at the end of their first term, and forty-eight names at the end of the second term. But on the financial side they were not fully satisfied. Many of the pupils were poor and tuition fees were not rigidly collected.32 Accordingly, when the directors of the Eugene school offered Arnold $100 per month as principal of the public school, he accepted;[1] his associate accepting a similar offer from the Cottage Grove school.
The significance of the translation of Arnold from the academy to the public school is very great. In the first place, the discontinuance of the academy shows that the public school had already become formidable. Secondly, Arnold was a man of marked ability as a teacher, and was possessed with a strong ambition to develop a good secondary school. Thirdly, he accepted the principalship on the condition that sufficient help be furnished to enable him to carry forward the work begun at the academy, with certain advanced classes.[2]
Thus, upon the common school of Eugene was superimposed a high school department which greatly altered its character and won for it a respect accorded theretofore only to the best private academies. The good results of the new policy were soon manifest. At the close of the second term in December, the roll of honor, including only such as had been present the greater part of the time, and who received less than five demerits, contained thirty-eight names of pupils in the higher department.[3] This is a goodly beginning for a high school. At the close of the second term, March 22, 1872, there were
- ↑ The dirctors' announcement is significant. The title of "principal," bestowed on Arnold, is, so far as I can learn? the first official use of that title. The school was graded under the primary, intermediate and higher departments. Tuition was fixed at $3.00, $5.00 and $7.00 for these departments. Pupils outside the district were to pay from $7.00 to $10. Mr. Callison remained as assistant, and a third teacher was employed for the primary department.
- ↑ Interview with R. M. Veatch; letter of Callison.
- ↑ Journal, December 9, 1871.
