduced in the Braddock Schools in 1901 through the generosity of Thomas Morrison, then Superintendent of the Edgar Thomson Works of the Carnegie Steel Company.
In 1915 the eighth and seventh grades of the district were united in one group and organized into the Junior High School which was housed in the rooms made vacant by the removal of the high school to its present magnificent building. In 1915 a continuation school was organized, which gave instruction for certain definite hours each week to many who were still of school age but were compelled to work part of the time.
In 1916 a school for backward children was organized and has proven of very great help to the less fortunate of our children.
In the Fall of 1916 a school for foreigners was opened in the even- ings-the object being the instruction of men and women in the rudiments of English and in the principles of American Citizenship. This school en- rolled approximately three hundred.
It is to be noted that a number of men who were, early in life, identi- fied with Braddock schools, later achieved success in other fields of en- deavor. Mr. J. S. Johnston went from Braddock schools to the Superin- tendency of Allegheny county schools. He was succeeded in that office by Dr. Samuel Hamilton, also from Braddock, who has held that position con- tinuously since 1886, more than thirty-one years, and is now the longest in service of any County Superintendent in the United States. He has at the present time, under his direct supervision, more teachers than any other County Superintendent in this country, in spite of the fact that within the territory of the county are two city and nine borough superin- tendencies. Mr. E. D. Twitmyer went from Braddock to the Portland, Ore- gon schools, and there has won distinction by his explorations of Mt. Raini- er. Mr. E. W. Moore became a successful attorney. Mr. J. W. Vande- Venter, who was, incidentally, a singer and choir leader, later gave up teaching for evangelistic work. Mr. G. M. Fowles went into the Methodist ministry and now holds a very important position in connection with the foreign mission work. Mr. F. E. Simcox went into the China mission field, and with his wife, who was his class mate at Grove City college, and their three children, was murdered in the Boxer uprising.
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THE UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF BRADDOCK'S FIELD.
The following have served either as Principal or Superintendent of the Braddock Schools :
PRINCIPALS.
I. N. Cooper 1868-70
J. S. Johnston. 1876-81
A. M. Vantine 1870-71
A. T. Douthitt 1881-82
S. C. Farrier 1871-72 Samuel Hamilton 1882-86
J. P. McCord. 1872-73
E. B. Twitmyer
1886-88
L. B. Welsh 1873-75 A. S. Brubaker 1888-89
John Bailey 1875-76 J. T. Anderson 1889-90
E. W. Moore. 1890-93
SUPERINTENDENTS.
E. W. Moore. . 1893-one month Geo. H. Lamb 1900-1903 .
J. S. Keefer(1) 1893-1900 Grant Norris 1903-1912
F. C. Steltz. .. . 1912-
The present Faculty of the High School consists of twelve mem- bers as follows:
Geo. W. Gilmore, Principal; Myrtle Herbert, German; Margaret Wilson, English; Margaret Cosgrove, Algebra; Mary Brown, English; Harriet Gardner, English; Geo. L. White, Commercial; Emma Pipes, Latin; Olive Taylor, Mathematics; Howard Williams, Science; William Martin, History; Raymond Cox, Civics.
The following persons have been regularly employed as teachers in the Braddock School district :--
Achinson, Jennie; Addenbrook, Louisa; Aiken, W. J .; Allen, Harriet; Bailey, Edna; Bailey, Jennie; Bair, Ethel; Bair, Margaret (Mrs. Eisaman) ; Baker, Bertha; Barackman, J. B .; Bates, Sadie; Bell, Margaret C .; Bell, Mary I .; Bennett, Jennie (Mrs. Flenniker) ; Bennett, M. E .; Blatt- ner, Rose; * Bonner, Mary; Bowers, R. E .; Bowler, Rhoda R .; Bowman, Agnes ; Brackemeyer, Margaret (Mrs. Geo. Price) ; Branthoover, Nettie; Bridges, Millie (Mrs. Wm. Hogg) ; Bridges, Stasia (Mrs. H. F. Fisher) ; Brisbin, Lillian; Broad, Bessie M .; Brown, Mary; * Brown, Sadie; Bruce, Carolyn; Brubaker, Ella; Brenneman, Emma; Bruxner, Amanda; Bryan, Annie (Mrs. Sherwin) ; Bryan, Lottie (Mrs. W. G. Purdy) ; Bryan, Olive (Mrs. Hess) ; Buzza, Bella M .; Callahan, Elsie (Mrs. J. P. Stephens) ; Camp, Sallie A .; Campbell, Nannie; Canan, Eva ; Carey, John A .; Carmack, Zynett ; Carr, Edith C .; Carr, Grace (Mrs. John Killeen) ; Carrol, Minnie A .; Car- ruthers, Ruth (married) ; Carvey, Lillie M. (married) ; Chester, Edna; Chisholm, Mary ; Clancy, Louise; Clarke, Ella; Clark, Ida; Clark, Mame E .;
(1) See note at end of this article.
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THE UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF BRADDOCK'S FIELD.
Clark, Sarah L .; Coble, Mary S .; Cochran, Vista (Mrs. John W. Hanna) ; Colebank, L; Coleman, Josephine; Conley, Margaret; Cooney, Emma; Cooper, Mrs. M .; Cooper, Wiletto; Corey, Mary E. (married) ; Cosgrove, Margaret; Coursin, Augusta (Mrs. Wm. Larimer) ; Covert, Ada; Cox, Raymond A .; Craig, Agnes ; Craig, Elizabeth ; Craig, Lucy ; * Craig, Maude; Cramer, Roxana (Mrs. Bowman) ; * Cummings, Lizzie; Davies, Ida; Davies, Margaret I .; Davies, Zilla; Davis, Ethel; Day, Evelyn (Mrs. Hoffman) ; Delo, Margaret; Dieffenbacher, Vallie (Mrs. Wm. Packer) ; Dillon, Berna (Mrs. Hollis Ardinger) ; Dixon, Frances L .; Dougherty, Delia (married) ; Dougherty, Kathryn; Downey, Mary (married) ; Drewes, Irene W .; Dyess, Nettie; Eagleson, Rebecca ; Ellis, Sarah E .; Ellis, Grace; Emeigh, Pearle; Eakin, Milton J .; Fauset, Annie (Mrs. Taylor) ; Fellabaum, N. Maud (mar- ried) ; Fix, Margaret (Mrs. Ralph Magee) ; Fixel, G. Wm .; Fornwalt, Mary S .; Foster, Marie (Mrs. Fred Pilgrim) ; Fowles, M. G .; Frederick, Jessie (Mrs. Miller) ; * Fritzius, Jennie (Mrs. McGeary) ; Fuller, Annabel (Mrs. Hendricks) ; Galbraith, Minnie (Mrs. Heath) ; Gallager, Gabrielle; Gard- ner, Emma (Mrs. Reuben Abbiss) ; Gilfillan, Grace; Gilmore, George W .; Given, Gladys; Glass, Lucy B .; Gorsuch, Nelle F. (Mrs. Roy Musselman) ; Griffin, Anne M .; Grimm, Della M .; Guss, Anna May; Hall, Clara; Hamil- ton, Fannie M. (Mrs. T. W. Stephens) ; Hanna, Nellie (married) ; Harrop, Hazel P .; * Hart, Clara; Haymaker, Seward; Heath, Helen G .; Henning, Melissa; Henning, C. J .; Herbert Myrtle; Hess, Maude; Hicks, Clara ; Higgins, Elizabeth ; Hill, Lucy ; Hindeger, Annie; Holland, Minnie A. (Mrs. Charles E. Lilley) ; Holland, Lovina (Mrs. Remington) ; Holliday, Jane; Horner, Lillie; Hooper, Emma (Mrs. Jas. Brindley) ; Horrocks, Martha B .; Hough, Mary; House, Marjorie (Mrs. Geo. A. House) ; Houseman, Ella F .; Huggins, Estella ; Hyslop, Anna May (Mrs. Townsend) ; Irwin, Cather- ine; Isenberg, Frances G .; Jack, Harriet W .; James, Elizabeth (married) ; James, Lavina (Mrs. Pollard) ; Jenkins, M. E .; Jennings, Alice M. (Mrs. Milleken) ; Jones, Hilda R .; Jones, Julia M .; Jones, Margaret ; Kene, Ida M .; Keener, Beckie; Kelly, Elizabeth G .; Kelly, Jessie; Kelly, Louise; Kennedy, Ella F .; Kepler, Mary (Mrs. Parkhurst) ; Kilcoyne, Annie R .; Kimes, Anna M .; King, Mary E .; Kinter, Edna F. (Mrs. McClelland) ; Kinter, Ralph F .; Knox, Eileen A .; Koesel, Jeanette; Krise, Daniel H .; Kunes, Anne M .; Lam- bie, Jeanette; Lamb, Sada M .; Lane, Arvilla A .; Law, Bertha V .; Lea, Anna; Leech, Blanche; Leeger, Marian K .; Leighton, Annie (Mrs. A. M. Stevenson) . ; * Leighton, Julia; Lenhart, Julia; Liken, Ada; Liston, Julia D .; Little, J. E .; Lloyd, Elizabeth; Long, Stella; Lotsman, Mabel; Lots- man, Zelma ; Louis, Blanche (Mrs. McKelvey) ; Love, Kate M .; Love, Maud;
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. THE UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF BRADDOCK'S FIELD.
Lowman, Pearl; Lowry, Georgia; Lytle, Jean M .; Lytle, Kate (Mrs. C. C. Clifford) ; * Lytle, Sue; Malone, Elizabeth C .; Marks, Stella N .; Marsel- lan, Perina (Mrs. Bennett) ; Marshall, Adah L .; Marshall, Mary J .; Martin, Eva; Martin, Wm. J .; * Mathews, Sadie (Mrs. Allewelt) ; MacCord, Anna; McBride, Bertille J .; McCain, Alice (Mrs. Johnston) ; McCain, Carrie; Mc- Call, Mary E .; McCarty, Ethel (Mrs. George Dowler) ; McClain, Margaret (Mrs. William McBride) ; McCully, Mayme; * McCune, Minnie (Mrs. Sam- uel Hamilton) ; McCune, Mrs. Sarah E .; McElhaney, Clare; McElhaney, Helen C .; McIlvoy, Clare; * Mckeever, Jennie (Mrs. McKelvey) ; Mckeever, Martha; Mckeever, Nannie; McKillop, Elizabeth ; Mckinley,.Catherine (Mrs. G. E. F. Gray) ; Mckinley, Mary I .; Mcknight, Mary R .; Mclaughlin, Katherine (Mrs. N. E. Wierbach) ; McLaughrey, Bessie; McNaugher, W. H .; McWilliams, Maud; * Meacham, Fred A .; Means, Emma B .; Mench, Florence; Meyers, Cora B .; Michener, Kate; Miller, Jessie L .; Miller, Min- nie; * Mills, Eliza; Minds, Eliza M .; Mitchell, Carrie; Morgan, Edith F .; Morrison, Ilulia R .; Morton, E. A .; Munson, Emeline (Mrs. Shirey) ; Mur- ray, Frances; Murtland, Cleo; Musselman, Lois; Neville, Grace; Nevins, Etta L .; Nevins, Lena (Mrs. Alfred Sherwin) ; Newingham, G. Gertrude; Nimon, Nellie F .; Nolin, Nancy H .; Nugent, Anna (married) ; O'Neill, Emma N .; Orr, Anna; Osler, Hester; Oster, Ruth; Park, Jennie; Park, Florence; * Patch, Sarah ; (1) Patterson, Jennie; Patton, Kathryn (Mrs. Chas. Bair; Pearce, Emma (Mrs. Geo. Jackson) ; Pennington, Mary; * Petty, Bertha (Mrs. Ray Lynch) ; Petty, Anna (married) ; Pflasterer, Annie; Phillips, Alice; Phillips, Mary; Phipps, Mabel E .; Pines, Anna M .; Pink- erton, Floyd V .; Pipes, Emma; Pizor, Lizzie; Pratt, Emma I .; Pyne, Grace; Radcliffe, J. N .; Ralston, Mary; Randolph, Ella (married) ; Reardon, Mary ; Redman, Maggie (Mrs. David Miller) ; Reed, Edna (married) ; Reed, Vera N .; Reese, Margaret; Remington, Lois (Mrs. I. W. Keener) ; Rey- nolds, Mae; * Rhodes, S. A .; Rich, D. L .; Robinson, Anna May ; Rodkey, Florence (Mrs. Ernest Craighead) ; Roney, Margaret; Rugh, Bessie L .; Schall, M. Agnes; Schoals, Agnes; Scott, Margaret; Shaffer, O. N .; Shal- lenberger, Laura B .; * Shane, Jennie; Sharp, Genevieve; Sheeran, Elizabeth (married) ; Shepard, M. A. (Mrs. Reid) ; Shepard, Elizabeth ; Shorts, Clyde P .; Shupe, Abbie; Shultz, Charles; Shryock, Lucy; Sill, Marguerite (Mrs. Limbad) ; Singer, Mary J .; Simcox, F. L .; Smith, C. L .;* Soles, Ella; Soles, Martha (Mrs. W. S. Blair) ; Spur, Dillie; Spires, Coral C. (married) ; St. Clair, Clara (Mrs. W. H. Brown) ; Stein, Lizzie ; Steinmetz, Dillie; Stedeford, Lotta (married) ; Sterling, Lelah L. (Mrs. Doan) ; Stevenson, Louella ; Stew- art, Ina M .; Stewart, Myra I .; Stinner, Mary M .; "Stoody, Louise; Strang,
(1) Miss Patch died of pneumonia on Christmas Day, 1916, after twenty years of faithful service as Principal of Copeland Sub-district school.
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THE UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF BRADDOCK'S FIELD.
Mary (Mrs. George Stroup) ; Strathern, Daisy (Mrs. John Leberman) ; Stroup, Bessie; Stucki, Anna M. (Mrs. Wm. Husband) ; Suter, Gertrude (married) ; Swaney, Catherine (Mrs. Del. King) ; Swaney, Jessie (Mrs. Thomas) ; * Sweadner, Eva B .; Sweadner, Mary (Mrs. Ed. Sharah) ; Taylor, Olive; Taylor, Miss; Teny, Lillie; Thomas, Alice C .; Thomas, Anna B .; Thomas, Martha ; Thomson, John ; Thompson, Mary H. ; Throckmorton, Nan- na; Todd, L. L .; Van Deventer, J. W .; Van Kirk, Adeline; Van Voorhis, Vio- la; Walters, Bertha (Mrs. Hugo) ; Walton, Sarah; Weaklan, Bertha; Weav- er, Lula D. (Mrs. Caldwell) ; Weil, George; West, Charlotte; Westgate, Helen E. (married) ; Wheeler, Carrie; White, Dora ; White, G. L .; Williams, S. Howard; Wilson, Lizzie; Wilson, Sciota V .; Wilson, Lillian; Wilson, Mar- garet M .; Winfield, Sadie (married) ; Wingert, Clara M .; Wood, C. C .; Wood, Thomas; Yarlett, Nannie; Young, Anna.
The present Board of Education of Braddock is: President, Ira. C. Harris, M. D .; Secretary, Samuel D. Hamilton; Treasurer, Harry. E. Mc- Bride; Vice President, John F. Lowry and William C. Boli, Edward M. Sharrah, and Benjamin H. Jones.
In addition to the present system of schools, Braddock has been for- tunate in the possession of several other systems of schools both public and private.
The first educational institution to be established in this community was the Edgeworth Ladies Seminary, the oldest and first boarding school west of the Alleghany Mountains. The school was opened in 1825 at Pitts- burgh, by Mrs. Mary Olver, a religious English woman of pronounced educational views. The school remained only a few years in Pittsburgh and was then moved to Braddock's Field and made a boarding school. The tuition was $3.00 per week and it enrolled students from all over Central United States, east of the Mississippi River.
The first catalogue contained the names of many prominent families in Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington, and other counties contiguous to this neighborhood.
The building of the Seminary is still standing on Library Street, and is now the home of Mr. David F. Collingwood. This building is re- nowned as the house in which the Marquis de Lafayette was entertained while in this community.
In 1836 the school was moved by the founder to Sewickley with the idea that the scope of the school would be thus enlarged.
* Deceased.
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THE UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF BRADDOCK'S FIELD.
GREER BUSINESS COLLEGE.
Braddock has only one private school. A private educational in- stitution that can maintain itself for nineteen years in the face of the growth and development of public school facilities must have real merit. When the school was opened it was the general impression that Braddock would not support such a school, because of its close proximity to the city of Pittsburgh, but its successful operation proves that Braddock needed an institution of this character.
There can be no doubt that this school has been serviceable to Braddock and vicinity, as it enables hundreds of young people to give all or part of their time to specific preparation along practical lines. Evidence of this is found in the fact that fully ninety per cent of its 500 graduates are holding desirable positions in this and other communities.
The school was opened October 1898 in a room in the Masonic build- ing, over the First National Bank, now occupied by the Famous depart- ment store. Mr. D. Newton Greer, the proprietor, was previously associate proprietor and principal with Mr. M. E. Bennett of the Morrell Institute, Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
In 1900 Mr. Greer had constructed at his own expense an additional story to the building at 837 Braddock Avenue. These quarters becoming too small, in 1908 the third floor of the Russell building, at 836 Braddock Avenue, was leased. These more commodious and pleasant quarters are still the home of the school.
The Greer Business College offers a course of study that is modern in all respects, which is as complete as any school of this character-cover- ing the following courses: Shorthand and Typewriting, Bookkeeping and Office Practice, Business English and Penmanship, Engineering and Mechanical Drawing.
The Annual Commencement Exercises, the first of which were held in the year 1900 (and through the courtesy of the Library are always held in the Carnegie Music Hall,) have become memorable in the Monongahela Valley. They are looked forward to with increasing interest because of their incentive to greater effort and nobler achievement. The Dinkey Gold Medal, the gift of Mr. Charles E. Dinkey, is presented to the graduate who gives the most pleasing performance at these exercises. Men of State and National reputation are engaged to address the graduates.
The graduating class of 1917 numbered 39 students. The Alumni Association was formed in 1915, and its last annual banquet, at Hotel
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THE UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF BRADDOCK'S FIELD.
Schenley, Pittsburgh, June 12, 1916, was a social function of intelligence and refinement.
The social side of the life of the school is not neglected. The A-Gree (r)-a-ble Club which is very active, was formed by members of the school in 1916. To be eligible to membership to this club one must be not only a Greer-a-ble but agreeable as well.
Mr. Greer has become identified with much that pretains to Brad- dock's welfare, and being active in things outside of the school is enabled to bring an unusual amount of experience into the school. Mr. Reuben D. Abbiss, Graduate of State College, is principal of the Engineering and Mechanical Drawing Department, Miss Mae A. Legal, of the Greer School, secretary of the Alumni Association, is instructor in the stenographic de- partment. Miss Agnes Tallent is an assistant teacher.
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