Reasons Given For Naming New Schools of Atlanta

By W.W. Gaines

President of the Board of Education.

The people of Atlanta will doubtless be interested in the reasons which led the board of education to give the new schools now being erected the names they did. I will try to do this briefly.

Bernard Mallon, for whom the new senior high school for girls was named was the first superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools, and held the position some seven years. We are told that he was the father of the girls' high school idea, as the original layout of the system for the city did not include a girls' high school. He: was greatly beloved by the people of the city, particularly the school children. His monument in Oakland cemetery was erected by the school children of the city, the inscription so indicating.

Henry W. Grady, for whom the senior high school for boys was named, was of course, our great Atlanta editor, orator and patriot. It was felt that one of our greatest educational institutions should be named for him. He stands in a class in Atlanta all by himself.

Joseph E. Brown, for whom the northwest junior high school was named, was Georgia's great war governor, and at the same time a citizen of Atlanta. He was the first president of the board of education, a position he held for about seventeen years, Even while he was United States Senator he retained his place on the board, and would come from Washington to Atlanta to attend board meetings and commencements. He certainly deserves a high place in the story of Atlanta's public schools.

Professor William A. Bass, whom the northeast junior high school was named, was for a generation, professor in the Boys' High School. Many of the men of Atlanta, now in middle life, and occupying foremost places in the life of the City, were pupils of Professor Bass and treasure his memory. The suggestion that one of the greatest schools be named for him has been very general.

The west junior high school, is named, of course, for former President Woodrow Wilson. He began his remarkable career in Atlanta. He later became president of one of the great universities of the country, and subsequently President of the United States.

Named for Smith

The south junior high school is named for Hon. Hoke Smith, who was president of the Atlanta board of education a number of years. He was serving in that capacity when he was appointed to President Cleveland's cabinet, and upon his return to the city after his cabinet duties ended he was again made president of the board. As United States senator he was chairman of the great committee on education of that body. He was also joint author of the Smith-Hughes law and of the Smith-Towner bill.

Samuel Inman, for whom the new Virginia Avenue school was named, was the first citizen of Atlanta in his day. No man in the city has ever been more honored than he. No school has been more fitly named than this one.

Daniel C. O'Keefe, for whom the Ivy street replacement was named, was the father of the public school system of Atlanta. In 1869, while an alderman, he offered a resolution in the city council which led to the founding of our public schools. He also became a member of the first board, and died a member of the board. Surely a school should be named for him.

Mayor Honored

David Mayer, for whom the Formwalt Street School replacement was named, was also one of the members of the original any Atlanta board of education. Few if any members of the board in all of its history have ever taken as much interest in the schools as David Mayer. He visited the schools a great deal. Many citizens have told be that their most vivid recollections of their early school days in Atlanta centered about the visits to the school of this loyal man.

The Fraser street school replacement is named for Mayor James L. Key, who is about to retire from the board after a term of some ten or eleven years, Those who are connected with the school administration know what a devoted friend to the schools lie has been. The four years of his administration as mayor have marked a splendid advance in our public schools, such an advance as no similar period has seen. During that term the city charter has been amended so as to put the schools on their feet financially, and the greatest building program in its history has been put on.

Miss Laura A. Haygood, for whom the Faith school replacement was named, was one of the early teachers in the Girls' High School. She was perhaps beloved and honored as almost no other teacher in the history of Atlanta. She resigned as teacher to become a missionary to China, where she died and was buried. She was one of the most noted of southern missionaries and the name is a very fortunate one for perhaps our most important grammar school, as this is to be our normal and training school.

The Lucile Avenue School is changed to the Joel Chandler Harris School. This wonderful Atlanta man was famous wherever children and children's stories are known, lives in the neighborhood of the Lucile Avenue School. It is a fine thing to honor his memory in this way, and his name will also honor the school.

The English Avenue School is changing to the Thomas B. Watson School. Senator Watson numbered his admirers in Georgia by the thousands and tens of thousands. Perhaps no man in the history of the state ever had such devoted followers and today they are mourning his death all over Georgia.

Honor Veteran

The East Atlanta school is named for John B. Gordon, general, governor, senator, lecturer, beloved of all Confederate veterans. North Avenue school was changed to the Ella W. Smillie school. Miss Smillie, was one the twenty-seven teachers elected when the Atlanta public schools opened in 1872. She is still teaching in the system having rounded out a full fifty years last February. No other teacher has had a record equal to this. And we want Miss Smillie to know while she yet lives how much we esteem her, and her work.

The Junior-Senior High School for negroes was named for Booker T. Washington, perhaps the most famous negro of his day or any other day.

The Storrs-Houston replacement was named for David T. Howard, well known Atlanta negro and businessman respected by white people and negroes alike.

The Pittburg School was named for Professor William H. Crogman, for a great many years a teacher at Clark University, now retired on account of age. He bears a good name.

The Roach-Mitchell replacement was named for former President Edmund A Ware, of Atlanta University. He was head of this well known institution for a great many years, which institution has had more to do with the training of negro teachers than any other institution in the state.