h50_4842

dc.contributor.other	2011-10-07_jfr	en_US
dc.identifier.other	h50_4842	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://dspace.willardlibrary.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/16129
dc.description	William G. Coburn William G. Coburn, Superintendent of the Battle Creek Public Schools. From the Battle Creek Enquirer and Evening News, November 1, 1926, p. 13. New Buildings Mark Growth of Schools Under Dr. W. G. Coburn Since Becoming Superintendent 31 Years Ago, System Has More than Doubled — Southwest Junior High and Jefferson Structures Represent Latest in Design. A steam shovel making a great excavation in the earth on South Ravine street at the top of the Battle Creek avenue hill. Trenches in property on South Jefferson avenue into which concrete is being poured. This is the beginning of a school building project a in Battle Creek which will total more than three quarter a of a million dollars, Gothic architecture will mark the southwest junior high school on South Ravine, while a fine specimen of early colonial design will be the Jackson school. Gymnasiums and splendid auditoriums are found in the latest type of school buildings. A marked contrast to this is the school structure of earlier days In Battle Creek the present structures are constructed to take care of the Increasing number of students, which now total over 2,000. It was just 31 years ago that William G. Coburn came here to become superintendent of Battle Creek public schools. When he came here there were about 2,000 children enrolled and only eight schools. Woodrow Wilson school, then known as number eight, was built in 1894 and when Dr. Coburn came here in the fall of 1895 he organized the new building. It was during his first year here, also, that the Paean, the annual senior publication, was founded. Dr. Coburn has carried Battle Creek school through many vicissitudes since he came here 31 years ago. Only on a few occasions has any man held the place of superintendent in one city much more than five years. Under his guidance the school system has grown tremendously, the number of buildings will have more than doubled when the southwest junior high is completed next October . The enrollment has become nearly four time as large. Under Dr. Coburn Battle Creek schools have maintained an unusually high standard and are noted for their progressiveness. Dr. Coburn was born in Scotland not far from Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott March 27, 1864. When he was a four years of age he came to this country with his parents, who located in Kalamazoo . Until he was a 18 he worked on a farm and spent only four months of the year in the schoolroom. He taught two year s in a country school and then entered the Kalamazoo college preparatory department, from where he entered the University of Michigan as a Junior . He received his bachelor of arts degree from there in 1890 and that fall became a high school principal in Minnesota. A year later he became superintendent of the school at Vicksburg , where after three years of hard work he put the schools on the university accredited list. After leaving Vicksburg, he became superintendent of schools in Allegan. Here, after persistent effort, he placed the schools on the accredited list. From Allegan Dr. Coburn came to Battle Creek. Altogether he has been a superintendent 35 years. In June 1923, the degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him by Olivet college. And now two buildings are under construction here. One is a new school, the other is the old Jefferson school, known formerly as number four. The original building, just torn down, was erected before Dr. Coburn came here and now is witnessing the old give place to the new.	en_US
dc.language.iso	En	en_US
dc.subject	People Individuals	en_US
dc.subject	Coburn, William G.	en_US
dc.subject	Schools - Battle Creek Public	en_US
dc.title	h50_4842	en_US
dc.type	Image	en_US