Pennsylvania schoolmaster and US Congressman Andrew R. Brodbeck
Pennsylvania schoolmaster and US Congressman Andrew R. Brodbeck
In our nation’s history many a successful schoolmaster also made a name for himself in the political realm. One of these was Andrew R. Brodbeck, an educator from Pennsylvania who also became a member of the US House of Representatives.
Andrew was born April 11, 1860, in Jefferson, Pennsylvania. The country was just at the brink of the Civil War. As a young man, Andrew first attended and then taught in the public schools of his native York County. His career as an educator there was short, spanning the years of 1878 to 1880.
In 1880 Andrew moved to Hanover, Pennsylvania, an agricultural borough located 19 miles southwest of York and 54 miles north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, and five miles north of the Mason-Dixon line. In Hanover Andrew established himself in a business that sold farm implements and fertilizer. During his years there, the former teacher served as a member of the board of directors of various business enterprises. Andrew’s career as an entrepeneur lasted until 1896, when he left the business to accept a position as the sheriff of York County. He served in that position until 1899.
Andrew was elected on the Democratic ticket to represent Pennsylvania’s 20th District in the 63rd Congress. After he served his term, he was voted out of office, but in 1918 he was re-elected to serve a second term in the 65th Congress. In 1920, Andrew further served his constituents as a delegate at large at the 1920 Democratic National Convention.
Andrew passed away on February 27, 1937, in Hanover. He was 76 years old. The former educator and politician was interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Carverton, Pennsylvania.
To view this chalkboard champion’s page on the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, click on this link:Â .
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Freedom Schools founded in 1964 helped southern African Americans vote
Freedom Schools were opened in southern states as part of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The most famous ones were established in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964.
One of the most interesting type of schools I have ever studied about are Freedom Schools. These unique schools were temporary alternative schools opened in southern states as part of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The most famous ones were established in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964.
Freedom schools were the brainchild of New York math teacher Bob Moses. Under his direction, the schools were organized and staffed by White political activists, teachers, and college students. They came from all over the United States to participate in the endeavor.
The goal of the summer program was to empower the disenfranchised African American community to register to vote and to exercise their Constitutionally-guaranteed rights to political participation. Volunteers also hoped to help bridge some of the gap created by educational neglect. The neglect had long been rampant in states ruled by Jim Crow laws. Both Black and White citizens realized that only through education and participation in the democratic process could African Americans ever hope to improve their lot.
The enterprise was not without danger. On the first day of Freedom Summer, three volunteers involved in the program—Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, and James Chaney—disappeared. They were investigating the firebombing of the church facility in Mississippi designated for their voter recruitment activities. Six weeks later, the badly beaten and bullet-ridden bodies of the three missing men were discovered buried in an earthen dam in nearby Neshoba County, Mississippi.
To learn more about freedom schools and Freedom Summer, click on this link to the History Channel.
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Myra Davis Hemmings: English and Drama teacher also an accomplished actress
Myra Davis Hemmings: a Drama and English teacher and accomplished actress
There are many examples of fine educators that have enjoyed successes in fields other than education. One of these is Myra Davis Hemmings, a teacher of English and drama at Phyllis Wheatley High School in San Antonio, Texas. Myra’s career as an educator spanned fifty-one years, but she can also boast about significant accomplishments in theater and film.
This gifted teacher and actress was born in Gonzales, Texas, in 1887, the daughter of Henry Davis and Susan (Dement) Davis. After graduating from Riverside High School in San Antonio, Texas, in 1909, Myra enrolled in Washington DC’s all-black Howard University. During her college years, Myra had the distinction of being president of both the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She graduated from Howard in 1913 and immediately began her career in the classroom. Later, Myra returned to the university to earn her master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Speech Department in 1947.
This outstanding educator was also active in community service projects. Myra served as the national vice president, a former regional director, and an active member of the National Council of Negro Women. She was also a member of the NAACP.
As a drama teacher, Myra directed plays from the 1920s to the 1950s at the Carver Community Cultural Center in San Antonio. She also became active as a director in the San Antonio Negro Little Theater.
In her later years, she was a national vice president, a former regional director, and an active member of the National Council of Negro Women. She was also a member of the NAACP.
As a drama teacher, Myra directed community plays from the 1920s to the 1950s at the Carver Community Cultural Center in San Antonio. She also became active as a director in the San Antonio Negro Little Theater. She and her husband, a former Broadway actor named John W. Hemmings, helped to organize the Phyllis Wheatley Dramatic Guild Players. In addition to all this, the talented teacher appeared in three films.
Myra Davis Hemmings passed away in San Antonio in 1968. She was 73 years old. Both the classroom and the entertainment community miss this chalkboard champion greatly.
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Five teachers inducted into the 2019 National Teachers Hall of Fame
Five new teachers have just been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame located in Emporia, Kansas.
Five American teachers were newly inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame on Friday, June 21, 2019. Among the new inductees is high school math teacher Mary Jo Murray from Florida. Also inducted was Dyane Smokorowski, a technology and innovation teacher from Kansas. Fourth-grade teacher Christopher Albrecht from New York and social studies teacher David Bosso from Connecticut are also in the group. The last inductee for this year is career and technical education teacher Richard Knoeppel of Nevada.
“Great teachers have the ability to change lives like no one else does,” Emporia State University Provost David Cordle asserted at the induction ceremony. “With these five inductees, we are celebrating the best of the best. But the great thing about it is, they represent what teachers are doing in their classrooms every single day, all over the country.”
To read more about these amazing educators, see this article by Linzi Garcia printed online at the Emporia Gazette.
The National Teachers Hall of Fame states their mission is to recognize and honor exceptional career teachers, encourage excellence in teaching, and preserve the rich heritage of the teaching profession in our country. The organization states their vision is to be a prominent national organization that promotes the appreciation of the vital role of education in our society. To this end, the organization works collaboratively with national education organizations They also strive to strengthen connections with other national teacher recognition programs.
In addition, the Hall of Fame preserves the careers of celebrated teachers in their brick-and-mortar museum located in Emporia, Kansas, and in virtual formats. Most importantly, the organization promotes the work of inducted teachers to elevate the quality of teaching practices and the learning of students nationwide by sharing their skills and experiences with other educators.
To learn more about the work of this important organization, click on National Teachers Hall of Fame.
