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The Manumit School ("manumit" in Latin means ''freedom from slavery'') was an "experimental" Christian socialist boarding school in Pawling, New York. and, in 1944, Bristol, Pennsylvania. Founded on purchased farm land in 1924 by Rev. William and Helen Fincke, it was formally called The Manumit School for Workers' Children. Its teachings were meant to provide a "progressive," "workers education" slant during a time of increasing soclialist optimism in America. Sarah Norcliffe Cleghorn worked here as an English and Drama teacher until 1929. ==History== in 1924, Rev. William Mann Fincke and his wife, Helen Hamlin, founded Manumit as an elementary level, co-educational, boarding school on a working farm in Pawling, New York. It was closely associated with a number of NYC labor unions. A. J. Muste was Chair of Manumit Associates/Board for a number of years.〔“A New Community School,” The Survey, 10/15/1924 & Rev. W. M. Fincke, “Elsie Wins a Point and We Get a View of Manumit,” Labor Age, 11/1925. “an alliance of progressive labor and progressive education” See: Scott Walter, “Labor's Demonstration School: The Manumit School for Workers' Children, 1924-1932,” 1998. 26 pp. (ERIC: ED473025) See: Threescore: The Autobiography of Sarah N. Cleghorn (1936) p. 253-81. Cleghorn, a poet, taught at early Brookwood, then Manumit, 1924 to early 1930s.〕 In 1926 Henry R. Linville became interim director upon illness of Rev. Fincke.〔“The Manumit Yearbook: 1927,” 38 pp., includes group activity descriptions, lists of Associates, staff, and of current and former students, Web-site](a founder of, and active in, NYC Teachers Union/TU (one of the precursors of the UFT) from 1916 into the 1930s〕 In 1927 Rev. Fincke died.〔“GALLANT SPIRIT passed from us…” The Nation, 6/15/1927. New York Times, 6/1/1927. Memorial Service notes, 24 pages, June 7, 1924 at Timiment Library.〕 In 1927/28 Nellie M. Seeds became director.〔Nellie Seeds: “Democracy in the Making at Manumit School,” The Nation, 6/1/1927; “Labor’s Laboratory School,” The Survey, 6/15/1927; “Manumit’s Contribution to Social Reconstruction,” Progressive Education, 5/1931. Annual Conference of the Manumit Associates: ”Learning Through Doing;” (1928); “Creative Education,” (1929); “Educational Groundwork for a Changing Social Order,” (1931); NY University Tamiment Library. ) (resigned in 1933; joined NY State Education Department. Died, 1946. )〕 In 1933 William Mann Fincke (son of Rev. WMF & Hamlin) became co-director, with wife, Mildred Gignoux. (1933 the school was debt-ridden…and only a half dozen pupils remained....” “Sometimes the children’s welfare seemed subordinated to indoctrination of pet political and social ideas favored by directors or staff members…”〔William L. Stephenson, “A Brief Note on Manumit School,” 1943, Web site) ) (& Mildred were both experienced with “experimental/ progressive” education in NYC. On his background re progressive education see: Fincke, “History” in “Manuscript,” 1949. Web-site.〕 In 1938/39, the Progressive Schools' Committee for Refugee Children formed under leadership of Mildred and William Fincke. At least 23 Jewish refugee children attended Manumit.〔''Time'' magazine, 3/27/39). (See also: records of German-Jewish Children's Aid, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, NYC.)〕 In 1942, the first two years of high school added to the elementary school.〔“Broad Meadows” campus. See: Barbara Dutton Dretzin 2006 Web-site & 2/21/12 e-mail recollections; Steve Stevenson, “Manumit,”11 page recollections, Web-site.〕 In 1943, William I. Stephenson became director. WM Fincke attended Yale University to pursue doctorate.〔 “Theory of Knowledge,” selections from blank verse paper, 100+ pages, c. 1944, NY University Tamiment Library〕 On October 25, 1943, fire destroyed the major school building, the “Mill”. Most school records weredestroyed. In 1944, William M. Fincke resumed directorship with wife, Amelia Evans.〔W. M. Fincke, “A Philosophy of Discipline” (1941) & W. M. Fincke, “Memorandum on Manumit School” (n.d. probably late 1940s), Web-site. ) (Amelia re Manumit see WMF, “History” in “Manuscript,” 1949, Web-site. In mid-1960s Amelia was Superintendent of Eastern Star Home for the Aged in Somerville, NJ. Died, 12/1972.〕 The school was moved to Bristol, Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.〔Barbara Dutton Dretzin e-mail, 5/5/2006, Web-site. ) (see report (2/2012) of July 2011 reunion Symposium on the value of a Manumit Education & Speer comments (Web site and Timament library)〕 In 1954 Benjamin Fincke resigned.〔Manumit Board resolution of appreciation, 1956, Web Site. ) [Later: Co-Director then Director of Buxton School, Williamstown, MA. Died in Williamstown, MA, 2/18/2003. (See: New York Times, 6/1/2003). Magda, co-director and art teacher at Buxton, died 8/13/2004.〕 John A. Lindlof, student at Pawling and teacher at Bristol, became Co-Director.〔John died in 1982 in Maine. He had become Professor of Education at the University of Maine at Orono in 1961, where there is now (2010) a “John A. Lindlof Learning Center.”〕 In the mid-1950s, “Negro children had reached 14%;” children of Asian descent had reached 8%.〔fund-raising memo by WMF, c. mid-1950s, Web-site). “The complete respect for human beings as human beings and for their backgrounds as important parts of their personalities, the lack of prejudice of racial nature… are so taken for granted that the administrator whose job it is to maintain this enriching heterogeneity is often the only person who continues conscious of it.” (WM Fincke, fundraising document, c. 1945-46, Web-site)〕 In 1956, overt external attacks on school began, including fire hazard inspections: “Local political manipulations are suspected because housing projects have recently surrounded the school and certain residents may object to the interracial status of the school, or local promoters may see the value of the school property.…”〔Telegram to President Eisenhower, September 26, 1956)〕 In 1957/58, the school was closed following denial of license renewal for 1958 by the State Board of Private Academic Schools, Pennsylvania Department of Public Instruction. Subsequently, school records were destroyed. The Board inspector ”has singled this school out for complaint over a long period of time, and there is every reason to believe that she is prejudiced against an integrated school, and against its director….” 〔“Respondent’s Brief” and testimony by William M. Fincke, December 1957. See: Mike Speer (c. 2006 email) link of attacks to Brown v. Bd. of Ed, backlash, “Manumit Ends,” Web Site.〕 William Mann Fincke died on January 4, 1968 in Stonington CT. He had been teaching remedial reading in the area since 1963.〔W. M. Fincke, "The Effect of Asking Questions to Develop Purposes for Reading on the Attainment of Higher Levels of Comprehension in a Population of Third Grade Readers," Education Doctoral Dissertation, Temple University, 1968. 140 pages. Completed in 1967.)〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Manumit School」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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