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Celebrations and Civic Consciousness: The Role of Special Observances in Alabama's Educational Modernization, 1900-1915
- Alabama Review
- The University of Alabama Press
- Volume 63, Number 3, July 2010
- pp. 192-223
- 10.1353/ala.2010.0028
- Article
- Additional Information
CelebrationsandCivic Consciousness:TheRoleof SpecialObservancesinAlabama’s EducationalModernization, 1900–1915 IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, the period generally designatedastheProgressiveEra,wheneducationalofficeholders, teacherrepresentatives,civicactivists,concernedlegislators,philanthropists ,andothers—collectively“educationalmodernizers”—considered Alabama’smostlyruralpublicschools,theyweredismayed. Theybelievedtheseschools,whichwerelargelycontrolledbyparents and local communities, did not meet contemporary standards for educationalefficiencyandwereinadequatetothetaskofpreparing studentsforadiversifyingeconomyofindustrialandcommercialenterprise andanagriculturalsectorrevolutionizedbyscientificfarming andtechnology—inotherwords,aneconomyencapsulatedin theterm“NewSouth.”1 Atthesametime,theseProgressivereformers soughttoinculcateinstudentsabroadsenseofsouthernidentity,believing thatitwouldprovidethemwiththefundamentalcivicvalues neededtoaddressthechallengesofthenewcentury. The election of John William Abercrombie in 1898 as State SuperintendentofEducationmarkedthebeginningofanewsense EDITHM.ZIEGLER Dr. Edith M. Ziegler is an Honorary Associate of the University of New England in ArmidaleNSW(Australia).Herbook,SchoolsintheLandscape:Localism,CulturalTradition andtheDevelopmentofAlabama’sPublicSchoolingSystem,1865–1915,isbeingpublishedbythe UniversityofAlabamaPressinOctober2010.ShethankswarmlythestaffoftheAlabama DepartmentofArchivesandHistoryforthetirelessassistancetheyaffordedherwhenshe wasconductingtheresearchonwhichthisarticleisbased.Shealsothankstheeditorsand reviewersoftheAlabamaReviewfortheirpatientandconstructivesuggestionsforwaysof improvingthecontentandforseekingouttheillustrations. 1 Theterm“NewSouth”waspopularizedbyHenryW.GradyinaspeechinDecember1886. Itsoonbecameasloganconnotingabeliefinprogress,ahopefulnationalism,andthe abandonmentoftheidealsofatraditionalruralsociety. J U L Y 2 0 1 0 193 ofurgencyregardingeducationalreform.Abercrombieandhissuccessors wereeducationalprofessionals,andsomehadbeenlegislators themselves.AllweredirectlyinvolvedwiththeAlabamaEducational Association(AEA)which,since1897,hadbeenlobbyingforreform. Abercrombie’sinitiativesandachievementsledtogreatercentralization andstandardizationofeducationalpolicy-makingbythestate (embodiedintheofficeofstatesuperintendent).Manyofthepublications thatexplainedorsupportedstatepolicywereissuedbythe DepartmentofEducation,thoughthiswasnotyetalargeregulatory bureaucracyandaslateas1914comprisedjustsevenpeople.2 AmongthereformsachievedbyAbercrombieandhissupporters andsuccessorswereastateteacher’sexamination,summerinstitutes forteachertraining,extendedsessions,schoolredistricting,consolidation , uniform textbooks, a standard curriculum, quality schoolhouses ,compulsoryattendance,andlocaleducationaltaxation.The cumulativeeffectandcentralizingtrendofmanyofthesechanges meant an overall lessening of community and parental control of schooling.3 AllaccountsofAlabama’seducationaldevelopmentlisttheselegislatively achieved reforms. Invariably overlooked is the extent to which,inapproximatelythesameperiod,themodernizershelpedto dilutethelocalismthathinderedreformbydeliberatelyheightening andbroadeningthecivicconsciousnessofstudents.Thiswasaccomplished inpartbymeansofschoolcelebrationssuchasholidaysand specialdays,revivedfestivals,inventedceremonies,andnewlydevised rituals.Foreachoccasiontherewasaspeciallypreparedobservance programinwhichstudentstookanactivepartandwereencouraged variouslytotakeprideintheirstateandtheirsouthernidentity,to develop a national patriotism, and to learn how they could make theirschoolsintovehiclesforProgressiveimprovement.Theinvolve2 AustinRuelMeadows,HistoryoftheStateDepartmentofEducationofAlabama,1854–1966 (Montgomery,1968),7,34. 3 Themodernizingethosofprofessionaleducatorsandtheircampaignstowrestcontrol ofschoolsfromparentsandruralcommunitiesinotherplacesintheSouthhasbeen examinedbyWilliamA.Link,AHardCountryandaLonelyPlace:Schooling,Society,andReform inRuralVirginia,1870–1920(ChapelHill,N.C.,1986),andJamesL.Leloudis...