DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, DEPUTY, F. W. MILLER. CLERK, MISS MATTIE WILLIAMS. FORMER STATE SUPERINTENDENTS. THOMAS SMITH...... July 2, 1868, to January 6, 1873 J. C. CORBIN.... January 6, 1873, to October 30, 1874 G. W. HILL.. December 18, 1875, to October 13, 1878 J. L. DENTON.. October 13, 1878, to October 11, 1882 DUNBAR H. POPE. October 11, 1882, to October 30, 1882 W. E. THOMPSON. October 30, 1882, to October 30, 1890 J. H. SHINN.... October 30, 1890, to October 30, 1894 JUNIUS JORDAN...October 30, 1894, to Sept. 12, 1898 J. W. KUYKENDALL.. Sept. 12, 1898, to Oct. 30, 1898 J. J. DOYNE.... October 30, 1898, to October 30, 1902 BOARD OF COMMON SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS, 1901-1902. J. W. CROCKETT, Secretary of State, President. T. C. MONROE, Auditor. J. J. DoYNE, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Secretary. 81493 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. LITTLE ROCK, ARK., November 1, 1902. To His Excellency, Jefferson Davis, Governor of the State of Arkansas. DEAR SIR: Section 6960 of the school law requires this office shall, on or before the 1st day of November, make a report to the Governor of the State as to matters coming under its direction and supervision. In compliance with this requirement, I beg to submit the following Biennial Report of the Department of Education for the years 1901-1902. Very respectfully, J. J. DOYNE, Superintendent Public Instruction. BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. OUR COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM. A history of the growth of the public school system of Arkansas is full of interest. Shortly after the admission of the State into the Union in 1836 an Act was passed by Congress presenting to the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas certain propositions. Under the first proposition the sixteenth section of every township in the State was granted for educational purposes. Under the second, seventy-two sections of land, known as the Saline lands, were granted; and under the third, the seventy-two sections known as the Seminary lands, which had been given to the Territory in 1827, were vested in and confirmed to the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas for the use of said Seminary. These propositions were accepted by the General Assembly in October, 1836; yet for several years but small progress was made toward establishing a public school system. In 1844, Congress was requested to modify the Seminary grant and to authorize the appropriation of the seventy-two sections of land for common school purposes. In 1846 this was done, the Seminary lands being thus added to the Sixteenth section lands for public school purposes. Under the Constitution of 1836 the importance of public education was made prominent, and the opinion of the able men who composed the convention was expressed in the following language: "Knowledge and learning generally diffused through a community being |