Tucson dates from 1880; in 1887–88 there were 21 pupils, but no class was graduated till 1893.[1]
At the expiration of his term of office in January, 1883, Prof. M. H. Sherman surrendered the duties of superintendent of public instruction to Prof. William B. Horton. After he left school work, Supt. Sherman was appointed by Gov. Tritle, in 1883, adjutant general to provide against a threatened Apache uprising. Later he became president of a bank in Phoenix, and amassed a fortune from Arizona and California investments. He is still living (1917). McCrea’s estimate of Sherman’s educational work is somewhat evasive. He says that Sherman’s work—
for the schools of the Territory is somewhat difficult to estimate. Coming into the Territory in 1873 at the request of Gov. Safford, he soon impressed the people of Arizona with his ability and energy, and was given honorable and lucrative employment in school work for many years. His superior business insight, coupled with the excellent opportunities in that early period, enabled him to lay the foundation of a fortune, and to become one of the best-known men of the Territory. He did good work for the public school of Prescott, winning for it a reputation which made it preeminent in the Territory. His work as superintendent of public instruction was mainly clerical, though to some extent administrative. With his constant duties at Prescott for the greater part of the year, there was no chance for visiting the various schools and inspiring the teachers and communities with the enthusiasm so much needed to sustain them in their work. The extent to which he influenced legislative action, for other than his own ends, is somewhat problematic. In some respects he was a worthy successor of Gov. Safford, even if lacking in the disposition to make any considerable sacrifice for the cause of education, as was common with the great executive.[2]
III. HORTON BECOMES SUPERINTENDENT, 1883–1885.
Prof. William B. Horton, the successor of Prof. Moses Hazeltine Sherman and the second Territorial superintendent of public instruction for Arizona, was the first to devote the whole of his time to the duties of his office. He came to Arizona in 1874, where he became a successful teacher. His period of administration as Territorial superintendent was from January, 1883, to January, 1885, and his one published report covers the period from September 1, 1882, to August 31, 1884.
This period was marked as one of renewed activity in school affairs. It began with Gov. Tritle’s message to the assembly in January, 1883, when he pointed out that many small communities received no aid because of “the necessity of only organizing schools with large numbers of pupils.” He thought that this situation was due to lack of funds, and this to failure to derive any income from school lands.
