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 I3I&/IP, 
 
 REPORT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SUPERINTENDENT OF 
 SCHOOLS 
 
 ROME, NEW YORK 
 1916-1917 1917-1918 
 
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 •M’VE 'S!TY OF 
 
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REPORT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Superintendent of Schools 
 
 ROME, N. Y. 
 
 1916—1917 1917—1918 
 
 JULY 31st, 1918 
 
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 in 2017 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 
 
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 “Ye that have faith to look with fearless eyes 
 Beyond the tragedy of a world at strife, 
 
 And know that out of death and night shall rise 
 The dawn of ampler life, 
 
 Rejoice, whatever anguish rend the heart, 
 
 That God has given you a priceless dower, 
 
 To live in these great times and have your part 
 In Freedom's crowning hour; 
 
 That you may tell your sons who see the light 
 High in the heavens — their heritage to take — 
 T saw the powers of Darkness put to flight, 
 
 I saw the morning break’.” 
 
 (This poem was found on the body of an unknown 
 Australian soldier who died bravely fighting the Germans 
 on the Western front in France.) 
 
 •r 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 Organization.5 
 
 In Memoriam.7 
 
 Foreword.8 
 
 What the Schools Try To Do.9 
 
 Effect of the War Upon the Schools.. 17 
 
 Progress and Promotion.20 
 
 Attendance.24 
 
 Financial.24 
 
 Bonds.25 
 
 Insurance.25 
 
 Health Statistics... . 25 
 
 Summer Sessions.26 
 
 Teachers. 27 
 
 One-Story Schoolhouse Architecture. 29 
 
 Building Program.37 
 
 Awards.38 
 
 Historical Sketch.41 
 
ORGANIZATION 
 
 October, 1916 — May, 1918 
 
 Jeremiah H. Carroll, President .116 E. Dominick St 
 
 Walter B. Johnson, Vice-President .Rome Manufacturing Co. 
 
 Mrs. Mary Sutton Whyte, Clerk .218 N. James St. 
 
 George G. Bailey .Fort Stanwix Canning Co. 
 
 Albert Krebs .210 W. Dominick St. 
 
 Frederick W. Marks .W. W. Parry Coal Co. 
 
 COMMITTEES 
 
 Finance .Commissioners Johnson, Bailey, Krebs 
 
 Library and Apparatus .Commissioners Krebs, Johnson, Marks 
 
 Buildings and Supplies .Commissioners Bailey, Carroll, Krebs 
 
 Teachers .Commissioners Carroll, Whyte, Johnson 
 
 Text Books .Commissioners Marks, Whyte, Bailey 
 
 Visiting .Commissioners Whyte, Marks, Carroll 
 
 May, 1918 — 
 
 Walter B. Johnson, President . 
 
 Mrs. Mary Sutton Whyte, Vice-President. 
 
 Frederick W. Marks, Clerk . 
 
 Albert Krebs. 
 
 Herbert T. Dyett. 
 
 Dr. M. T. Powers.. 
 
 Rome Manufacturing Co. 
 
 .218 N. James St. 
 
 .. .W. W. Parry Coal Co. 
 ... .210 W. Dominick St. 
 
 .Rome Wire Co. 
 
 .. .215 N. Washington St 
 
 COMMITTEES 
 
 Finance .Commissioners Krebs, Johnson, Powers 
 
 Library and Apparatus .Commissioners Dyett, Krebs, Whyte 
 
 Buildings and Supplies .Commissioners Marks, Krebs, Dyett 
 
 Teachers .Commissioners Whyte, Johnson, Dyeti 
 
 Text Books .Commissioners Johnson, Marks, Powers 
 
 Visiting .Commissioners Powers, Whyte, Marks 
 
 George R. Staley .. 
 
 Mary C. Craig_ 
 
 Charles A. Young 
 
 Superintendent of Schools 
 Secretary to Superintendent 
 Attendance Officer 
 
 205 W. Garden St. 
 
 .;650 Turin St. 
 
 ..515 S. George St. 
 
 5 
 
HOMER WILLIAM HARRIS 
 
 6 
 
HOMER WILLIAM HARRIS 
 
 Shortly after the expiration of the period covered by 
 this report, and during the time of its preparation occurred 
 the death of Homer W. Harris, for seventeen years Prin¬ 
 cipal of Rome Free Academy. He was spending his vaca¬ 
 tion with relatives and the relatives of Mrs. Harris at 
 Canaseraga, N. Y., when he was attacked by appendicitis. 
 He was taken to St. James’ Mercy Hospital at Hornell, 
 where he submitted to an operation from which he was 
 unable to recover. He died August 22, in the 48th year 
 of his age. 
 
 His was a character of rare strength and beauty. He 
 held to a remarkable degree the respect and affection of 
 pupils, parents and teachers. No one with whom he was 
 associated ever found in him one smallest streak of mean¬ 
 ness, one note of disloyalty, one single suggestion of de¬ 
 ceit or indirection. He was a man of unusual gifts, but 
 he was also a man of unusual modesty. He had a supreme 
 sense of fairness and his dealings with pupils were ever 
 marked by justice tempered by a sympathetic understand¬ 
 ing. As he lay in the hospital at Hornell on the morning 
 of the day he died, his failing strength made his speech 
 fragmentary, but almost at the very last he said quite 
 distinctly and coherently, “All the boys and girls must 
 have an equal chance!” He had given subconsciously the 
 keynote of his character. The City of Rome is immeasur¬ 
 ably richer in consequence of his service.. His loss is 
 irreparable. 
 
 f 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 To the Board of Education: 
 
 Amidst all the misgivings I feel in launching this bi-ennial report, 
 there is one fact that makes me confident you will like it; it is short. 
 Thirty minutes will suffice to go clear through from cover to cover. 
 If you find one section of consequence, the gist of which you were 
 not already familiar with, then you will be repaid as a public ser¬ 
 vant for the time spent. If you find nothing at all not already clear¬ 
 ly apprehended, then rejoice that you are so well-informed, and 
 regard the brochure still as having definite value for circulation 
 among a limited number of interested citizens and for exchange 
 with other cities which issue similar publications. Comparisons of 
 policies, costs and results are always interesting and frequently 
 stimulating. The reports which I receive from other Superinten¬ 
 dents constitute a very definite factor in keeping me qualified for 
 my task. Some of these may indicate wider scope of effort, some 
 may indicate higher achievements, but none I am sure represents 
 a School Committee more able, more responsible, more helpful, 
 more considerate than the Board of Education which I have the 
 honor and the pleasure to serve. 
 
 Of course it is true that in spite of the very best and strongest 
 support, there are times when it is not all smooth sailing. Difficul¬ 
 ties in administration occasionally appear, and disappointments are 
 bound to be met. Death takes its yearly toll of pupils and teachers, 
 disease insidiously finds; its way among us. The war has laid its 
 levy upon our number and we must stand ready to face with reso¬ 
 lute spirit whatever demands the future may have in store. We 
 have already taken note of the great loss we sustain in the passing 
 of our High School Principal. It was also a very real affliction 
 to our schools when Joseph Joynt, for many years our loyal and 
 efficient attendance officer succumbed in November, 1917, to a fatal 
 malady. For the war we yield the services of our former Medical 
 Inspector, Dr. L. C. Stuart; of our High School Science teacher, 
 John G. Boyd; of our grade manual training instructor, Ralph S. 
 Smith; and of William M. Lowerre, Principal of Thomas St. School. 
 The Honor Roll of those who have studied in our schools and have 
 gained there the patriotic impulse which has carried them into the 
 battle line of democracy is too long to be included here, but it is 
 pleasant to think of them as the abundant justification of all the 
 effort of past years in the development of our system of public 
 education. That Honor Roll challenges us to yet greater effort in 
 providing all needful opportunities to the boys and girls still in our 
 schools — that splendid army which Herman Hagedorn character¬ 
 izes as “the hope of the world.” 
 
 8 
 
WHAT THE SCHOOLS TRY TO DO 
 
 The end sought to be attained by the public schools is the de¬ 
 velopment of good citizenship. No other end would justify their 
 operation at public expense. Since good citizenship involves such 
 intangible elements as industry, self-reliance, honor, public spirit, 
 etc., the degree of achievement is difficult or impossible to measure. 
 But the schools deal primarily with means toward the one great end. 
 Results with the principal means toward the desired end are capable 
 of being at least partially ascertained. The means which we regard 
 as most important for the final result are three: skill, knowledge, 
 judgment. This may be illustrated by saying that when a pupil 
 works on paper a problem in arithmetic, he exhibits in the way he 
 makes the figures, writes the words and arranges the work certain 
 skills which he has acquired in school; he exhibits in the way he 
 has performed fundamental operations involved in his problem, a 
 certain body of knowledge which he has acquired by the study of 
 former lessons; he exhibits by the way he has analyzed his problem 
 and reasoned out his conclusions a power of judgment which he has 
 acquired by gradually strengthening his thought processes as he has 
 worked his way in school from the simple to the complex. 
 
 As an indication of what we are actually accomplishing along 
 each of these lines, there follow concrete examples of acquired 
 skill, acquired knowledge and acquired judgment, selected almost 
 at random from examination papers written in June, 1918. 
 
 The first exhibit, which is designed to show skill in penmanship, 
 gives a reproduction of the signatures of every member of the class 
 in one section of the 8A Grade. 
 
 9 
 

 
 
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 11 
 

 
 
 ^4 — 
 
For the second exhibit, that which indicates the acquirement of 
 knowledge, a vast amount of material might be brought forward. 
 People are quite generally inclined to think of this as the only very 
 important function of the schools. While this is not true, it is 
 nevertheless a fact that it constitutes a large part of our tangible 
 result. It is undoubtedly the easiest to measure, and for that reason 
 usually receives undue prominence, both in class-room teaching and 
 in supervisory examinations. 
 
 A single question in a single subject will suffice for illustration. 
 
 In 5A Geography this was one of the questions asked: 
 
 “What and where are five of the following: Nile, Sydney, 
 Honolulu, Tanganyika, Rhodesia, Tasmania?” 
 
 Since the question covers a part of the world not frequently men¬ 
 tioned in either the market reports or the war dispatches, think for 
 a moment how you would answer that question yourself, before 
 you read this specimen reply written by Bert F. Odell, aged eleven 
 years. 
 
 “The Nile River flows north from Lake Victoria into the 
 Mediterranean Sea. 
 
 “Sydney, in the southeastern part of Australia, is a city. 
 
 “Honolulu —* 
 
 “Tanganyika is a lake in the southeastern part of Africa. 
 
 “Rhodesia is a country in Africa in the south central part. 
 
 “Tasmania is an island southeast of Australia.” 
 
 Of course every correct answer would be substantially like this, 
 so nothing would be gained by printing others. 
 
 The third exhibit will show a few typical answers to questions 
 designed to call out original thought on the part of the pupil, and to 
 test his powers of discrimination. 
 
 One question asked in 8B History was this: 
 
 “Mention three events that led to the revolt of the American 
 colonies, and state how you think these compared in importance 
 with the events which caused our country to declare war on 
 Germany.” 
 
 The varying mental reactions to such a question are illustrated 
 by three answers which, after attending to the first part of the ques¬ 
 tion (a knowledge test), diverge as follows: 
 
 (a) “I think these events were not as important as those 
 that led up to the present war. The events that led up to the 
 Revolution were a good many small events, while the events that 
 led up to the present war were large, such as the torpedoing of 
 American ships, etc .”—Ernest White. 
 
 ( b ) “The causes of America entering war with Germany are 
 different than the past. In the first place, American colonies 
 were fighting for independence, now for humanity.” 
 
 —Emmanuel Digiacomo. 
 
 ( c ) “Both times we declared war for our rights. The differ¬ 
 ence is, we declare war on one for our rights on land, and one 
 for our rights on the ocean.”— Anna Hessler. 
 
 13 
 
Arithmetic is the subject usually thought to he the one par excel¬ 
 lence, in which judgment is trained and reasoning power developed. 
 This question for instance in the 8B Grade, designed to test quick 
 judgment, gave within the 96 seconds allowed for an answer, 45 
 correct results out of a total of 50. 
 
 “Which is better business: to buy a lawnmower which will 
 last 10 years for $14.00, or to buy one which will last 3 years 
 for $5.00?” 
 
 As an illustration of sustained reasoning power without actual 
 calculation, here is one from the 7A Arithmetic examination: 
 
 “The regular price of woolen blankets, the rate of discount 
 allowed to the U. S. Government and the number of blankets 
 given, how is the total cost of the blankets found?” 
 
 As a specimen answer the following written by Esther Bingham 
 is reproduced: 
 
 “To find the total cost of the blankets first multiply the cost 
 of one blanket by the rate of discount and the product is the 
 discount. Second, subtract the discount from the regular price of 
 one blanket, then the remainder is the net price of one blanket 
 to the U. S. Government. Third, multiply the net price of one 
 blanket by the number of blankets given and the product is the 
 total cost of blankets to the U. S. Government.” 
 
 Arithmetic, however, does not stand alone in its value as a thought 
 developing subject of study. Every subject in the elementary cur¬ 
 riculum may be made to yield its quota of thought producing values 
 along with the knowledge and the skills pertaining especially to it. 
 
 Take Spelling for instance: 
 
 In our Course of Study in Spelling much use of the Dictionary is 
 encouraged. One of the questions in the June examination of the 
 Seventh Grade attempted to measure how much of the use of the 
 dictionary is mechanical and how much is really thoughtful. The 
 question was “What is the difference between an oboe and a saxo¬ 
 phone?” Before asking the question it was ascertained that the 
 dictionaries in common use by the pupils not only defined both words 
 but also gave illustrations of both instruments. The answers could 
 very quickly be thrown into three groups : (1) Those which showed 
 
 unmistakeably a lack of comprehension of the question or of ability 
 to cope with it. (2) Those which showed mechanical ability but 
 left indeterminate whether the pupil actually grasped a real distinc¬ 
 tion or not. (3) Those which pointed out a clear distinction indi¬ 
 cating a mental reaction on the question. The first group was 
 smallest, the third group next in size, while the second group, as 
 might have been expected held a majority of all the answers. The 
 following answers, every one written by children of Italian paren¬ 
 tage, illustrate each group: 
 
 14 
 
GROUP I 
 
 (а) The difference between the oboe and saxophone are the 
 same. 
 
 (б) The oboe has high winds and the ' saxophone has one 
 wind. 
 
 GROUP II 
 
 (o) Oboe. One of the higher wind instruments. Saxophone. 
 
 A keyed instrument having the reed mouthpiece of a clarinet. 
 
 GROUP III 
 
 (a) The difference between a saxophone and an oboe is the 
 saxophone looks something like a pipe and the oboe looks like a 
 clarinet. 
 
 ( b ) The oboe hasn’t any mouthpiece like a clarinet. The 
 saxophone has a reed mouthpiece like a clarinet and isn’t as 
 high a tone. 
 
 Of course it is not possible within these covers to display with 
 any approach to adequacy, the results which are being attained. It 
 is only hoped that the foregoing will give a suggestive glimpse of 
 the effort being made as it appears in a cross-section of a few sub¬ 
 jects viewed from the standpoint of school-acquired skill, knowledge 
 and judgment. 
 
 In conclusion, it may be stated that if there is evidenced anywhere 
 in school work a definite promise of the ultimate end — good citizen¬ 
 ship, it might best be looked for in that part of the English work 
 called Written Composition. Here, if anywhere, the spirit and pur¬ 
 pose of children’s lives will be made manifest. I therefore conclude 
 the exhibit by reproducing two sample compositions written by 
 pupils in the 8B Grade last June in compliance with the request to 
 write a brief composition on the subject: 
 
 “Go to work or go to High School: Which is more patriotic?” 
 
 Although opposite in conclusion, the similarity in patriotic tone 
 will be quite apparent: 
 
 (a) “Go to work and help win the war. I think it is more 
 patriotic to go to work than to go to High School. One that 
 goes to work rather than go to High School can help by making 
 war implements. 
 
 If you go to High School you do not help the Government 
 any, because you do it for your own good. You have to spend 
 money for books and many other things. 
 
 But if you go to work you can earn your own money and 
 buy your own clothes, while your father or parents may buy 
 bonds and help fill the War Chest and also buy War Savings 
 Stamps with the money they have to spend for you. You can 
 also buy those things, but you can’t unless you have money. 
 
 That is why I think it is more patriotic to go to work than to 
 go to High School. Go to work if you are of age and help 
 Uncle Sam .”—Rose Romane. 
 
 ( b ) “The United States is sending all the young intelligent 
 men over to France, from where they will probably never come 
 back. If they do, they will probably be dead or maimed for life. 
 
 15 
 
Now, who is going to take their places? Why, it will have 
 to be the next generation. Who else could it be? The boys and 
 girls that are in school today will take their places. This is one 
 reason the Government has for wanting the children to stay in 
 school and finish their education so they will be fit to carry on 
 the business of this fast growing nation. 
 
 And now another question. How can under-educated men 
 take the places of the ones that have gone before us? They can’t 
 do it, and do it successfully. Why not? Because to succeed 
 requires knowledge of what must be done and how to do it. The 
 Grammar Schools, High Schools and Colleges are the places to 
 secure this knowledge. This is another reason why the Govern¬ 
 ment wants the Grammar School children to finish their education 
 and go to High School. 
 
 Let the men who are physically unfit to fight for freedom do 
 the work today and the school children do the work tomorrow. 
 In so doing they will be helping the Government greatly, keeping 
 the flag proudly floating ‘O’er the land of the free and the home 
 of the brave ’.”—Theodore Dickinson. 
 
 16 
 
EFFECT OF THE WAR UPON THE SCHOOLS 
 
 With the outbreak of actual hostilities in April, 1917, there came 
 upon the nation not only responsibilities of utterly new character 
 and of tremendous weight and magnitude, but also a feeling of 
 exultation that America had stepped into the place beside the Allies 
 which destiny had unmistakeably created for her. Nowhere was 
 this feeling more universal and intense than in the educational in¬ 
 stitutions of the country. While the pupils in elementary and sec¬ 
 ondary schools were not by their age permitted to join their col¬ 
 legiate elder brothers in actual military service, all were anxious to 
 do their part in such a mobilization of the whole nation as would 
 make actual military service effective in the highest degree. From 
 a multitude of opportunities offered and in many instances urged 
 upon the schools, we have chosen to direct our efforts along four 
 rather definite lines, viz.: Information, Finance, Production, Ameli¬ 
 oration. 
 
 In furtherance of the first named, pupils in grades far enough 
 advanced to benefit by it are invited to become subscribers to a little 
 weekly newspaper called “Current Events,” and discussions are held 
 during the few minutes allotted to opening exercises on subjects 
 concerned with the progress of the war and the varied responsibili¬ 
 ties resting upon the citizenship of a republic at war. Teachers are 
 supplied with copies of a most valuable publication of the Govern¬ 
 ment Bureau of Education entitled “Lessons in Community and Na¬ 
 tional Life.” This is published in three series adapted respectively 
 to the Intermediate Grades, the Grammar Grades and the High 
 School. Each one is a veritable mine of educational material skill¬ 
 fully adapted to the development of an interested, intelligent, patrio¬ 
 tic citizenship upon which in large measure must rest both the suc¬ 
 cessful prosecution of the war and the wise application of economic 
 laws involved in a healthy reconstruction during the succeeding 
 years of peace. From these 96 lessons I submit as a fair sample 
 these five: “The War and Aeroplanes,” “Preventing Waste of 
 Human Beings,” “Money in the Community and the Home,” “Em¬ 
 ployment Agencies,” “Substitute Foods.” 
 
 Along the second line, after some desultory attempts with Lib¬ 
 erty Bonds and Savings Certificates, we settled down to a systema¬ 
 tic effort to advance the sale of Thrift Stamps. From the first of 
 February we have kept a careful record of sales, and in the five 
 months elapsing before the close of schools in June, pupils had sold 
 to themselves and their friends a quantity of stamps aggregating in 
 value $12,187.50. The greater part of this amount represents the 
 actual savings of the pupils themselves. Through a patriotic im¬ 
 pulse about 60% of all pupils enrolled in the Rome Schools are 
 systematically pursuing a course of self-denial and industry by which 
 they are enabled to practice that form of thrift so great in its ad¬ 
 vantages to the nation and to the individual. 
 
 17 
 
Turning to the third line, increased production, we have at the 
 request of the State Department and in common with other schools 
 of the state excused from attendance pupils over 16 years of age 
 who wished in spring and fall to give all their effort to farm or 
 garden work, provided their scholastic standings at the time of such 
 excuse were sufficiently high to be regarded as satisfactory. We 
 have, however, made no attempt to encourage this, as it seemed 
 to be founded on unsound principles. To give a boy credit for do¬ 
 ing 6 months’ work in Algebra because of the fact that he did 3 
 months’ work in Algebra and 3 months’ work in a corn field is 
 stretching a point which may have immediate advantages to the corn 
 crop, but which will still more surely have ultimate disadvantages 
 to the boy himself. Another and much more commendable idea is 
 that which seeks to make boys and girls producers while carrying 
 on their school work uninterruptedly. War Gardens for school 
 children were warmly advised in 1917 and a good start was made. 
 In the spring of 1918 a more vigorous and more effective effort 
 was made. In co-operation with the Chamber of Commerce the 
 schools secured the services of a paid garden supervisor. I shall 
 not attempt to say how many gardens were cultivated this year by 
 school children, but the number cannot be less than 300, and I am 
 inclined to think 500 would be nearer right. The Rome Trust Co. 
 offered a Prize Cup to the pupil who should, in the opinion of the 
 judges, exhibit the best-planned, the best cared-for and the best- 
 producing garden in the city. The prize has just been awarded to 
 Francis Foster, a student in the High School. On a plot 50 ft. by 
 168 ft. he produced family quantities of 19 varieties of vegetables. 
 
 The expenses of cultivation were: 
 
 170 hours’ own work...$25.50 
 
 70 hours’ adult work.. 17.50 
 
 4*4 hours’ horse work...65 
 
 Cost of seeds and plants. 9.90 
 
 Cost of manure and fertilizer. 4.50 
 
 Other expenses... 7.97 
 
 Total expense.$ 66.02 
 
 The receipts were: 
 
 Products sold...$81.05 
 
 Value of products used at home. 35.00 
 
 Total receipts....$116.05 
 
 Total expense. 66.02 
 
 Net income..$ 50.03 
 
 Of course this was the prize garden, but if the average produc¬ 
 tion of 300 competing gardens were only one-tenth of this one, then 
 the school children of Rome must have produced in their War Gar¬ 
 dens in 1918 an aggregate value of $3,500.00. I believe the aggre- 
 
 18 
 
gate was really more than this, but whatever it was, it was accom¬ 
 plished entirely outside of school hours, and helped rather than hin¬ 
 dered the all-round harmonious development of physical and mental 
 powers and of character. 
 
 Passing to the fourth line of endeavor, amelioration, the schools 
 have entered with splendid heartiness into the work of the Junior 
 Red Cross. One hundred per cent membership was assured to 
 every school by the action of the War Chest Association in appro¬ 
 priating from its funds an amount equivalent to Twenty-five Cents 
 for each registered pupil. Under the direction of Miss M. Elizabeth 
 Beach, principals, teachers and pupils have accomplished marvelous 
 results. Wherever it has been practical, the regular work of the 
 schools has been turned into Red Cross channels. Thus, the manual 
 training department has made picture-puzzles for convalescing 
 soldiers in place of broom-holders for their mothers; the sewing 
 classes have made clothes for Belgian babies instead of aprons for 
 themselves; the art department has made Red Cross posters instead 
 of designs for wall paper; even the English classes have written 
 compositions on various phases of Red Cross work in substitution 
 for topics suggested by literature and school experiences. 
 
 Taken as a whole, the war has put virility and reality into school 
 work. It has furnished a motive for the doing of many things, and 
 has put seriousness of purpose into all of it. It has impressed upon 
 us, through the four lines of activity mentioned, the need of a 
 broader knowledge of local and national affairs, the value of thrift 
 in both individuals and groups, the dignity of labor, the apprecia¬ 
 tion of the soil and of the conditions of vegetable growth, and most 
 of all the durable satisfaction of working for others in a common 
 effort to express gratitude, to bring cheer into misfortune and to 
 bring relief into suffering. 
 
 
 19 
 
PROGRESS AND PROMOTION 
 
 A — In the Elementary Schools : 
 
 In the Kindergarten and Primary Grades promotion depends 
 solely upon the judgment of the teacher and principal. In the Inter¬ 
 mediate Grades, a written examination is given at the close of each 
 term, the standing in this examination counting as one-third and the 
 class standing counting two-thirds in determining promotion. The 
 examinations of the Fourth Grade are set by the teacher, with the 
 approval of the principal. Those of the grades above the fourth 
 are set by the Superintendent, except in grades having a Regent’s 
 Examination prescribed. In these cases the Regent’s Examinations 
 are substituted for the Superintendent’s examinations. Promotion 
 in every grade is earned by attaining an average of 75% with no 
 subject lower than 60%. The accompanying figures show that in 
 general about one child in every ten fails each term to satisfy the 
 conditions. This results in retardation and over-age affecting in 
 round numbers about one-third of all the pupils registered at any 
 one time in the elementary schools: 
 
 PROMOTION FROM KINDERGARTEN 
 
 SCHOOL 
 
 1917 
 
 1918 
 
 Term 
 
 , 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Term 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Liberty Street... 
 
 First 
 
 44 
 
 38 
 
 
 First 
 
 42 
 
 38 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 34 
 
 31 
 
 
 Second 
 
 26 
 
 24 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 78 
 
 69 
 
 88 
 
 Both 
 
 68 
 
 62 
 
 91 
 
 Thomas Street.. 
 
 First 
 
 51 
 
 43 
 
 
 First 
 
 77 
 
 72 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 51 
 
 50 
 
 
 Second 
 
 56 
 
 51 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 102 
 
 93 
 
 91 
 
 Both 
 
 133 
 
 123 
 
 93 
 
 Willett . 
 
 First 
 
 123 
 
 106 
 
 
 First 
 
 135 
 
 112 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 126 
 
 106 
 
 
 Second 
 
 109 
 
 97 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 249 
 
 212 
 
 85 
 
 Both 
 
 244 
 
 209 
 
 86 
 
 East Rome. 
 
 First 
 
 111 
 
 78 
 
 
 First 
 
 117 
 
 89 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 108 
 
 73 
 
 
 Second 
 
 106 
 
 88 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 219 
 
 151 
 
 69 
 
 Both 
 
 223 
 
 177 
 
 79 
 
 Jay Street. 
 
 First 
 
 61 
 
 52 
 
 
 First 
 
 67 
 
 56 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 59 
 
 52 
 
 
 Second 
 
 59 
 
 53 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 120 
 
 104 
 
 87 
 
 Both 
 
 126 
 
 109 
 
 87 
 
 Gansevoort . 
 
 First 
 
 57 
 
 43 
 
 
 First 
 
 43 
 
 38 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 49 
 
 48 
 
 
 Second 
 
 36 
 
 33 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 106 
 
 91 
 
 86 
 
 Both 
 
 79 
 
 71 
 
 90 
 
 All Schools. 
 
 First 
 
 447 
 
 360 
 
 
 First 
 
 481 
 
 405 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 417 
 
 360 
 
 
 Second 
 
 392 
 
 346 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 864 
 
 720 
 
 83 
 
 Both 
 
 873 
 
 751 
 
 86 
 
 20 
 
PROMOTIONS FROM PRIMARY DEPARTMENT 
 
 (Grades 1, 2 and 3) 
 
 j 
 
 SCHOOL 
 
 1917 
 
 1918 
 
 Term 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Term 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Liberty Street... 
 
 First 
 
 145 
 
 128 
 
 
 First 
 
 140 
 
 131 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 142 
 
 134 
 
 
 Second 
 
 132 
 
 115 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 287 
 
 262 
 
 91 
 
 Both 
 
 272 
 
 246 
 
 90 
 
 Thomas Streeet. 
 
 First 
 
 180 
 
 168 
 
 
 First 
 
 190 
 
 170 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 177 
 
 166 
 
 
 Second 
 
 208 
 
 183 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 357 
 
 334 
 
 93 
 
 Both 
 
 398 
 
 353 
 
 89 
 
 Willett. 
 
 First 
 
 261 
 
 210 
 
 
 First 
 
 349 
 
 310 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 306 
 
 261 
 
 
 Second 
 
 378 
 
 335 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 567 
 
 471 
 
 83 
 
 Both 
 
 727 
 
 645 
 
 89 
 
 East Rome. 
 
 First 
 
 309 
 
 286 
 
 
 First 
 
 310 
 
 269 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 298 
 
 269 
 
 
 Second 
 
 313 
 
 275 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 607 
 
 555 
 
 91 
 
 Both 
 
 623 
 
 544 
 
 87 
 
 Jay Street. 
 
 First 
 
 158 
 
 142 
 
 
 First 
 
 152 
 
 146 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 163 
 
 141 
 
 
 Second 
 
 155 
 
 131 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 308 
 
 283 
 
 91 
 
 Both 
 
 307 
 
 277 
 
 90 
 
 Gansevoort . 
 
 First 
 
 129 
 
 112 
 
 
 First 
 
 141 
 
 115 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 135 
 
 128 
 
 
 Second 
 
 147 
 
 142 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 264 
 
 240 
 
 91 
 
 Both 
 
 288 
 
 257 
 
 89 
 
 All Schools. 
 
 First 
 
 1182 
 
 1046 
 
 
 First 
 
 1282 
 
 1141 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 1211 
 
 1099 
 
 
 Second 
 
 1328 
 
 1181 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 2393 
 
 2145 
 
 90 
 
 Both 
 
 2610 
 
 2322 
 
 89 
 
 21 
 
PROMOTIONS FROM INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT 
 
 (Grades 4, 5 and 6) 
 
 SCHOOL 
 
 1917 
 
 1918 
 
 Term 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Term 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Liberty Street... 
 
 First 
 
 221 
 
 196 
 
 
 First 
 
 209 
 
 171 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 201 
 
 187 
 
 
 Second 
 
 184 
 
 177 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 422 
 
 383 
 
 91 
 
 Both 
 
 403 
 
 348 
 
 86 
 
 Thomas Street.. 
 
 First 
 
 196 
 
 167 
 
 
 First 
 
 195 
 
 183 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 209 
 
 192 
 
 
 Second 
 
 179 
 
 167 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 405 
 
 359 
 
 89 
 
 Both 
 
 374 
 
 350 
 
 94 
 
 Willett . 
 
 First 
 
 138 
 
 126 
 
 
 First 
 
 244 
 
 207 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 150 
 
 137 
 
 
 Second 
 
 264 
 
 229 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 288 
 
 263 
 
 91 
 
 Both 
 
 508 
 
 436 
 
 86 
 
 East Rome. 
 
 First 
 
 168 
 
 151 
 
 
 First 
 
 107 
 
 98 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 154 
 
 142 
 
 
 Second 
 
 109 
 
 98 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 322 
 
 293 
 
 91 
 
 Both 
 
 216 
 
 196 
 
 91 
 
 Jay Street. 
 
 First 
 
 94 
 
 77 
 
 
 First 
 
 89 
 
 76 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 99 
 
 92 
 
 
 Second 
 
 98 
 
 91 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 193 
 
 169 
 
 93 
 
 Both 
 
 187 
 
 167 
 
 89 
 
 Gansevoort. 
 
 First 
 
 35 
 
 31 
 
 
 First 
 
 43 
 
 33 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 26 
 
 25 
 
 
 Second 
 
 41 
 
 39 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 61 
 
 56 
 
 92 
 
 Both 
 
 84 
 
 72 
 
 86 
 
 All Schools. 
 
 First 
 
 852 
 
 748 
 
 
 First 
 
 887 
 
 768 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 839 
 
 765 
 
 
 Second 
 
 885 
 
 801 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 1691 
 
 1513 
 
 89 
 
 Both 
 
 1722 
 
 1569 
 
 89 
 
 22 
 
PROMOTIONS FROM GRAMMAR DEPARTMENT 
 (Grades 7 and 8) 
 
 SCHOOL 
 
 1917 
 
 
 1918 
 
 
 
 Term 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Term 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Liberty Street... 
 
 First 
 
 151 
 
 143 
 
 
 First 
 
 148 
 
 136 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 153 
 
 145 
 
 
 Second 
 
 137 
 
 128 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 304 
 
 288 
 
 95 
 
 Both 
 
 285 
 
 264 
 
 93 
 
 Thomas Street.. 
 
 First 
 
 133 
 
 122 
 
 
 First 
 
 152 
 
 136 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 130 
 
 107 
 
 
 Second 
 
 175 
 
 157 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 263 
 
 229 
 
 87 
 
 Both 
 
 327 
 
 293 
 
 90 
 
 All Schools. 
 
 First 
 
 284 
 
 265 
 
 
 First 
 
 300 
 
 272 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 283 
 
 252 
 
 
 Second 
 
 312 
 
 285 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 567 
 
 517 | 
 
 91 
 
 Both 
 
 612 
 
 557 
 
 91 
 
 TOTAL PROMOTIONS FROM ALL DEPARTMENTS 
 (Kindergarten to Eighth Grade, Inclusive) 
 
 SCHOOL 
 
 1917 
 
 1918 
 
 Term 
 
 ^4*1 1 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Term 
 
 Net Reg¬ 
 istration 
 
 Number 
 
 Promoted 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Liberty Street... 
 
 First 
 
 561 
 
 505 
 
 
 First 
 
 539 
 
 476 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 530 
 
 497 
 
 
 Second 
 
 489 
 
 i 444 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 1091 
 
 1002 
 
 92 
 
 Both 
 
 1028 
 
 920 
 
 89 
 
 Thomas Street.. 
 
 First 
 
 560 
 
 500 
 
 
 First 
 
 614 
 
 561 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 567 
 
 515 
 
 
 Second 
 
 613 
 
 558 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 1127 
 
 1015 
 
 90 
 
 Both 
 
 1227 
 
 1119 
 
 91 
 
 Willett. 
 
 First 
 
 522 
 
 442 
 
 
 First 
 
 728 
 
 629 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 582 
 
 504 
 
 
 Second 
 
 751 
 
 661 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 1104 
 
 946 
 
 85 
 
 Both 
 
 1479 
 
 1280 
 
 88 
 
 East Rome. 
 
 First 
 
 588 
 
 515 
 
 
 First 
 
 534 
 
 456 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 560 
 
 484 
 
 
 Second 
 
 528 
 
 461 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 1158 
 
 999 
 
 86 
 
 Both 
 
 1062 
 
 917 
 
 86 
 
 Jay Street. 
 
 First 
 
 313 
 
 271 
 
 
 First 
 
 308 
 
 278 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 311 
 
 285 
 
 
 Second 
 
 401 
 
 351 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 624 
 
 556 
 
 89 
 
 Both 
 
 709 
 
 629 
 
 88 
 
 Gansevoort. 
 
 First 
 
 221 
 
 186 
 
 
 First 
 
 227 
 
 186 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 210 
 
 201 
 
 
 Second 
 
 224 
 
 214 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 431 
 
 387 
 
 89 
 
 Both 
 
 451 
 
 400 
 
 89 
 
 All Schools. 
 
 First 
 
 2765 
 
 2419 
 
 
 First 
 
 2950 
 
 2586 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 2760 
 
 2486 
 
 
 Second 
 
 3006 
 
 2689 
 
 
 
 Both 
 
 5525 
 
 4905 
 
 89 
 
 Both 
 
 5956 
 
 5255 
 
 88 
 
 23 
 
B. In the High School: 
 
 Unlike most schools of New York State, Rome Free Academy 
 does not make the passing of Regent’s Examinations a sole requisite 
 for promotion and graduation. Class standing has an equal value 
 with the State Examination in the computation. As a consequence 
 of this a certain number of pupils each term receive school credit 
 for work which according to the State standards could have no re¬ 
 ward. There is no disposition, however, to minimize the great de¬ 
 sirability of passing the State Examinations and passing them with 
 high marks. An analysis of our State record taken by itself shows 
 the necessity for vigorous effort in promoting a higher standard of 
 achievement. In 1916, the State Department of Education started 
 the custom of publishing in detail the record of the City High 
 Schools distinct from all other academic departments. A compar¬ 
 ison of results in our own High School, with the aggregate results 
 of all the City High Schools, is, if not gratifying, at least stimulat¬ 
 
 ing: 
 
 No. Pupils 
 Instructed 
 
 January and June, 1916 — 
 
 All High Schools (92) in all the cities 
 
 of the State.278,036 
 
 Rome Free Academy. 1,400 
 
 January and June, 1917 — 
 
 All High Schools (97) in all the cities 
 
 of the State.261,240 
 
 Rome Free Academy. 1,163 
 
 January and June, 1918 — 
 
 All High Schools in all the cities of Not yet 
 
 the State.published 
 
 Rome Free Academy. 1,367 
 
 No. Papers 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Accepted 
 
 Efficient 
 
 205,378 
 
 73.8 
 
 890 
 
 63.5 
 
 181,020 
 
 69.2 
 
 718 
 
 61.7 
 
 Not yet 
 
 Not yet 
 
 published 
 
 published 
 
 887 
 
 64.9 
 
 ATTENDANCE STATISTICS 
 
 No. pupils registered in Grade Schools. 
 
 No. pupils registered in High School. 
 
 No. pupils registered in all schools. 
 
 Aggregate number days’ attendance all schools 
 Average daily attendance all schools. 
 
 1916-1917 
 
 1917-1918 
 
 ,.. 3,096 
 
 3,314 
 
 ... 463 
 
 453 
 
 ... 3,559 
 
 3,767 
 
 ,. .538,803 
 
 571.153 
 
 ... 2,912 
 
 3,063 
 
 FINANCIAL 
 
 Receipts 
 
 Balance on hand at beginning of year.. 
 
 Public money for teachers’ wages. 
 
 Deducted for teachers’ retirement. 
 
 Public money for Library and apparatus 
 Public money for quota and attendance. 
 
 Public money for tuition ac. pupils. 
 
 Tuition from individual pupils. 
 
 Tax on property. 
 
 Sale of bonds. 
 
 Miscellaneous sources. 
 
 Total receipts. 
 
 For Year Ending 
 July 31, 1917 
 .. .$ 85,566.16 
 ... 9,134.93 
 
 756.76 
 87.32 
 368.67 
 861.03 
 ... 2,088.54 
 
 ... 120,300.00 
 ... 75,572.70 
 545.08 
 
 $295,281.19 
 
 For Year Ending 
 July 31, 1918 
 $141,051.50 
 10,315.30 
 777.11 
 165.27 
 
 2,315.71 
 
 141,000.00 
 
 1.926.72 
 
 $297,551.61 
 
 24 
 
For Year Ending 
 
 Payments July 31,1917 
 
 Expenses of General Control.$ 4,685.03 
 
 “ Instruction . 76,462.83 
 
 “ “ Operation . 12,038.20 
 
 “ Maintenance. 2,640.07 
 
 “ Auxiliary Activitiees. 1,199.90 
 
 “ Fixed Charges. 1,745.67 
 
 “ Debt Service. 9,723.26 
 
 “ “ Capital Outlay. 45,734.73 
 
 For Year Ending 
 July 31, 1918 
 $ 5,025.85 
 81,456.66 
 18,336.26 
 3,677.53 
 1,543.77 
 2,247.47 
 17,568.38 
 47,110.88 
 
 Total Payments.$154,229.69 $176,966.80 
 
 Balancec. 141,051.50 120,584.81 
 
 Total Payments and Balance.$295,281.19 
 
 $297,551.61 
 
 BONDS OUTSTANDING 
 
 School Amount Rate Maturity 
 
 Liberty Street.$ 41,000.00 4 % 1928 
 
 East Rome. 10,000.00 4^% 1923 
 
 Gansevoort. 25,000.00 4 y 2 % 1923 
 
 Willett. 74,200.00 4 ]/ 2 % 1939 
 
 $150,200.00 
 
 INSURANCE 
 
 School Building 
 
 Amount (80% of 
 estimated actual value) 
 
 Contents 
 
 Academy. 
 
 .$ 80,000.00 
 
 $7,500.00 
 
 Liberty Street.. 
 
 . 40,000.00 
 
 770.00 
 
 Gansevoort. 
 
 . 21.600.00 
 
 275.00 
 
 Thomas Street. 
 
 . 48,000.00 
 
 775.00 
 
 Jay Street. 
 
 . 20,000.00 
 
 330.00 
 
 Willett. 
 
 . 56,400.00 
 
 1,000.00 
 
 South James Street... 
 
 . 10,000.00 
 
 200.00 
 
 East Rome. 
 
 ... 36,000.00 
 
 650.00 
 
 Vocational . 
 
 . 5,000.00 
 
 1,000.00 
 
 Total. 
 
 ...$317,000.00 
 
 $12,500.00 
 
 
 HEALTH STATISTICS 
 
 
 Medical Inspector, Sept., 1916, to June, 1917. Dr. L. C. Stuart 
 
 Medical Inspector, Sept., 1917, to Feb., 1918.Vacant 
 
 Medical Inspector,, Feb., 1918, to June, 1918. Dr. M. Levitan 
 
 
 
 
 Year Ending 
 July 31, 1917 
 
 Year Ending 
 July 31,1918 
 
 No. 
 
 pupils examined by medical inspector. 
 
 ... .2,284 
 
 1,170 
 
 
 U 
 
 found with defective vision. 
 
 .... 112 
 
 55 
 
 “ 
 
 
 treated for above.. 
 
 .... 34 
 
 1 
 
 a 
 
 tt 
 
 found with defective hearing.. 
 
 .... 37 
 
 3 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 treated for above. 
 
 .... 2 
 
 0 
 
 it 
 
 it 
 
 found with defective temporary teeth... 63 
 
 200 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 treated for above.. 
 
 .... 4 
 
 0 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 found with defective permanent teeth 
 
 .... 48 
 
 401 
 
 
 if 
 
 treated for above... 
 
 .... 16 
 
 0 
 
 “ 
 
 it 
 
 found with defective nasal breathing 
 
 .... 78 
 
 223 
 
 
 it 
 
 treated for above.. 
 
 .... 11 
 
 21 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 found with diseased tonsils.. 
 
 .... 365 
 
 214 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 treated for above. 
 
 .... 23 
 
 23 
 
 it 
 
 H 
 
 with defective nutrition. 
 
 .... 13 
 
 31 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 treated for above. 
 
 1 
 
 0 
 
 tt 
 
 tt 
 
 found with cardiac disease. 
 
 .... 15 
 
 23 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 treated for above. 
 
 1 
 
 0 
 
 
 it 
 
 with pulmonary disease. 
 
 .... 5 
 
 10 
 
 25 
 
ii 
 
 « 
 
 treated for above. 
 
 . 5 
 
 0 
 
 “ 
 
 « 
 
 with nervous diseases. 
 
 . 9 
 
 0 
 
 
 “ 
 
 treated for above. 
 
 . 0 
 
 0 
 
 u 
 
 a 
 
 with orthopedic defects. 
 
 . 12 
 
 0 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 treated for above. 
 
 . 12 
 
 0 
 
 a 
 
 “ 
 
 with skin or scalp conditions. 
 
 . 4 
 
 200 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 treated for above. 
 
 . 4 
 
 150 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 with other defects. 
 
 . 20 
 
 17 
 
 
 
 treated for above. 
 
 . 20 
 
 0 
 
 SUMMER SESSIONS 
 
 In the summer of 1917, this new departure was authorized. It 
 was decided to hold sessions from 8 o’clock until 12 six days per 
 week for six weeks in the Thomas Street School building, and to 
 offer work in all grades from the first to the seventh, inclusive. Mr. 
 William Lowerre was appointed principal with six assistants; 263 
 pupils registered. Of these 148 or less than 60% of the total com¬ 
 pleted the work. The school had three distinct purposes: First, 
 to help unusually capable children to earn a double promotion; 
 second, to help children who had failed their grade in June to make 
 up their work so they could be promoted with their class; third, to 
 review the past term’s work with those who wished to strengthen 
 their preparation for the next grade. Of the 148 who completed 
 the summer session 42 came for the first purpose stated above, and 
 38 of these were successful. Twenty-six came for the second pur¬ 
 pose, of whom 20 were successful; 80 came for the third purpose, 
 and it is to be assumed that all of these were benefited. The cost 
 of conducting the session was as follows: 
 
 Principal, 36 days at $4.00._.$144.00 
 
 Six assistants, 36 days at $3.00. 648.00 
 
 Janitor, 6 weeks at $5.00. 30.00 
 
 Total .....$822.00 
 
 Per capital cost for each successful pupil.$ 5.95 
 
 The experiment seemed to indicate that the greatest values were 
 obtained in the middle grades. It was also found that good atten¬ 
 dance on Saturdays was difficult to secure. It was therefore voted 
 that for the summer of 1918 instruction should be offered only in 
 grades three to six inclusive, and that the period of instruction should 
 be extended to cover seven weeks, giving only five forenoons each 
 week. Four teachers were appointed, of whom Mrs. Gladys A. 
 Towner was asked to act as principal. This time 117 pupils regis¬ 
 tered, of whom 70 remained full time; 31 were trying to gain double 
 promotion, and 22 were successful in the effort. Ten were trying 
 to make up a failure, and seven of these were successful. Twenty- 
 nine were reviewing a grade and of course 100% accomplished 
 their purpose with varying degrees of excellence. 
 
 26 
 
The cost this time was reduced to the following figures: 
 
 Principal, 35 days at $4.00.....$140,00 
 
 Three teachers, 35 days at $3.00. 315.00 
 
 Janitor, 35 days at $1.00...... 35.00 
 
 $490.00 
 
 Per capita cost for each successful pupil...$ 8.45 
 
 The higher per capita cost of the 1918 session is due to the 
 elimination of the first and second grade which in 1917 registered 
 by far the largest numbers. It is believed, however, that the saving 
 of $332 in the aggregate cost justifies the increase in the per capita, 
 inasmuch as the time element for pupils below the third grade is of 
 prime importance. Intensive work can be done much more satis¬ 
 factorily with fifth grade pupils than with first grade pupils even 
 though the latter seem much more willing to undertake it. To 
 cover the work ordinarily accomplished in 18 weeks of full days in 
 7 weeks of half-days cannot be regarded as other than intensive 
 work. I believe the 1918 organization was a wholesome one and 
 that its results will justify its continuance next summer. 
 
 TEACHERS 
 
 During the year ending July 31, 1918, there were 102 teaching 
 positions maintained. Of these, 4 were supervisors, 4 were teachers 
 of special subjects, 18 were employed in the High School and the 
 remaining 76 were employed as principals and teachers in the grade 
 schools. Of the total number employed, there were 9 men and 93 
 women. Twelve held College Graduate Certificates and 71 held 
 Normal School diplomas. The other 19 held various grades of 
 license authorized by the State Department of Education. 
 
 The salary schedule under which these teachers have done their 
 work is as follows: 
 
 1st 
 
 2nd 
 
 3rd 
 
 4th 
 
 5th 
 
 6th 
 
 7th 
 
 Year 
 
 Year 
 
 Year 
 
 Year 
 
 Year 
 
 Year 
 
 Year 
 
 *High School men.$ 900 
 
 $1000 
 
 $1100 
 
 $1200 
 
 $1300 
 
 $1350 
 
 $1400 
 
 *High School women. 600 
 
 650 
 
 700 
 
 750 
 
 800 
 
 850 
 
 900 
 
 tGrades 7-8. 500 
 
 550 
 
 600 
 
 650 
 
 700 
 
 725 
 
 750 
 
 tGrades 1-6 & Kindergarten 500 
 
 550 
 
 600 
 
 625 
 
 650 
 
 675 
 
 700 
 
 Special teachers. 600 
 
 650 
 
 700 
 
 725 
 
 750 
 
 775 
 
 800 
 
 Supervisors . 700 
 
 750 
 
 800 
 
 850 
 
 900 
 
 950 
 
 1000 
 
 Principal High School. 1600 
 
 1800 
 
 2000 
 
 2100 
 
 2200 
 
 2300 
 
 2400 
 
 Prin. Gram. School (men) . 1000 
 
 1100 
 
 1200 
 
 1300 
 
 1400 
 
 1500 
 
 1600 
 
 Prin. Inter. School (women) Salary of grade teacher plus $25 for each 
 
 room supervised. 
 
 ^College graduates, tNormal graduates. 
 
 Certain teachers who have taught the full seven years with con¬ 
 spicuous merit have received in addition to the maximum salary 
 $50 in the case of the maximum being less than $900, and $100 in 
 the case of the maximum being $900 or more. 
 
 27 
 
For the ensuing year, 1918-1919, a special increase to partially 
 meet the increased cost of living has been voted as follows: 
 
 On salaries less than $600.10% 
 
 On salaries from $600-$ 700. 9% 
 
 On salaries from $700-$ 800. 8% 
 
 On salaries from $800-$ 900.,. 7% 
 
 On salaries from $900-$1,000. 6% 
 
 On salaries of $1,000 and over. 5% 
 
 While this was a step in the right direction, it was not a sufficient¬ 
 ly great one, as subsequent events have proved. We have been 
 under the necessity of replacing 30% of our teaching force. This 
 in itself is lamentable. But the seriousness of the situation is fully 
 realized only when the difficulty of securing competent teachers to 
 fill vacancies is thoroughly understood. 
 
 Under our salary schedule, even with the special increase per¬ 
 centages added, the Superintendent has been able to exercise little 
 or no choice in the selection of teachers. He has reached the point 
 where he feels elated to find a single legally licensed candidate for 
 any position. Doubtless many of those thus engaged will be wholly 
 successful with their work; but the condition is one which gives no 
 encouragement for the improvement of our teaching personel. Quite 
 the reverse. It is becoming clearer every day that we will be in 
 still worse straits by the time we shall again be contracting with 
 teachers. Government work and business are both bidding heavily 
 against the schools for the present supply of teachers, and for the 
 future, exceedingly short provision is being made. The Normal 
 Schools next June will graduate not more than 50 or 60 per cent 
 of the usual number. The really desirable ones of this restricted 
 number will be eagerly sought for by cities which will be willing to 
 pay an initial salary as great as our present maximum. I am thor¬ 
 oughly convinced that our duty to the Rome Schools can only be 
 discharged by raising our minimum salaries $200 above the present 
 figures. In no other way can we hope to make replacements which 
 will not lower the standard which we have thus far tried to main¬ 
 tain in our teaching force. 
 
 28 
 
THE WILLETT SCHOOL 
 
 An Experiment in One-story Schoolhouse Architecture 
 
 In October, 1917, was brought to completion the school buiding 
 illustrated on the opposite page. It has therefore been occupied 
 only about four-fifths of a school year, but time enough has elapsed 
 to make some observations of possible value on this type of build¬ 
 ing. As will be seen by the plans, it contains fourteen forty-pupil 
 classrooms, two offices, toilets, bath, and an auditorium or playroom. 
 
 The exterior is of rough texture red brick of variegated shades, 
 trimmed with Onondaga Litholite. The interior has plastered walls 
 and ceilings, brick base one foot above floor, red oak trim finished 
 in dull gray to harmonize with the decoration of the walls. Stud- 
 and-plaster partitions are used throughout the building. The floors 
 are all battleship linoleum, laid on concrete which in turn rests on 
 hollow tile laid in sand on a cinder fill. 
 
 The building fulfills all requirements as to heat, light, ventilation 
 and sanitary conveniences. 
 
 In a general way, there are three considerations which deserve 
 discussion in regard to any school building. These are: First, cost 
 of construction; second, cost of operation and maintenance; third, 
 adaptation to needs. I shall take these up in their turn. 
 
 First—Cost of Construction 
 
 The building itself, including necessary walks, curbing and grad¬ 
 ing immediately surrounding it, but exclusive of site and exclusive 
 of furniture and equipment, cost $83,084.89, or a little less than 
 $6,000 per classroom. The original appropriation for actual building 
 purposes was $67,000. The construction costs therefore exceeded 
 the estimate by about $16,000. The question naturally presents 
 itself as to whether the adoption of the one-story type was respon¬ 
 sible for this excess cost. There is no way of answering the ques¬ 
 tion with precision, as figures were not obtained on a two-story 
 building of similar size and quality. Costs entering into the regular 
 two-story type were pretty well known at the time the plans were 
 made, however, and everyone concerned in the problem agreed 
 after careful study that the appropriation would be nearly, if not 
 quite, sufficient for its purpose. As an experiment, however, the 
 architect was authorized to prepare plans for a one-story building 
 instead of the two-story building originally in mind. By the time 
 plans were prepared and bids were received, conditions in the build¬ 
 ing trades had reached a point where it seemed likely that further 
 delay would be attended by increased costs, no matter what type of 
 building were selected. It was therefore deemed expedient by the 
 Board of Education to accept bids as offered in spite of the fact 
 that their amount ran rather heavily over the appropriation. Time 
 has abundantly demonstrated the wisdom of this decision. 
 
 It can not be denied, however, that judging from such data as 
 we possess, the City of Rome has found no economy of construction 
 cost in choosing the one-story plan, and indeed it seems probable 
 that there would have been some saving in adhering from the very 
 
 29 
 
30 
 
 A. L. Brockway, Architect, Syracuse, N. Y. 
 
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 FLOOR PLAN OF WILLETT SCHOOL 
 
 A. L. Brockway, Architect 
 
 start to the more familiar two-story type. Mention may properly 
 be made here of one idea which it would seem is sometimes slighted 
 by architects and ignored by school authorities. That is the dis¬ 
 tinction between fire-proofing the material of a building and fire¬ 
 proofing the human content of a building. The building we have is 
 not of itself fire-proof. Yet because of its plan, the children within 
 the building are absolutely safe from fire hazards. This constitutes 
 a familiar argument in favor of the one-story building, the advocate 
 always implying that if this type is not selected, then, in order to 
 make the lives of the children safe in a two-story building, such 
 building must be made fire-proof of itself, thus greatly increasing 
 
 31 
 
cost. This I believe to be a fallacy. A two-story building can be 
 so planned that the safe exit of the children can be at all times 
 absolutely assured, yet the building itself not be entirely fire-proof. 
 This is the only type of building which ought to be compared with 
 the one-story building. It is unfair to place in competition' with 
 a building offering complete fire protection in only one particular, 
 a building offering complete fire protection in two particulars. 
 
 Second—Cost of Operation and Maintenance 
 
 The cost of fuel used in heating the building for five months 
 from November 1 to April 1, figured about $13 per class-room per 
 month, counting the play-room as equivalent to three class-rooms. 
 The cost for the same period of heating the Thomas Street building, 
 which has an equivalent of fourteen class-rooms and is equipped 
 with precisely the same kind of heating plant as that in Willett 
 School, was approximately $10 per month per class-room. The 
 Thomas Street School, however, derives an advantage in heating 
 over the standard two-story type, in that four of its rooms are on 
 what is called the ground floor, with five rooms on each of the 
 floors above. 
 
 The East Rome School and the Gansevoort School, which also 
 have the same kind of boilers (Ames Tubular), ran to $15 and over 
 per class-room per month for the same period. These two schools 
 are at a disadvantage in being smaller buildings, the Gansevoort 
 School being at the still greater disadvantage of having the most 
 severe weather exposure of any school building in the city. On 
 the whole it seems reasonable to assume that heating costs will not 
 be appreciably different in the new school from what they would 
 have been if a building of equal capacity had been built in the same 
 location with two stories and a basement. 
 
 Keeping the building clean is unquestionably a simpler proposi¬ 
 tion than it would be if it were on two floors with stairways between. 
 Janitor service costs but $50 per year more than it does in the East 
 Rome School, although there is nearly 50 per cent more floor space. 
 It cannot be discovered that this difference in janitor’s pay marks 
 anything more than the actual difference in the value of services 
 required. 
 
 As to maintenance, it is not to be expected that a new building 
 of any type would call for any considerable repair expenses for at 
 least ten years. Experience clearly shows, however, that whenever 
 a school building reaches the age where repairs are required, the 
 roof is the first and last thing to need attention. The one-story 
 school-house with its great area of roof will unquestionably require 
 more expense for maintenance than it would if the original expense 
 of the building had gone into height instead of horizontal extent. 
 
 Third—Adaptation to Needs 
 
 The principal and the teachers all agree that the building is a 
 delightful one in which to work. Administrative and supervisory 
 
 32 
 
work is reduced to the minimum of effort. The one interior class¬ 
 room with overhead lighting is the only exception to the rule of 
 perfect comfort and convenience. There is no waste room in the 
 building. Every foot of it is in almost constant use during school 
 hours. The play-room might have been larger with great advantage. 
 Recess periods have to be arranged in series, but it is not feasible 
 to make a school program with more than three such periods in a 
 session—two are usually considered a maximum. The normal reg¬ 
 istration for the building is 540. Dividing this in three parts, we 
 have 180 children to be provided for in each recess period. As the 
 area of the play-room is less than 2,000 square feet, it gives for 180 
 pupils only about eleven square feet per pupil for free play. This 
 is at once seen to be an absurdity. If there were outside play¬ 
 ground, to supplement this, a way out of the difficulty could easily 
 be found. But as the lot was too small to afford this, our only 
 recourse is to have the children take turns in having the use of the 
 play-room at recess time, those not being fortunate enough to secure 
 the privilege for any particular day taking their recess in the 
 restricted limits of their own class-room. 
 
 Details 
 
 The Board of Education has long since committed itself to the 
 proposition that there is no economy in cheap heating systems, venti¬ 
 lating apparatus and plumbing equipment. Every item of this kind 
 entering into the building was required to be of first-class construc¬ 
 tion and of positive action. These might well be listed for praise 
 were they unique. Since they are common to several schools 
 recently built in this city they may pass with this mere mention. 
 
 The building, however, contains some features which have not 
 before been incorporated in a Rome school building, and while 
 these have no necessary connection with the type of building in 
 which they are found, it may be a matter of interest to bring them 
 briefly into view. 
 
 (a) The elimination of the old-fashioned coat-room and the 
 substitution of the modern separate wardrobe idea is an entire suc¬ 
 cess. Much room is saved in this way, garments and children are 
 under constant surveillance of the teacher and the slide blackboards 
 which form the fronts to the wardrobes make the entire side of the 
 room usable for instruction purposes. The appearance of the room 
 is not marred in the least by the working out of the scheme and 
 the fact that the ventilation outlet of the entire room is through 
 these wardrobes guards against offensive odors from the garments 
 entering the class-room and at the same time provides for airing 
 and drying the garments hanging there. The idea might well be 
 adopted as a standard for future construction. 
 
 ( b ) The sash blackboards for teacher’s use in the front of each 
 room are of small expense and of very great service. Teacher’s 
 work may be placed on one of these boards after the school session 
 of one day and not revealed until the proper time comes during the 
 
 33 
 
day following. It makes for better preparation of lesson material 
 on the part of a teacher and thus becomes a feature worthy of 
 extension to all our other buildings. 
 
 (c) The linoleum floors appeal to the teachers as a real luxury. 
 Most builders have experienced trouble in keeping linoleum flat on 
 the floor after it is laid, but the substructure provided by the 
 architect for the resting place of the linoleum in this building was 
 so successfully worked out that there has been no trouble at all on 
 that score. The cost of such a floor, however, is a serious item. 
 For class-room use I am personally unable to see how the added 
 expense is justified; for its advantages over a good maple floor, while 
 discernible, are really very slight. In the conclusion just stated I 
 would make an exception of the play-room, for in this place after 
 the experience we have had I would consider a battleship linoleum 
 floor as pretty nearly an absolute necessity. By its use the noise 
 made by children at play when others in the same building are trying 
 to study is greatly reduced, and an advantage of great value is 
 thereby secured. 
 
 (d) Tile floors in the corridors constitute another expense which 
 to say the least is questionable. In toilets, bath-room and vestibules, 
 any place, in fact, where wet cleaning is frequently necessary, I 
 regard tile as a vital necessity. So it might be in a room in danger 
 of dampness from beneath. But the main corridors of a school 
 building I should be inclined to class with the recitation rooms in 
 a belief that hard maple floors answer the purpose excellently well 
 and that anything costing more than a hard maple floor would have 
 to prove a case for itself before being admitted. 
 
 ( e ) The Play-room or Auditorium. The day has certainly 
 passed when a school building in any such climate as Rome enter¬ 
 tains should be allowed to be built without this feature. It is simply 
 invaluable. Physical Training, Supervised Play, Free Play, School 
 Exercises and Exhibitions, Parents’ Meetings, Community Enter¬ 
 prises and Civic Betterment Movements are all made not only 
 possible but inviting by its existence. Our climate is such that for 
 a large part of the school year, outdoor play for many pupils is 
 impracticable. The only fault in the play-room we have in Willett 
 School is that there is not enough of it. 
 
 Summary: From the standpoint of the pupil, the one-story 
 building is highly satisfactory except that it takes up some possible 
 play-ground space which he would very much like in favorable 
 weather to use. 
 
 From the standpoint of the teacher the one-story building is ideal. 
 
 From the standpoint of the janitor the one-story building is as 
 free as possible from faults. 
 
 From the standpoint of the taxpayer there is ground for suspicion 
 that the one-story building involves certain costs in the way of 
 construction and maintenance which might be avoided without any 
 detrimefit to the physical or educational interests of the pupils. 
 
 From the standpoint of the school executive, the one-story build- 
 
 34 
 
ing has brought with it some highly superior features of school- 
 house construction, but which are not in fact inseparable from the 
 one-story idea. Most of the very desirable features usually found 
 associated with the one-story plan could just as effectively be used 
 with a two-story plan. It is also to be noted that the one-story 
 plan commends itself most highly in the case of a small school on 
 a plot of abundant size. It is never to be recommended for a plot 
 of restricted area; and indeed on a plot of no matter how great 
 dimensions it would seem doubtful if a one-story building contain¬ 
 ing more rooms than are in Willett School would be practical on 
 account of long distances necessary in making communications 
 with various parts of the building. 
 
Suggestive Building Program 
 
BUILDING PROGRAM 
 
 The first essential to good schools is good teaching. No amount 
 of money spent on bricks and mortar can make up for negligence 
 in insuring a high quality of instructional service. Closely sec¬ 
 ondary to that, however, comes the physical facilities for carrying 
 on school work. Splendidly as the city has responded to these 
 needs as they have been from time to time pointed out by the Board 
 of Education, we are still seriously behind with our building enter¬ 
 prises. Although in the past six years we have constructed three 
 new buildings, it must be remembered that two of these (Thomas 
 Street and Willett) were only enlarged replacements, while the third 
 (Gansevoort) is a very small structure. They have therefore not 
 given us the increase in total number of rooms which would nat¬ 
 urally be suggested to one who has not actually analyzed the condi¬ 
 tions. The fact is that we are badly crowded. In every section 
 of the city we are registering more grade pupils per room than we 
 can care for with best results, and even at that we have not rooms 
 enough in our school buildings without resorting to the necessity 
 of renting rooms for overflow grades. Really suitable rooms are 
 not available for this purpose and we have to take what we can get, 
 without much regard to proper lighting, ventilating or safety from 
 fire hazard. 
 
 The war with its overshadowing claims has very properly put a 
 brake upon all expenditures for community betterment; but the 
 war cannot wholly prohibit provisions for our increasing school 
 population nor even long delay them. The Building Administrator 
 advises me that necessary additions to school buildings will be 
 allowed during the continuance of the war, and as soon as the war 
 is over, we should be ready with our program of needed develop¬ 
 ments to make our school system worthy of the new era of peace. 
 On the supposition that the war will continue into the year 1919, 
 but will not run into 1920, I would urge with all earnestness an 
 immediate program of inexpensive enlargements, bringing our 
 present small “feeding schools” up to capacity for taking care of 
 six grades, this to be followed as soon as new construction has 
 Government Approval by the building of a new sixth-grade school 
 on the Linden Street lot; this in turn to be followed as soon as 
 expedient by another new building which shall take all the seventh, 
 eighth and ninth grade pupils in the city and give them a choice of 
 either academic, commercial, industrial or vocational preparation. 
 
 The advantages of such a program are obvious; it gives us a 
 chance to make much needed expansion in our small schools at a 
 time when we are not allowed to do anything else; it puts the building 
 of a new grade school as far in the foreground as possible; and it 
 paves the way for a reorganization of our promotion procedure 
 along lines of the most modern educational practice. 
 
 On the opposite page, I have tried to make the idea graphic by 
 showing the progressive steps in the plan with the projected new 
 construction of each successive year shaded in distinction from that 
 supposed to be previously completed. 
 
 37 
 
AWARDS —1916-1917 
 
 SLINGERLAND PRIZE, MARCH 9 
 Girls — First, Gretchen Dillenbeck; second, Margaret Wallis 
 Boys — First, Thomas Wheeler; second, James E. Bird, Jr. 
 
 DAVIS ESSAY PRIZEZ, JUNE 28 
 Harold Arthur Rathbone 
 
 Subject — “The Mohawk Valley 1776-1916: A Contrast” 
 
 UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS 
 Janet Gregg MacAdam Harry Segal 
 
 ACADEMY GRADUATION HONORS 
 
 First, Janet Gregg MacAdam 
 Second, Clayson Wheeler Aldridge 
 Third, Tom Holden Barnard 
 Fourth, Harry Louis Segal 
 Fifth, Thelma Frances Foote 
 Sixth, Albert Robert Reese 
 Latin, Janet Gregg MacAdam 
 
 English, Janet Gregg MacAdam 
 Mathematics, Walter August Juergens 
 Science, Tom Holden Barnard 
 Commercial, Francis John Lawler 
 Oratorical, Tom Holden Barnard 
 Recitation, Janet Gregg MacAdam 
 
 HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS 
 Graduating Class of forty-three members 
 
 PERFECT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATES 
 
 (1) With Purple Seals (8-11 years’ record) 
 
 May Peglow, 9 years Pauline Relyea, 9 years 
 
 Clayton Tritsch, 8 years 
 
 (2) With Red ! 
 Jennie Ackernecht, 4 years 
 Wesley Blood, 6 years 
 Martha Brunner, 4 years 
 Marion Dewey, 4 years 
 Bertha Evans, 5 years 
 Dorothy Groff, 5 years 
 Clara Glickman, 4 years 
 Pasquale Falconi, 4 years 
 John Morasco, 5 years 
 Joanna Dandino, 4 years 
 Lena Spadafora, 5 years 
 Josephine Bova, 4 years 
 Irene Ventura, 4 years 
 Rosie Yanotti, 4 years 
 Michael Viscosci, 4 years 
 Frank Sestito, 4 years 
 Samuel Taverna, 4 years 
 
 (3) Plain 
 Three hundred 
 
 (4-7 years record) 
 
 Anna Cingranelli, 4 years 
 Julia Salce, 4 years 
 Amelia Spadafora, 4 years 
 Stuart Davis, 4 years 
 Clayton Blakeslee, 4 years 
 Helen E. Frey, 4 years 
 Walter Wittman, 5 years 
 M. Donald Healy, 7 years 
 Marie Koons, 5 years 
 Edgar Doyle, 4 years 
 Reba Henderberg, 4 years 
 Charles Holtz, 5 years 
 Pauline Holtz, 4 years 
 Doris Loomis, 4 years 
 Stella Peglow, 7 years 
 Othmer Scholz, 5 years 
 Edna Williams, 6 years 
 
 -3 years’ record) 
 id twenty-eight pupils 
 
 38 
 
 THE H. B. CASE HISTORICAL COMPOSITION PRIZE 
 Girls — First, Elizabeth J. Jewell; second, Eleanor O. Staley 
 Boys — First, M. Donald Healy; second, Fiorre Stagliano 
 
GRAMMAR SCHOOL GRADUATION HONORS 
 
 (Regents Average of 90% and Higher) 
 
 Frederick S. Marks 
 Eleanor O. Staley 
 Fiorre J. Stagliano 
 Elizabeth C. Abbuhl 
 Lillian Margolin 
 William James Gage 
 Anna Marion Stagner 
 Charles P. Knight 
 Eleanor Ruth Hughes 
 Earl E. Bartlett 
 M. Edna Williams 
 F. Anita Colihan 
 Vivian E. Sprague 
 Frederick S. Luberda 
 Ernestine S. Outtrim 
 W. McKinley Percival 
 Reginald W. Beckwith 
 Jennie Gianvito 
 Eleanor R. Campbell 
 Hazel M. Burris 
 Edith M. Hitchcock 
 Elsie L. Davis 
 
 Lester L. Lovier 
 Ruth E. Page 
 Charles W. Havens, Jr. 
 Theodore W. Outwater 
 C. Carrol Allen 
 Harry Goldman 
 Leah M. Rathbone 
 B. Alberta Beckwith 
 J. Harlowe Quinlan 
 Hattie M. Spargo 
 Elizabeth J. Jewell 
 Dorothy S. Maxham 
 Catherine P. Sexton 
 Cora O. Agans 
 Leroy J. Mumpton 
 Frank Maxon Potter 
 Oliver Rudd 
 Carolyn A. Agan 
 Clara Rickmyer 
 Doris R. Evans 
 Wayne G. Seager 
 
 GRAMMAR SCHOOL DIPLOMAS 
 Graduating class of one hundred and twenty-eight members 
 
 1917-1918 
 
 SLINGERLAND PRIZE 
 Girls — First, Lillian Wood; second, Dorothy Waldo 
 Boys — First, Harry Rice; second, Carroll Bates 
 
 DAVIS ESSAY PRIZE 
 Helena Roth 
 
 Subject — “Service Rendered to America by Foreign Military Officers” 
 
 UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS 
 Ruth S. Kingsley A. Gertrude Hyde 
 
 ACADEMIC GRADUATION HONORS 
 
 First, Ruth Seymour Kingsley 
 Second, Adelaide Gertrude Hyde 
 Third, Marie Louise Haas 
 Fourth, Louise Margaret Hertel 
 Fifth, Bernice Dietrich Martin 
 Sixth, Harold Arthur Rathbone 
 Latin, Ruth Seymour Kingsley 
 
 English, Ruth Seymour Kingsley 
 Science, Harold Arthur Rathbone 
 Mathematics, Ruth Seymour Kingsley 
 Commercial, Hilda Margaret Burkard 
 History, Ruth Seymour Kingsley 
 Oratorical, Harold Arthur Rathbone 
 Recitation, Ruth Seymour Kingsley 
 
 HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS 
 Graduating class of forty-four members 
 
 PERFECT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATES 
 (1) With Purple Seals (8-11 years’ record) 
 
 M. Donald Healy, 8 years Pauline Relyea, 10 years 
 
 Stella M. Peglow, 8 years 
 
 (2) With Red Seals (4-7 years’ record) 
 
 William Carroll, 4 years 
 Anita Colihan, 4 years 
 Mildred Evans, 5 years 
 Dorothy Groif, 6 years 
 Pauline Holtz, 5 years 
 Katherine Jones, 5 years 
 Ellen Wilson, 5 years 
 
 Clarence Kalk, 4 years 
 Othmer Scholz, 6 years 
 Charles Holz, 6 years 
 Howard Kalk, 4 years 
 Edward Burris, 4 years 
 Bessie Fleming, 4 years 
 Stuart Davis, 5 years 
 
 39 
 
Lena Spadafora, 6 years 
 Clayton Blakeslee, 5 years 
 Chester Carrier, 4 years 
 Lottie Marchevski, 4 years 
 Perry Butts, 4 years 
 Rose Hettrick, 4 years 
 Abraham Zimbal, 4 years 
 Edward Closinski, 4 years 
 Clara Glickman, 5 years 
 
 Mary Rizzutto, 4 years 
 Vito Nardozza, 4 years 
 Theresa Basile, 4 years 
 Adelyn D’Ainto, 4 years 
 Tony DelPiano, 4 years 
 Ateo Spadafora, 4 years 
 Frank Sestito, 5 years 
 Julia Salce, 5 years 
 Amelia Spadafora, 6 years 
 
 (3) Plain (1-3 years’ record) 
 
 Three hundred and forty-nine pupils 
 
 GRAMMAR SCHOOL GRADUATION HONORS 
 (Regents Average of 90% and Higher) 
 
 Richard Nelson Williams 
 Mary Elizabeth Heyne 
 Helen Mary Mammosser 
 Harold B. West 
 Dorothy I. Havens 
 Ethel L. Belius 
 Ethel R. Scagel 
 Marguerite C. Burke 
 Ethel M. Krumm 
 Reba S. Henderberg 
 Helen E. Greene 
 C. Vivian Meyers 
 Ethel E. Midlam 
 Howard O. Ackles 
 Mary E. Kilbourne 
 William J. Powers 
 William Engelbert, Jr. 
 Ernest Popp 
 Hilda A. Drake 
 Raymond T. Audas 
 Harold J. Clements 
 Max Horowitz 
 Irene M. Brodbeck 
 
 Marjorie A. Richards 
 Helen E. Frey 
 Walter J. Wittman 
 J. LeRoy Puttock 
 Howard B. Evans 
 John H. Larrabee 
 Tony Marian 
 Lydia M. Roth 
 Ivah R. Baker 
 Emerett E. Reckentine 
 Wayne Sturdevant 
 Erwin L. Baker 
 Anna K. Parkhurst 
 Anna M. Arnold 
 Doris F. Hinkley 
 Pauline A. Holtz 
 Mary Alvarez 
 Ruth W. Byam 
 Katherine A. Jones 
 Dorothy P. Cagwin 
 Mariska I. Kouch 
 Mildred Waterman 
 Wallace A. Wood 
 
 GRAMMAR SCHOOL DIPLOMAS 
 Graduating class of one hundred and twenty-eight members 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 George R. Staley, 
 
 Superintendent. 
 
 40 
 
HISTORY OF THE EARLY SCHOOLS OF ROME, N. Y. 
 
 (Compiled by L. Elizabeth McFarland, August, 1917.) 
 
 In Samuel Durants’ History of Oneida County, of the period 
 from 1667-1878, there is a map of the Town of Rome in 1810. 
 Such map of 1810 is substantially one of Rome at the commence¬ 
 ment of the nineteenth century, for the changes during that period 
 were slight. The census of the town in 1800 shows a population 
 of 1,459, and the census of 1810 shows a population of 2,003, a 
 gain in the whole town of only 544 in ten years. In the index 
 which explains the map the two following items are of interest 
 concerning the history of early schools in Rome, New York: 
 
 “No. 59—The Huntington School-house stood on or near the site 
 of the meat shop of G. Petrie and was erected about 1800. It 
 was a frame one-story building, with chimney in the center of the 
 room.” 
 
 “No. 71—The School-house in Rome stood in 1800 and 1810 in 
 the southeast corner of West Park and it was there where courts 
 were held in Rome until the Court-house was erected in 1806. It 
 was a high square frame building with hip roof.” 
 
 Of these two school buildings, there is this further information 
 in the same history: 
 
 “The First Public School Building in the Village of Rome was 
 erected some time previous to 1800. It stood on the southeast 
 corner of the West Park on James Street, and was a high square 
 building with a hip roof. The early courts, from 1798 to 1806, were 
 held in it. It was used for educational purposes until 1819, when 
 it was removed and a frame school building erected on the site of 
 the present Zion Church. This house was a number of years later 
 destroved by fire and the building on Liberty Street erected in its 
 stead.” 
 
 “About 1800, a one and a half story frame school building was 
 erected on the east side of James Street, a short distance north of 
 Dominick, and was known as the “Huntington School-house.” The 
 chimney was in the center of the room, and the writing desks were 
 placed against the walls so that the pupils faced the walls when 
 writing.” 
 
 There are no available local records as to the number of pupils 
 enrolled, nor of the subjects taught in either of these two early 
 schools, but that the villagers were interested in the education of 
 their children is shown by the fact that in the years 1810-1820 
 there is mention made of two other schools, one taught by Oliver 
 Grosvenor and the other by Abby Bullock. 
 
 It seems that some years previous to 1820, Oliver Grosvenor 
 started a private school in the upper part of the building on 
 Dominick Street, occupied by A. and A. B. Blair as a drug store. 
 
 41 
 
At first he had but four or five pupils, but his school became very 
 popular and the attendance largely increased. He kept it in the 
 Huntington School-house from about 1818 to 1832, when he 
 removed it to Liberty Street. Mr. Grosvenor was a fine Latin 
 scholar and an excellent instructor, and fitted many young men for 
 college. Among those who were attendants at his school and after¬ 
 wards rose to distinction, the following may be named: J. D. 
 Caton, United States Judge, Illinois; Anson S. Miller, United States 
 Judge, Illinois; Oliver P. Hubbard, Professor in Dartmouth College; 
 D. D. Whedon, Editor of the Methodist Quarterly Review, and 
 later in the Department of the Interior, at Washington, D. C. 
 
 Miss Abby Bullock’s School was known as the “Long House” 
 on Dominick and there she began teaching in 1812. This school 
 was attended by some who a score of years ago were the oldest 
 residents of Rome. The school building was finally destroyed 
 by fire. 
 
 As early as 1835 there was agitation for an Academy for the 
 village, but it was not until 1848 that the building was actually 
 erected.' 
 
 Mr. Henry J. Cookinham, in a very able history of Oneida 
 County, describes the early history of the Academy as follows: 
 
 “On the 21st of December, 1847, a meeting was held in the 
 American Hotel, in the Village of Rome, for the purpose of naming 
 trustees for a proposed Rome Academy. Edward Huntington was 
 chairman of this meeting and Calvert Comstock secretary. On 
 motion of John Stryker the following persons were unanimously 
 named as. trustees: Henry A. Foster, Calvert Comstock, John 
 Stryker, Edward Huntington, Harold A. Pope, Seth B. Roberts, 
 Alya Mudge, Jesse Armstrong, Benjamin Huntington, Roland S. 
 Doty., Nehemiah Ingersoll, Gordon N. Bissell, Sanford Adams, 
 Richard Peggs, Enoch Armstrong, Lynden Abel, William L. How¬ 
 land and Henry Brayton. The next day these trustees held a meet¬ 
 ing for the purpose of organization. Harold Pope was elected 
 president ; Edward Huntington, vice president, and Calvert Corn- 
 stock, clerk. A building committee was appointed, consisting of 
 R. S. Doty, G. N. Bissell, Enoch B. Armstrong and the president. 
 It was further directed that S. B. Roberts be designated to receive 
 from the trustees of the estate of Dominick Lynch the title to a site 
 for an academy building. The president and secretary were in¬ 
 structed to prepare, on behalf of the board, a memorial to the 
 Legislature, seeking an act of incorporation. A committee was 
 then appointed to solicit subscriptions to the academy fund. On 
 January 28, 1848, the Legislature passed the act to incorporate the 
 Rome Academy, reviving an act passed April 28, 1835. 
 
 “At a meeting, held March 20, 1848, the president and secretary 
 were requested to close a contract with D. B. Prince for the erection 
 of an academy building, in accordance with certain proposed terms. 
 A special building committee, consisting of the president and 
 trustees, Armstrong, Bissell, Huntington and Doty, was appointed 
 to! superintend the erection of the building. It is later shown in 
 
 42 
 
the records that this building was to be of brick, seventy feet by 
 forty-four feet. It was two stories high, with lecture room, lab¬ 
 oratory, three rooms for janitor and furnace room in the basement. 
 The upper rooms were arranged for separate study rooms for boys 
 and girls. At the rear of the building was woodshed and outhouses. 
 The entire cost was $6,208.92. 
 
 “In July, 1848, efforts were made to secure a ‘Proper principal.’ 
 On September 1, 1848, one David Prentice, LL.D., was tendered the 
 position at a salary of $800 and such further sum, not exceeding 
 $1,000 as the net income of the academy might warrant. Dr. Pren¬ 
 tice would not accept the position, and it was offered to George 
 Spencer, who also declined it. November 9, 1848, the Rev. S. B. 
 Brown was elected principal at a salary of $1,000. Mr. Brown 
 was a graduate of Yale, with 16 years’ experience in teaching. 
 
 “The board then preceeded to formulate by-laws and regulations. 
 The rate of tuition was fixed at $5 for first year, $6 for second year, 
 $8 for third year. French was $6 additional, while an extra charge 
 was also made for instruction in music. At the next election of 
 officers Mr. Pope’s resignation as trustee was presented. Geo. R. 
 Thomas was elected trustee in his place, and Edward Huntington 
 president. At the next meeting in March, 1849, the board prepared 
 a petition to the regents of the University of the State of New York 
 to become subject to visitation from the University, which meant 
 a participation in the distribution of the University funds. This 
 petition was favorably received. 
 
 “The faculty for the first year consisted of Rev. S. B. Brown, 
 principal; Julius S. Townsend, a graduate of Wesleyan University, 
 whose salary was $400; D. Dwight Hitchcock, a graduate of Am¬ 
 herst, salary $390; Miss Fabina Jennings, a graduate of Mt. Holyoke, 
 salary $400; Miss H. O. Caldwell, Miss Juliana Aldrich and Miss 
 Sarah G. Sill, each receiving a salary of $200. It was specified in 
 the annual report to the regents that each of the above mentioned 
 women professed an intention to make teaching a permanent profes¬ 
 sion. The instruction was divided into three departments, the male, 
 female and primary. A well-arranged course of study was out¬ 
 lined. During the first year 300 students were registered, 107 of 
 whom attended for at least four months. 
 
 “The second principal was F. Moore, a graduate of Union, who 
 had been assistant. He resigned in 1862, and was succeeded by 
 Oren Root, Jr., of Hamilton College, who served until the close of 
 the school in 1865.” 
 
 It was during the latter part of this period that the now famous 
 Elihu Root acted as assistant to his brother. It was not always 
 smooth sailing for the brothers. Oren seems to have demanded 
 more in the way of repairs to the building than the trustees were 
 willing to give and he offered his resignation. He was, however, 
 prevailed upon to remain. Later it is recorded that hasty conduct 
 on the part of Mr. Elihu Root, as alleged to have occurred during 
 the absence of the principal, was looked into by a special committee 
 appointed for that purpose. The committee found the “manner in 
 
 43 
 
which Mr. Root addressed the group at the gate was objectionable” 
 and that the “action was hasty and unjustifiable” and that before 
 undertaking any such measures, he should “have reported the mat¬ 
 ter to the trustees and consulted with them in reference thereto.” 
 Nevertheless, when the brothers left the academy, the trustees 
 framed up a set of resolutions expressing high appreciation of their 
 services. 
 
 E. O. Hovey was the next principal and served three years, re¬ 
 signing in July, 1868. L. S. Putnam was next elected and served 
 until the transfer of the academy to the public school system. Cer¬ 
 tain facts concerning the conditions in the schools from 1850-1860 
 and of the growing sentiment in favor of free public schools with 
 an academic department are to be gleaned from the following ex¬ 
 tracts taken from the report of the Board of Education of the city 
 of Rome for 1877: 
 
 “In 1850, the Liberty Street building was erected under the su¬ 
 pervision of R. G. Savery, E. Comstock and E. Seymour as trus¬ 
 tees. Little change has since been effected in its outward appearance. 
 For many years each of the three floors was occupied by a depart¬ 
 ment, the boys and girls being seated in different rooms. 
 
 “In the winter of 1851 and 1852, an attempt was made by the trus¬ 
 tees so to classify the school as to seat both boys and girls in the 
 same apartment. This action met with decided disapproval from a 
 large number of the patrons. A special meeting of the district was 
 held Feb. 14, 1852, at which the following resolution was offered, 
 viz.: 
 
 “ ‘Resolved, That the classification of this school by the late trus¬ 
 tees, in placing the males and females in the same department, was 
 inexpedient for this school.’ 
 
 “Free discussion and criticism were indulged in, but the trustees 
 having previously resigned, the resolution was finally withdrawn. 
 Three new trustees were at once elected to the vacancies, who speed¬ 
 ily restored the school to its previous condition, and for many years 
 the distinction of sex was rigidly observed. 
 
 “In the following year an appropriation of $300 was made to 
 improve the building in Canal Village, which was then in a dilapi- 
 tat;ed condition, and, with slight repairs, so continued until the pres¬ 
 ent substantial structure was erected, at the corner of James and 
 Ridge Streets, in 1868. This was the outgrowth of the pressing 
 necessities of a rapidly-increasing population in that part of the 
 village, and of a public sentiment which has first found expression 
 at an. annual school meeting of the district in 1858, ten years pre¬ 
 vious. 
 
 u No marked change is again noticed until the winter of 1860 and 
 1861. The sentiment in favor of free schools had then become so 
 general, and their necessity so apparent, that a large number of 
 citizeps .advocated the abolition of the rate-bill system, and the im¬ 
 mediate' establishment of free schools, with an academic depart¬ 
 ment fot the entire village, to be generously supported by public 
 tax' ‘ Prominent among thctefe who were actively interested in this’ 
 
 44 
 
movement were Edw. Huntington A. Sanford, H. O. Southworth, 
 B. J. Beach, A. H. Bailey, D. E. Wager, K. Carroll, and Samuel 
 Ward well. 
 
 “At the annual school meeting of the district, in 1861, a system 
 of free schools was warmly advocated by parties above named, and 
 many others. A committee was appointed to perfect a plan for the 
 proposed change, to be presented for approval at an adjourned meet¬ 
 ing. Meetings were adjourned from time to time until Dec. 17, 
 1861, when a series of resolutions was offered, and the draft of the 
 proposed act of the legislature presented, by Mr. Southworth, look¬ 
 ing to the immediate establishment of free schools. The opposi¬ 
 tion was strong in the belief • that school expenditures would be 
 largely increased under the provisions of the proposed law, and, 
 after much filbustering, finally succeeded in adjourning the meet¬ 
 ing for one month. No further record was made showing any 
 action whatever in the same direction, the adjourned meeting hav¬ 
 ing been seemingly abandoned. In fact, no record exists from Oct. 
 15, 1867, until the 24th day of June, 1869. Then a demand for a 
 change in the system of public schools in the village found expres¬ 
 sion in a ‘Citizens’ Call’ for a public meeting at the court house, to 
 consider the ‘expediency of establishment of a union free school, 
 with an academical department, within the limits of District No. 5, 
 of the town of Rome.’ ‘A large and enthusiastic meeting convened 
 at the time appointed, and free expressions of opinion were solicited. 
 To further the interests of the proposed change, and secure a larger 
 attendance of the friends of the measure, the meeting was adjourned, 
 on motion of E. L. Stevens, to meet at the court house July 3, 1869, 
 at seven and a half o’clock P. M. The friends of free schools ral¬ 
 lied in such numbers at the adjourned meeting that, immediately 
 upon the reading and correction of the minutes of the previous 
 meeting, the following resolution, offered by Mr. K. Carroll was 
 adopted by the decisive vote of 310 to 49, viz.: 
 
 “ ‘Resolved, That a union free school be established within the 
 bounds of School District No. 5, in the town of Rome, pursuant to 
 the provisions of chapter 555 of the laws of 1864, and the amend¬ 
 ments thereto.’ ” 
 
 “ ‘ Resolved, That the Board of Education of this union free 
 school district be and they are hereby authorized to adopt the 
 academy, located in said district, as the academical department of 
 said district, with the consent of the trustees of said academy, pur¬ 
 suant to section 25 of title 9, chapter 555 of the laws of 1864.’ On 
 the 16th day of July, 1869, the following resolution was passed by 
 the Board of Trustees of Rome Academy, viz.: ‘Resolved, That 
 we consent that the Board of Education of Union Free School, Dis¬ 
 trict No. 5, in the town of Rome, may adopt the academy as the 
 academical department of said school district.’ 
 
 “In conformity to this resolution, and on the same day, the acad¬ 
 emy property, consisting of a building and lot on James .Street, 
 philosophical and chemical apparatus, cabinet and library, was trans¬ 
 ferred to the Board of Education by a quit-claim deed executed by 
 
 45 
 
the following, acting as a Board of Trustees: Samuel Wardwell, 
 J. M. Sturdevant, H. O. Southworth, A. H. Brainard, Henry M. 
 Lawton, S. B. Roberts, C. W. Elmer, H. D. Spencer, R. E. Sutton, 
 R. T. Walker and Geo. Merrill. 
 
 “The academy lot was originally the gift of Dominick Lynch in 
 the interest of education, to be forever occupied by a building de¬ 
 voted to that purpose. 
 
 “July 17, 1869, the Board of Education, having been duly or¬ 
 ganized July 9, 1869, by the election of S. VanDresar, president, 
 and R. E. Sutton, clerk, adopted the following resolution, viz.: 
 ‘Resolved, That the Rome Academy be and the same is hereby 
 adopted as the academic department of this Union Free School Dis¬ 
 trict, a union school having been duly established under the provi¬ 
 sions of title 9 of chapter 555 of the laws of 1864.’ Thus virtually 
 ended the struggle in behalf of free schools. The old rate-bill was 
 abolished, and the schools were opened in the fall of 1869 upon the 
 broad and catholic basis of free education for all.” 
 
 The academy opened under the new conditions in the fall of 1870 
 with an enrollmen of 97, which by 1877 had increased to 200 with ad¬ 
 vantages for a still larger number. The first principal was Geo. H. 
 Barton, A. B., and the first preceptress was Miss Sarah C. Fisher, 
 who, during the year became Mrs. Barton. 
 
 “Mrs. A. Bours and Miss Alice Armstrong were assistants in 
 this school, where arithmetic, algebra, geometry, geology, astronomy, 
 history, all the higher English branches, as well as French, German, 
 Latin and Greek were taught. In July, 1871, Oliver Christie Har¬ 
 rington, a young lawyer of Elmira, N. Y., was employed by the 
 Board of Education to organize the graded system in the Union 
 Free Schools of Rome. These schools were held in the academy, 
 a brick building on Liberty Street, another on S. James Street and 
 two small rooms, accommodating about 25 pupils each, one in East 
 Rome and one in West Rome. A new building on Thomas Street was 
 first occupied in the autumn of 1871. In 1872 the academy was 
 thoroughly repaired and reseated. In 1874 the brick building on 
 Third Street was erected and a dwelling house was purchased and 
 remodeled for a primary department on James Street South. In 
 1876 the school building in W. Rome was repaired and enlarged to 
 accommodate 80 pupils. In 1879 the brick building on North Jay 
 Street was erected and occupied. The first published report of the 
 Board of Education was issued for the years 1875 and 1876, and 
 according to this report 29 teachers were employed in seven differ¬ 
 ent school buildings, and 2,103 pupils enrolled. The school prop¬ 
 erty at that time was valued at $82,000. The schools were under 
 the very efficient direction of Prof. Harrington until 1881. Prof. 
 Harrington was born in Middlesex, Yates County, N. Y., March 
 28, 1847. He was the son of Col. Oliver Harrington, a life-long 
 resident of the locality. He was closely related to Theophilus Har¬ 
 rington, justice of the Supreme Court of Vermont from 1803 to 
 1813, who when a slaveholder from New York State came before 
 him with proof of his ownership of a runaway slave, gave the fam- 
 
 46 
 
ous decision that nothing short of “A bill of sale from God Al¬ 
 mighty” could prove a valid title. Prof. Harrington possessed in 
 a marked degree the clearness of perception and independence in 
 action that characterized this decision of his ancestor. He received 
 a thorough schooling with the intention of entering the legal pro¬ 
 fession, but before undertaking the study of law he taught for two 
 years at Nyack and filled the position of principal of the Utica Ad¬ 
 vanced School for two years in place of his brother, James Pratt 
 Harrington. He studied law with his uncle, James A. Christie; 
 at the age of 23 was admitted to the bar and began the practice of 
 his orofession in Elmira. His ability as an instructor and organizer 
 had attracted the attention of educators, and in July, 1871, soon 
 after the incorporation of the city of Rome, he was called to or¬ 
 ganize and develop the graded system of instruction in the schools 
 of that city. He planned and evolved an admirable system that gave 
 to Rome schools a place in the very front ranks with those of larger 
 cities and better equipment. During the ten years of his service as 
 superintendent of the schools of Rome, their superior standing 
 was recognized by the educators throughout the state, and by the 
 state authorities in school matters. In 1882, at the death of his 
 brother, who had occupied the position of principal of Utica Ad¬ 
 vanced School, he was again called to that position, which he filled 
 for four years.” 
 
 Prof. Harrington was succeeded as superintendent by Allen Bar¬ 
 ringer, who officiated for one year. Superintendents who have 
 served since that time are: Mvron J. Michael, William D. Manro. 
 Harrison T. Marrow, Walter D. Hood, Lewis N. Crane, Daniel J. 
 Kelley and the present efficient superintendent, George R. Staley. 
 
 At the time of the opening of the academy in 1870, the Board of 
 Education consisted of S. VanDresar, President; R. E. Sutton, 
 Clerk; J. Hill, E. Huntington, H. O. Southworth and J. Reifert. 
 They ofifered two courses in the academy: The scientific and clas¬ 
 sical, each requiring three years. There were three terms in each 
 year, and two sessions in each school day. The forenoon sessions 
 were from nine until twelve o’clock. The afternoon sessions for 
 the first two terms began at 1 : 30 and closed at 4, but in the spring 
 term, the afternoon session was from 2 to 5. A public examination 
 was prescribed at the close of each school year. 
 
 There was a strict regulation against using any of the school 
 buildings for anything except the customary use of schools. The 
 slogan of “wider use” had then not been heard. 
 
 It might be interesting to fix all the dates and recall all the 
 struggles by which the teaching force of the city has increased to 
 the present number of over 100, the course of study lengthened 
 and enriched, kindergartens inaugurated, vocational work added, 
 departmental teaching developed, qualifications for teachers raised, 
 salaries increased, and the spirit of discipline transformed. But 
 all this is as much a history of the times as it is a history of any 
 particular school system. In the course of the years many salutory 
 changes have been wrought and more must follow. 
 
 47 
 
In general, it is sufficient to say that the city of Rome now has 
 in its public school system seven schools. All those in existence in 
 1869 have now been replaced by modern structures and five addi¬ 
 tional buildings have been erected. The old academy was razed in 
 1897, and the present building put on the same spot. In 1909 a new 
 building containing 13 rooms was built in front of the old Liberty 
 Street school house. The old one, which was built in 1850, con¬ 
 tinued to stand there, used partly for overflow classes and partly 
 for manual training work, until 1913, when it was demolished. The 
 old James Street School was taken down in the summer of 1916 
 and a new one-story building containing 14 class-rooms and audi¬ 
 torium is now standing on the old site. This is to be known as 
 Willett School, in honor of the Revolutionary hero, Marinus Wil¬ 
 lett, whose fame is connected with old Fort Stanwix. 
 
 In 1877 the main part of the Jay Street School, containing four 
 rooms, was erected and some years later a two-room wing was 
 added. The East Rome School has come to its present proportions 
 of 12 rooms by a gradual evolution. It started in 1874 as a four- 
 room school, taking the place of a smaller brick school still stand¬ 
 ing unused on E. Dominick Street, which had in former years been 
 the school for what was called “factory village” before it was 
 added to the larger district. It had two rooms added at one time, 
 two more at another and four in 1915. 
 
 The wooden building on S. James Street was built in 1901. The 
 building called Gansevoort School, in commemoration of the gallant 
 services of the defender of old Fort Stanwix, was completed in 
 1815. 
 
 The schools have been fortunate in retaining the services of its 
 strongest teachers for long tenures. Mr. H. W. Harris has now 
 served the city for 16 years as principal of the High School. Mr. 
 R. H. Barringer has been a grade principal twice that length of 
 time. Both are still in service and exercising a profound influence 
 on the growing life of the city. Miss Jane S. Higham and Miss 
 Ella Van Dresar are other honored names among the many who 
 have served long and effectively and who continue with us, while 
 the names of K. S. Putnam, P. H. Miner, Mary L. Buck, Sarah 
 Taft, Mary L. Bissell, A. G. Benedict, B. W. Sherwood, and Myron 
 T. Scudder are still well-remembered teachers of the past. 
 
 The city has always been represented on the board by the highest 
 type of citizens. A few only of those who served as president need 
 be mentioned: Stephen Van Dresar, Edward Comstock, Dr. A. A. 
 Gillette, Stoddard Stevens, Geo. A. Clyde, Geo. G. Bailey, and J. H. 
 Carroll are names indissolubly connected with the honor, the intel¬ 
 ligence and the financial strength of the city. 
 
 This brief history of the schools of Rome offers no exciting read¬ 
 ing, but it does record in good faith the progressive yet cautious 
 character of a city which seeks in its schools, as in its industrial out¬ 
 put, to live up to its motto “Quality First” in a straightforward un¬ 
 spectacular fashion. 
 
 L. Elizabeth MacFarland. 
 
 48