Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published Jan. 14, 2004

A story of true character education

Character education teaches honesty, respect, responsibility and good citizenship traits. Recently more than 100 Hamilton County teachers and administrators attended a day-long seminar featuring ways to combine character education lessons and regular classwork. Nationally recognized educators Tom Jackson, director of the Active Learning Foundation in Cedar City, Utah and Dr. Hal Urban, author of Life's Greatest Lessons: Building Character and Affirming Life in the Classroom, were the presenters of the program.

One name popped into my head as I read those words defining character education - William Holmes McGuffey. Yes, the pioneer who introduced the McGuffey Readers in 1836 based on those very principles of morals and ethics. Several years ago I purchased a revised set of those six books which were almost universally used in elementary schools in the Midwest and throughout the South. They had an immense influence on public education. Titled McGuffey's Eclectic Reader they gave a short introduction to the author of the lesson that followed as well as the new words used. At the end of each lesson new words were defined. Drills in spelling, articulation and all aspects of public speaking were emphasized. There was no talking down to students. Expectations were high.

Born in western Pennsylvania to Scotch-Irish parents in 1800, William's family moved to the Ohio Territory in 1802. Although he had very little formal schooling, William mastered the school arts and began teaching at age 13 in subscription rural Ohio schools. For 11 years he taught in both Ohio and Kentucky rural schools but continued his own education during vacations and spare times.

He received a B.A. degree with honors in 1826. For the next 11 years he served a professor of languages at Miami University, Oxford, OH. McGuffey had a great interest in public education and he assisted elementary school teachers. He even established a model school for neighborhood children in his own home.

In 1835 he contracted with a publishing company in Cincinnati to do four school readers. The first- and second-grade readers appeared in 1836, followed by the third and fourth in 1837. In 1844 the fifth reader was added. A spelling book done by his brother was published in 1846. The final sixth-grade reader completed the series in 1857. One hundred twenty-two million copies of these books were sold.

McGuffey was not just writing books during these years. He was president of Cincinnati College 1836-39 and president of Ohio University, Athens, OH, 1839-43. His final years were spent at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, where from 1845 until his death is 1873 he served as chairman of mental and moral philosophy.

During his years in Ohio he was one of three founders of the common school system in the state. In that period from 1820 to the 1860s there was a strong movement to turn the private systems of education which were based on economic, class, nationality and religious distinctions to a system of common schools that would be free, universal and open to all. It took the efforts of a determined group of educational statesmen to finally set in place the state systems of common schools. The three main goals of this new approach were public support, state control and freedom from religious sectarianism.

William Holmes McGuffey should be remembered not only for his innovative readers but for bringing his vision of what public education should be to fruition.

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Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.